Lyric Opera of Chicago to Present SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH LYRIC

Lyric Opera of Chicago will kick off the 2025/26 cultural season with Sunday in the Park with Lyric, a free outdoor concert celebrating the power and beauty of live opera. This annual end-of-summer tradition will take place on Sunday, September 7, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, welcoming Chicagoans and visitors alike for an evening of glorious music under the stars.

Artists from Lyric’s Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center will be joined by members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra for a concert conducted by Lyric’s Music Director Enrique Mazzola and Ryan Opera Center Conductor Chi-Yuan Lin. The program will feature highlights from the upcoming 2025/26 Season as well as beloved opera favorites. Easy-to-follow English titles of the texts will be projected throughout the evening.

For the first time ever, this year’s Sunday in the Park with Lyric will include a special appearance by Company Artists from The Joffrey Ballet, the Lyric Opera House’s resident ballet company, offering audiences a preview excerpt from the dance company's upcoming production of Carmen. This collaboration builds on the ongoing partnership between Lyric and Joffrey, which began in the 2020/21 Season when the ballet company officially made its home at the Lyric Opera House — and was recently extended through 2034 following a series of record-breaking productions.

Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs, share a picnic with friends and family, and enjoy one of the city’s most cherished cultural gatherings. Free seating is available in both the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and on the lawn on a first-come, first-served basis, with no tickets required.