What a year it was for Chicago music fans! The monumental showdowns just kept on packing in and fans were absolutely in a thrilling frenzy of great tunes, fantastic atmosphere, and the company of folks with great taste in music! The Pavilion at Ravinia Park is pretty much a big part of why the year 2024 has been a crazy exciting one as the top caliber venue hosted many of the city’s most adrenaline rushing entertainment! The venue saw the arrivals of magnificent music legends, pop sensations, headbang worthy rock powerhouses, rap icons, and jazz ensembles! Moreover, the venue is a home to many classical and ballet spectacles that surely had audiences grinning nonstop from start to finish! If you happen to be a music fan, you’ve probably visited the venue for its phenomenal shows but if you missed it, well it’s not too late to secure some access to this top rated venue! Every year, the Pavilion at Ravinia brings the most amazing acts! Just see how uber fantastic the lineup for the year 2024 with our list of top performers!
June
Summer time is the best season for outdoor venues like The Pavilion at Ravinia. The weather is now warm enough for spectators to enjoy the breeze while witnessing their favorite artists tear up the stage with their stunning productions. When we say the month of June at the Pavilion at Ravinia was plentiful, we mean it was raging with non stop shows. The month started with a breathtaking performance from solo cellist, Hauser. The world class performer, famous for his time with 2Cellos, has become a phenomenal solo act.
Besides Hauser, the month of June was also fully packed with highly talented performers including the legendary James Taylor and His All Star Band, Michael Feinstein, Little Feat, the Violent Femmes, and Broadway star Ben Platt – famous for his roles in the Book of Mormon and Sound of Music. Besides mainstream artists, the month was also filled with good times from jazz powerhouses Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, Jazz in June: Battle of the Big Bands with Kurt Elling, the Ravinia Steans Music Institute – Jazz Grandstand, and Lyle Lovett and His Large Band. Lastly, the festival saw the arrival of a monster touring act, Michael Franti and Spearhead. The soul and hip-hop artist brings his unprecedented hits for the monumental Togetherness Tour and it brought in thousands of soul rockers!
July
The month of July was for the greats. For starters, the Pavilion at Ravinia brought in astounding performances of groundbreaking artists, including five time Grammy winning singer Norah Jones, iconic French-Spanish musical group Gipsy Kings, The Beach Boys, John Stamos, Daryl Hall, and Elvis Costello. To say these are grandstanding heavyweights in the music industry is an understatement. But yes, all these big names came to tear it up at the Pavilion at Ravinia and Illinois definitely lit up with their remarkable performances.
Besides legendary names, the month also welcomed some amazing tribute shows. Killer Queen and The Arrival of Sweden: Music of Abba brought audiences on a thrilling retrospective trip. The music and the legacy lived on during these fantastic evenings as mighty talented performers brought the catalog of Queen and Abba to life.
August
When we say that August at the Pavilion at Ravinia was immensely diverse, we mean it! The month saw the performances of a wide range of acts including a female folk rock showdown from Melissa Etheridge and the Indigo Girls, alternative rock phenoms O.A.R. with their co-headliners indie pop quintet Fitz and the Tantrums, The Roots, and tons more. The month also brought in O.G. rockers ZZ Top and Lynyrd Skynyrd – they gave a co-headlining show so monumental that these old timers are surefire to stick around for long.
Orchestral symphony lovers also had a blast during this month thanks to mindblowing performers, Zlatomir Fung and Dina Vainshtein, the Chicago Philharmonic (performing The Voice Of Whitney: A Symphonic Celebration), and world renowned instrumentalists Stella Chen, Matthew Lipman, & Brannon Cho Trio. August was absolutely packed and more astounding than ever and 2024’s summer season sure brought about some awesome times for all types of music fans. At the end of August, 90s icons Shaggy and TLC lit up the Pavilion unlike anything the audience had ever seen. You betch this evening was ultra packed with top caliber hits like Shaggy’s “Boombastic,” “Luv Me Luve Me,” “It Wasn’t Me,” and TLC’s “Waterfalls,” “Unpretty,” “Creep,” and “Diggin’ On You.”
