Ravinia Festival Unveils 2026 Season Featuring Paul Simon, Gladys Knight, Hugh Jackman, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Ravinia Festival has announced its 2026 season, marking a new chapter for North America’s longest-running outdoor music festival. The summer lineup, running from June through September, coincides with the reopening of the redesigned Hunter Pavilion as part of Ravinia’s ongoing renovation of its 36-acre park.

The season features performances by Paul Simon, Gladys Knight, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Jacob Collier, Hugh Jackman, Rod Stewart, Chance the Rapper, Ricky Martin, Alabama Shakes, and Ray Lamontagne, several of whom will make their Ravinia debuts.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra returns for the 90th anniversary of its Ravinia residency with six weeks of programming led by Ravinia Chief Conductor Marin Alsop. Highlights include the July 11 reopening concert featuring pianist Yunchan Lim performing Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major and a guest appearance by flutist Lizzo. Other programs include the Midwest premiere of Carlos Simon’s Good News Mass, a semi-staged performance of Mozart’s The Abduction from the Seraglio conducted by James Conlon, and appearances by soloists Emanuel Ax, Stella Chen, María Dueñas, and Daniel Lozakovich. CSO Zell Music Director Designate Klaus Mäkelä will also make his Ravinia debut conducting Strauss’s Alpine Symphony and Stravinsky’s The Firebird.

The 2026 season also reflects the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with programming that highlights American musical traditions across genres, from classical and jazz to hip-hop and country.

“The grand opening of the Hunter Pavilion marks a historic milestone for Ravinia,” said Ravinia President and CEO Jeffrey P. Haydon. “It is particularly meaningful that this state-of-the-art venue will serve as the inaugural stage for our debut artists, including conductor Klaus Mäkelä, Ricky Martin, Miranda Lambert, Alabama Shakes, Rod Stewart, and many others.”

Additional programming includes recitals and chamber concerts featuring Joshua Bell and Jeremy Denk, Alisa Weilerstein and Inon Barnatan, Chanticleer, the Danish String Quartet, Frederica von Stade with Susan Graham, and Jacob Collier. Jazz and blues artists scheduled this summer include Terence Blanchard, Ravi Coltrane, Harry Connick Jr., and Joe Bonamassa. The festival will also present performances by Billy Idol, Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band, Kool & The Gang, Tom Jones, Emmylou Harris and Graham Nash, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Deep Purple, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Martina McBride, and more.

Family programming will include performances by Laurie Berkner, The Okee Dokee Brothers, Divi Roxx Kids, and JAM Orchestra, as well as a Grease sing-along.

The Steans Institute, Ravinia’s professional training program for emerging musicians, will again present a series of public master classes and concerts featuring its piano, strings, jazz, and vocal fellows throughout the summer.