Cynthia Erivo, Sutton Foster, Kelli O'Hara, and More Set For 2025 Ravinia Festival

Cynthia Erivo, Sutton Foster, Kelli O'Hara, and more have joined the lineup for this year Ravinia Festival, set for this summer in Highland Park, IL. Tickets for the 2025 Ravinia Festival, which runs June 6–August 31, are now on sale.

The Ravinia Festival has been a summer destination and tradition for over a century, attracting thousands of music lovers worldwide. The festival is renowned for its diverse musical programming, and the 2025 summer lineup features more than 100 concerts and 40 artist debuts. Highlights include performances by Cynthia Erivo, Lenny Kravitz, Janelle Monáe, Maren Morris, Lang Lang, Beck, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Lindsey Stirling, Morgan Freeman, and Earth, Wind & Fire, plus the 89th residency of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra with Ravinia Chief Conductor Marin Alsop. Favorite artists returning to the Ravinia stage include Heart, John Legend, James Taylor, The

Black Crowes, Al Green, The Roots, Diana Krall, and Chicago, while Kygo, Juanes, Nas, Sutton Foster, Ray Lamontagne, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, and The Mohan Sisters are all making their Ravinia Festival debuts. The three-day Breaking Barriers Festival, established in 2022 to champion women in classical music, highlights Women Leaders in Food and Music. Molly Yeh, the star of Food Network’s Girl Meets Farm and a Juilliard-trained percussionist, will join Marin Alsop to co-curate orchestral and chamber concerts, where musical works will be paired with culinary dishes by guest celebrity chefs, including Maneet Chauhan, Jacqueline Eng, Sarah Grueneberg, and Mika Leon.

Ravinia’s 36-acre park is nestled in a gently wooded area, making it an enchanting place to experience music this summer. Guests can bring their own picnics or eat at one of the park restaurants. Tickets begin at just $15 and are available only at Ravinia.org. Ravinia has no affiliation with websites that resell tickets. Third-party ticket amounts and prices are pure speculation, and frequently add large markups.

Orchestral programs

The 2025 festival boasts more orchestral performances than any previous season. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) will be in residence for six weeks (July 11–Aug. 17), performing with Ravinia Chief Conductor Marin Alsop and guest conductors. A starry roster of guest soloists is highlighted by Garrick Ohlsson, Sheku Kanneh-Mason*, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Himari*, and Tony Award winners Sutton Foster* and Kelli O’Hara; and iconic favorites like Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, Mahler’s Second Symphony, and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Sheherazade rub shoulders with Alsop’s signature contemporary programming, including works by Reena Esmail, Jessie Montgomery, and a new Ravinia commission from Malek Jandali.

Two concerts this summer with guest conductors leading the CSO also feature pre-concert lectures with music historian Robert Greenberg. “Tour-de-force” conductor and 2020 Chicagoan of the Year (Chicago Tribune) Lidiya Yankovskaya* leads a program pairing Debussy’s La mer with the overture to Wagner’s Tannhäuser and Max Bruch’s First Violin Concerto, featuring soloist Ray Chen (Aug. 9). The next day, Louis Langrée*—who served as Music Director of Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival for two decades—makes his CSO and Ravinia debuts with an all-Mozart program that includes the overture to La clemenza di Tito, the “Jupiter” Symphony, and pianist Garrick Ohlsson performing the Piano Concerto No. 22 (Aug. 10).

The CSO also has collaborations lined up this summer with a variety of artists from across the spectrum of genres. These include Grammy-, Emmy-, and Tony-winning actress, singer, and producer Cynthia Erivo, seen in the role of Elphaba opposite Ariana Grande’s Glinda in Universal’s record-breaking film adaptation of the hit musical Wicked (Aug. 15) and eight-time Grammy winner and alternative icon Beck* (July 23), both under the baton of Edwin Outwater*; and Oscar winner Morgan Freeman*, who live-narrates a transformative journey with the CSO through the music, culture, and legacy of the Mississippi Delta in the Symphonic Blues Experience. Led by conductor and Ground Zero Blues Club artist Martin Gellner*, this program draws on cinematic storytelling and performances by authentic blues artists to celebrate the Delta’s lasting influence on global music (Aug. 1).

Other collaborative orchestral performances at Ravinia this summer feature the Chicago Philharmonic, which continues its 30-year relationship with Ravinia. Highlights of these special orchestral programs include Nas*, who joins the orchestra for a symphonic performance of his groundbreaking debut album, Illmatic (July 2); multi-award-winning electronic violinist, dancer, and New York Times bestselling author Lindsey Stirling (June 26); inventive and versatile Australian rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard* with tour music director Sarah Hicks* (Aug. 6); and the Marvel Studios’ Infinity Saga Concert Experience, a traversal of 23 films under the baton of Anthony Parnther, who revisits the earliest days of Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor in establishing the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Aug. 29).

