One of the surest signs that warmer days are just around the corner is here—the reveal of the Ravinia Festival lineup.
The annual summer music festival returns to Highland Park this June with a jam-packed schedule of more than 100 shows, featuring artists ranging from jazz and blues acts to rockers like ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Tickets go on sale to the general public starting Wednesday, April 24.
While Ravinia’s main stage, the Pavilion, can seat 3,350, many people opt to bring lawn chairs, blankets and food and beverages for a picnic spread on the lawn instead. Concerts kick off with The Return of the Flock (June 7), followed by two evenings with James Taylor (June 8-9). Other highlights include folk punkers Violent Femmes (June 21), singer-songwriter Ben Platt (June 28) and jazz singer Samara Joy (August 25). Classical music lovers can catch a variety of performances from special guest conductors and soloists accompanied by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, which takes up residence at Ravinia every summer. Also back for another year is Breaking Barriers, a two-day festival (July 26-27) celebrating women leaders in classical music and space.
Take a look through the full Ravinia Festival lineup for 2024 below.
When is the Ravinia Festival?
Ravinia Festival 2024’s summer season runs from June 7 through September 15.
Where is the Ravinia Festival?
Ravinia takes place at Ravinia Park (418 Sheridan Road) in Highland Park, Illinois. The easiest way to make the trip from inside Chicago city limits is to take I-94 north and get off at the Lake Cook Road or Clavey Road exit, or ride Metra's Union Pacific North Line to the Ravinia Park stop, which drops passengers off directly in front of the venue's gates. All trains on the Union Pacific North Line will honor Ravinia tickets as train fares—patrons can show their dated concert tickets for a free train ride to and from the park on the day of the event.
How can I get tickets to the Ravinia Festival?
Go to the festival's official website to get tickets to each of the concerts listed below. Tickets go on sale to the general public on April 24, but Ravinia donors will have early access starting March 19.
Can you bring alcohol into Ravinia Festival?
Guests are welcome to bring food, alcohol, chairs, tables and blankets for picnics on Ravinia's lawn. Food is not permitted in the pavilion, but drinks in 24-ounce (or smaller) paper or plastic containers are allowed.
Lineup and schedule:
June
June 7: The Return of The Flock featuring Jerry Goodman
June 8: James Taylor & His All-Star Band
June 9: James Taylor & His All-Star Band
June 11: Bridges Composition Competition
June 12: Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
June 13: Kronos Quartet
June 14: Hauser
June 15: Michael Franti & Spearhead + Trevor Hall
June 15: Divi Roxx Kids
June 16: Jazz in June: Battle of the Big Bands with Kurt Elling
June 18: Jazz Grandstand
June 19: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue with Big Boi
June 20: Ruth Page Professional Dance & Friends
June 20: Jonathan Biss
June 21: Violent Femmes with the Chicago Philharmonic
June 22: Ruth Page Professional Dance & Friends
June 22: Little Feat + Los Lobos
June 23: Michael Feinstein: My Tribute to Tony Bennett
June 26: ‘Birdman’ Live with Antonio Sánchez
June 27: Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
June 28: Ben Platt
June 29: Roger Daltrey
June 29: The Knights + Aaron Diehl Trio
June 30: Clint Black + Lyle Lovett and His Large Band
July
July 2: A Far Cry + Kinan Azmeh and Dinuk Wijeratne
July 3: The King’s Singers
July 3: Masterclass with Marc-André Hamelin
July 5: The Music of ABBA: Arrival From Sweden
July 5: RSMI Piano & Strings
July 6: Daryl Hall + Elvis Costello & The Imposters with Charlie Sexton
July 6: Midori + RSMI Faculty Chamber Players
July 7: The Beach Boys with special guest John Stamos
July 7: RSMI Piano & Strings
July 10: National Seminario Ravinia: Orchestras For All Concert
July 11: The Reset: An Immersive Sound Experience with Davin Youngs
July 11: RSMI Piano & Strings
July 12: CSO + Marin Alsop with Michelle Cann and Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha
July 12: Masterclass with Violinist Midori
July 13: A Gabriel Fauré Centenary
July 13: CSO + Marin Alsop with Abel Selaocoe
July 14: Norah Jones with very special guest Mavis Staples
July 14: RSMI Piano & Strings
July 16: Masterclass with the Takács Quartet
July 17: Takács Quartet in concert
July 18: Miloš Karadaglić + Viano Quartet
July 19: CSO + Icons of Song: The Music of Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon
July 19: RSMI Piano & Strings
July 20: Elena Moon Park & Friends
July 20: CSO + Marin Alsop: Mahler’s Ninth
July 20: RSMI Piano & Strings
July 21: RSMI Piano & Strings
July 21: CSO + Marin Alsop with Hayato Sumino
July 23: Ravel and His Contemporaries
July 24: RSMI Piano & Strings
July 25: CSO + Marin Alsop with Augustin Hadelich
July 26: CSO + Marin Alsop: The Planets and The Moons Symphony
July 27: Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen
July 27: Dan Brown’s Wild Symphony
July 28: CSO Tchaikovsky Spectacular + Carolyn Kuan and Desirée Ruhstrat
July 31: Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes
August
August 1: Karen Slack + Kevin Miller: African Queens
August 2: CSO + Valentina Peleggi with Jorge Federico Osorio
August 3: Laurie Berkner
August 4: Gala Concert + CSO: Mancini at 100 with Jessie Mueller, Norm Lewis & Karen
August 6: Gustavo Dudamel + National Children’s Symphony of Venezuela
August 6: Masterclass with Kevin Murphy
August 7: Victor Wooten & the Wooten Brothers
August 8: Angélique Kidjo + Meshell Ndegeocello
August 8: RSMI Singers
August 9: CSO: Mozart’s Idomeneo with James Conlon
August 10: Songs for “Ode to Joy”
August 10: CSO + James Conlon with James Ehnes: All Mozart
August 11: Indigo Girls + Melissa Etheridge
August 11: CSO: Mozart’s Idomeneo with James Conlon
August 12: Masterclass with Baritone Matthias Goerne
August 13: Matthias Goerne + Anton Mejias: Schubertiade
August 14: Robert Glasper + J. Ivy
August 14: RSMI Singers
August 15: Apollo’s Fire: Four Seasons Rediscovered
August 16: CSO: The Princess Bride in Concert
August 17: CSO: Disney & Pixar’s Up in Concert
August 17: Mentor In Torment: Schubert & Mayrhofer
August 18: CSO + Jonathan Rush with Rachel Barton Pine
August 20: Matthew Polenzani + Kevin Murphy
August 21: RSMI Singers
August 22: Gaelic Storm + The High Kings
August 23: O.A.R. with special guest Fitz & the Tantrums
August 24: The Roots
August 24: Hits from the American Songbook
August 25: Samara Joy
August 25: Stella Chen, Matthew Lipman, Brannon Cho Trio
August 27: Third Coast Percussion + Sérgio & Clarice Assad
August 28: Zlatomir Fung + Dina Vainshtein
August 29: ZZ Top + Lynyrd Skynyrd
August 31: Fyütch
August 31: TLC + Shaggy
September
September 1: David Kaplan: Quasi Una Fantasia
September 5: Yevgeny Kutik + Renana Gutman
September 7: Big Drum / Small World
September 8: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
September 10: Music of the Baroque + Dame Jane Glover with Anthony McGill
September 11: Crowded House
September 12: Aznavoorian Duo
September 13: Joffrey Ballet: Music of Ramsey Lewis and More
September 14: Queen!
September 14: Joffrey Ballet: Rita Finds Home
September 15: Fiesta Ravinia: Julieta Venegas