“Had an amazing time with friends at Ravinia tonight! Tonight’s line up was TLC & Shaggy music, the picnic vibes, and the laughter under the stars made it a night to remember.” Mike S. from Chicago, Illinois
September
September was even better! If you think August was the cherry on top, better check out September’s riveting line-up. You’ll be spanking yourself for missing out because this month was jam packed and if you’re an eclectic soul, you’d be amazed by how the venue was able to accommodate a variety of shows in under a month. For starters, ballet took over like a wonderful breeze as Joffrey Ballet brought down the house with Rita Finds Home and Music of Ramsey Lewis and more.
Classical music also reigned supreme during this time as world famous pianist David Kaplan brought over his famous fantasy-fantastic Quasi Una Fantasia. It was a once in a lifetime magical evening as the magician on the keys showed audiences his magnificent skills. Moreover, the Aznavoorian Duo showed some sick skills on the cello and piano. Meanwhile, Mexican virtuoso, singer, and songwriter Julietta Venetta came in to provide the astounding festivities on Mexico’s Independence Day. It was a celebration like no other as the talented instrumentalist belted out a ton of pop rock staples.
O.G. Australian rockers Crowded House brought in some massive classics as they arrived at the Pavilion at Ravinia on September 11. To say the crowd was wild that evening is severly underplaying it. It’s not everyday you see these Aussies performing on this side of the globe!
Before the season came to a close, the Pavilion at the Ravinia was sure to go out with a bang, and what’s more monumental than a massive performance than the Grammy nominated Shelly Berg Trio? The phenomenal pianist Shelly Berg brought in his equally talented friends drummer Dafnis Prieto and bassist Clark Sommers and gave the crowd a grand spanking great time as they went through a wide range of hits and remarkable covers.
What You Had To Say…
“We set up in the grass and truly enjoyed our time there. The grounds are well maintained, the staff has been very nice and helpful and the quality of the sound of the music is great.” – Anne S. from Aurora, Illinois
The season brought in great performers but even better, thousands upon thousands of music lovers received top notch entertainment and gained the best experience. “This is our second time coming to a concert at Ravinia. We set up in the grass and truly enjoyed our time there. The grounds are well maintained, staff has been very nice and helpful and the quality of the sound of the music is great.” said Anne S. from Aurora, Illinois. She continued to add, “I appreciate the large screens that allow concert goers on the lawn to see the show as if they are front and center.”
Meanwhile, Mario S. from Chicago totally had a blast, “Had an amazing time with friends at Ravinia tonight! Tonights line up was TLC & Shaggy music, the picnic vibes, and the laughter under the stars made it a night to remember.” He added that, “(They) couldn’t have asked for better company or a more perfect evening. Cheers to great times and even better memories!
Lastly, Mike C. from Waukegan, Illinois had nothing but good words for the Pavilion at Ravinia, “For such a small venue with big-time acts, Ravinia has been excellent! I’ve seen Kenny Loggins, and Daryl Hall on separate occasions here and both have been excellent and well managed. No serious traffic issues and excellent crowd co-ordination.”
“For such a small venue with big-time acts, Ravinia has been excellent!” Mike C. from Waukegan, Illinois
Great music, excellent services, and a top notch facility. The Pavilino at Ravinia is more than just a concert destination, but a state of the art facility that provides music lovers the best experiences. World class artists, cultural phenomena, and rising stars also have a remarkable avenue to showcase their brilliant artistry and they do so through the venue’s cutting edge sound and light technology.
2025 Here we come!
Year 2025 is sure to be packed as 2024 – that’s for sure. So if you missed out, you’ve still got plenty of chances to see this highly rated venue. Hurry and secure your exclusive access to see remarkable shows at the Pavilion at Ravinia! You’re sure to have the time of your life!