Opening acts

• Ravinia favorite Queen! from Metro/Smartbar returns to open for Grace Jones* and Janelle Monáe* on the Carousel Stage (June 7).
• The Gaslight Anthem* rocks a Ravinia-debut set opening for Counting Crows in the Pavilion (June 13).
• Guitarist-songwriter Abraham Alexander returns to open for Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’ on the Carousel Stage (June 14).
• Musicians from Ravinia’s Steans Institute Jazz Program perform a set to open for Ravinia’s

• 2024 Bitter Jester Music Festival runner-up Scorched Waves* make their Ravinia debut opening for The Black Crowes on the Carousel Stage (June 18).
• Boston-bred trio Tiny Habits returns to Ravinia to open for James Taylor in the Pavilion (June 19).
• John Butler (with band) returns to open for DISPATCH in the Pavilion, and Donavon Frankenreiter* debuts on the Carousel Stage before both bands’ Pavilion sets (June 21).
• The Ravinia Jazz Mentors and Scholars—an ensemble of top student musicians in Chicago Public High Schools and their mentors, major Chicago jazz artists who are partnered with Ravinia’s Reach Teach Play to enhance the students’ musical and career skills—play sets on the Carousel Stage to open for Diana Krall (June 22).
• Nai Palm* makes her Ravinia debut opening for The Roots in the Pavilion (June 27).
• The legendary soul group The O’Jays returns as they conclude more than 60 years of touring, opening for Al Green in the Pavilion (June 28).
• Melancholic crooner Puddles Pity Party* opens for “Weird Al” Yankovic in the Pavilion (June 29).
• Fleetwood Mac tribute band Stevie McVie* makes its Ravinia debut opening for Chicago in the Pavilion (July 5).
• A recent collaborator with the DJ/electronic artist, Victoria Nadine* opens for Kygo* in the Pavilion (July 6).
• Country singer-songwriter Brit Taylor* opens for Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on the Carousel Stage (July 22).
• Virtuoso whistler Molly Lewis* performs a set before Beck* makes his CSO debut in the Pavilion (July 23).
• “The great American romantic” (The New York Times) Edwin McCain* makes his Ravinia debut opening for Train in the Pavilion (Aug. 2).
• DJ Crenshaw*’s electrifying beats set the tone for King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard* with Chicago Philharmonic in the Pavilion (Aug. 6).
• Chicago folk/Americana duo Almond&Olive* and trio Lucky Pickers*, plus all-ages artist Noah Plotkin’s Jam Jam Bourrée*, open for Henhouse Prowlers on the Carousel Stage for the Taste of Ravinia Farmers Market culminating at Ravinia Festival (Aug. 20).
• Acrobatic-voiced singer-songwriter Miya Folick* opens for Maren Morris* in the Pavilion (Aug. 22).
• Canadian folk band The Weather Station* opens for Ray Lamontagne* in the Pavilion (Aug. 30).
• The Selena tribute Como La Flor* begins the main-event performances of the ninth annual Fiesta Ravinia from the Carousel Stage, opening for La Original Banda El Limón* and more in the Pavilion (Aug. 31).

New this season

• Recently transformed into a signature cocktail destination, the Tree Top Lounge at Ravinia offers an elevated experience with expertly crafted drinks, light bites, and a live concert feed on large screens with Pavilion-quality sound—all in an exclusive, effortlessly stylish atmosphere.
• Salsa dancing: The performance by Chucho Valdés, Paquito D’Rivera & Arturo Sandoval will feature a free pre-concert group dance lesson and an open dance floor on the Lawn (July 9).
• Pre-concert yoga: Guests are invited to bring a yoga mat for a free yoga session led by Mindful Fitness trainer Jeremy Walton, before The RESET—an immersive sound bath—with Davin Youngs (July 10).
• Taste of Ravinia: Ravinia partners with the Taste of Ravinia Farmers Market, a day-long event celebrating National Farmers Market Week, culminating in the evening with a folk and bluegrass performance by the Henhouse Prowlers with Almond&Olive*, Lucky Pickers*, and Jam Jam Bourrée* as opening acts (Aug. 20).
• Sound of Music sing-along: The Oscar-winning 1965 movie musical The Sound of Music, starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, is presented in full-screen Technicolor, complete with onscreen lyrics for guests to sing along to the timeless songs by Rodgers & Hammerstein—including “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” “Edelweiss,” and “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” (Aug. 28).

Chicago Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. HAIRSPRAY (Uptown Music Theater of Highland Park)

7.4% of votes

2. RENT (Highland Park Players)

7.4% of votes

3. THE WIZARD OF OZ (Up and Coming Theatre/Elgin Summer Theater)

6.7% of votes

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