Grant Park Music Festival

Experience a Chicago summer tradition like no other. The Grant Park Music Festival, now in its 90th season, features an extraordinary line-up of classical music in the heart of downtown Chicago all summer long.

This long-running concert series is the nation’s only free, summer-long outdoor festival dedicated to classical music. Featuring the acclaimed Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus, the festival programming includes both historic works and exciting new compositions.

Highlights for 2025 include world premiere works by Chicago composers, a Rodgers & Hammerstein tribute, classic symphonies, and the popular Independence Day Salute.

The Grant Park Music Festival is part of the city’s packed schedule of free summer music festivals that take place in lakefront Millennium Park.

Grant Park Music Festival schedule

This year marks the landmark 90th season for the Grant Park Music Festival. The 2025 lineup includes 20 diverse shows, featuring the world-class Grant Park Orchestra and a variety of renowned conductors and musicians, including violinists, cellists, and pianists.

All concerts are free and most will take place on Wednesday and Friday evenings at 6:30 p.m. and
Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m. at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. Some concerts will take place off-site; make sure to check the full schedule for details.

Rhapsody in Blue
Wednesday, June 11
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Holst The Planets
Friday, June 13
Saturday, June 14
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Mendelssohn Violin Concerto
Wednesday, June 18
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Mahler Symphony No. 1
Friday, June 20
Saturday, June 21
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Mozart Paris Symphony
Tuesday, June 24
Choral Rehearsal Room – Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Wednesday, June 25
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Shostakovich Symphony No. 10
Friday, June 27
Saturday, June 28
Harris Theater

Beethoven Symphony No. 6
Wednesday, July 2
Thursday, July 3
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Independence Day Salute
Friday, July 4
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Debussy La Mer
Wednesday, July 9
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Brahms Symphony No. 2
Thursday, July 10
Friday, July 11
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Elgar Enigma Variations
Wednesday, July 16
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
Friday, July 18
Saturday, July 19
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Ravel Bolero
Wednesday, July 23
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

The Magic of Rodgers & Hammerstein
Friday, July 25
Saturday, July 26
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 4
Wednesday, July 30
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Songs of Love and Life
Friday, Aug. 1
Saturday, Aug. 2
Harris Theater

Stravinsky Firebird
Friday, Aug. 8
Saturday, Aug. 9
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony
Wednesday, Aug. 13
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Carmina Burana
Friday, Aug. 15
Saturday, Aug. 16
Jay Pritzker Pavilion

Check out the full details on the full 2025 season schedule.

Open rehearsals take place in the afternoon on Tuesdays through Fridays from June 10 through Aug. 15, 2025. Rehearsals are free and open to the public. Audiences are welcome to sit in the Pavilion Seating Bowl. Festival docents will talk about the week’s concerts during rehearsal breaks.

About Grant Park Music Festival

For more than 90 years, the Grant Park Music Festival has shone a spotlight on the transformative power of classical music. Featuring the world-class Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus, these free outdoor concerts take place all summer long in Chicago’s iconic downtown Millennium Park and neighborhood venues across the city.

Grab a spot, set up a picnic, and kick back while Pritzker Pavilion’s state-of-the-art acoustic system delivers an extraordinary sonic experience — all with the sparkling Chicago skyline as a backdrop.

Concert-goers at the Grant Park Music Festival can enjoy free seating on the Great Lawn of the Pritzker Pavilion just beyond the stage. Spread out on a blanket or settle into some lawn chairs and enjoy the show. Lawn seating is first-come, first-served

Guests can also come early and take advantage of free seating in the back half of the Seating Bowl, which is available first-come, first-served. Seating closest to the stage in the Seating Bowl is reserved for members and groups.

You’ll also find a variety of shows held in neighborhood parks and venues around the city, including the South Shore Cultural Center and the Columbus Park Refectory.

Millennium Park FAQs

Where is the Grant Park Music Festival?
The Grant Park Music Festival primarily takes place at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. Patrons can enter the park from either Randolph or Monroe Streets or from the Millennium Garage.

Select Grant Park Music Festival concerts occur at other Chicago locations, such as the Harris Theater for Music and Dance and the South Shore Cultural Center.

Is the Grant Park Music Festival free?
Yes, all concerts during the Grant Park Music Festival are free and open to the public. During Millennium Park concerts, all guests can sit on the Great Lawn or the back half of the Seating Bowl. The front half of the Seating Bowl is reserved for members.

What accessibility amenities are available at Millennium Park concerts?
Every aspect of Millennium Park has been designed to be accessible and inclusive to all patrons. That includes:

• American Sign Language interpretation is available for all concerts at Jay Pritzker Pavilion
• Assistive listening devices and wheelchairs are available at all Millennium Park events from the Patron Service Tent
• Accessible seating (with companion seats) is available throughout the Jay Pritzker Pavilion seating bowl
• Accessible restooms are located down the ramp adjacent the stage on either side

Learn more about accessibility in Millennium Park.

Can I bring a folding chair and blanket?
Yes, chairs and blankets are welcome on the Great Lawn. Folding chairs are not allowed in the seating area of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion.

May I bring food? Is alcohol allowed?
Yes! Picnics are welcome and encouraged during the Grant Park Music Festival. Outside alcoholic beverages are permitted; the only exception is that no outside alcoholic beverages will be allowed inside the park at the Independence Day Salute (July 4).

May I buy food and alcoholic beverages in the park?
Food, beer, and wine are available for purchase in the Park.

What is the rain policy?
Concerts and performances in the Jay Pritzker Pavilion are held rain or shine, unless there are severe weather warnings and/or the threat of lightning in the area. The Pavilion seats are not protected from the elements. The Festival does not offer refunds on reserved seats.

May I bring my dog along?
Animals are not permitted in Millennium Park, unless they are service animals.

Please note: Schedule is subject to change. For further information, visit grantparkmusicfestival.com.