Millennium Park is truly the heart of downtown Chicago, an urban sanctuary that’s home to free events, tranquil gardens, and stunning public art like the iconic Cloud Gate statue (aka “The Bean”). With so much to do and see, it’s no wonder that this stunning space is visited by more than 25 million people every year. 

This summer marks 20 years since the park’s official opening in July 2004 and the city is pulling out all the stops to celebrate. The park’s landmark 20th season anniversary season is packed with free programming showcasing the city’s vibrant dance, music, and film communities. The park will also host a special 20th anniversary celebration featuring award-winning headliners. Check out the full schedule and get ready for a busy summer.

Millennium Park 20th Anniversary Celebration

This is the Kit performs at the 2018 Millennium Park Summer Music Series at the Pritzker Pavilion.

To celebrate 20 years of Millennium Park, Chicago will host the Millennium Park 20th Anniversary Celebrationfrom July 18 – 21. This free four-day festival will showcase Chicago-born genre house music, local legend Common, the acclaimed Grant Park Orchestra, Colombian music groupFruko y Sus Tesos, and more. Check out the schedule for this special milestone event.

Thursday, July 18

The 20th anniversary celebration kicks off with ¡Súbelo! presenting an evening highlighting the musical tapestry of Latine culture on the Jay Pritzker Pavilion stage.

  • Chuwi, a tropical, indie fusion quartet from Puerto Rico merging salsa, boleros, and folk music with flashes of alternative Hip Hop, psychedelic, and electronic.
  • Codigo FN,hailing from Sinaloa, Mexico, this Mexican Regional group debuted with intensity on the Billboard charts.
  • Fruko y Sus Tesos with special guest Sonora Dinamita featuring Alfredo de la Fe. Acclaimed Salsa band from Colombia Fruko y Sus Tesos performs as part of their 60th anniversary tour.

Friday, July 19  

Saturday, July 20 

  • Millennium Park Summer Workouts with Pilates and Yoga 
  • Family-friendly artmaking with Somos Arte in the North Promenade Tent.  
  • Chicago Physical Theater Festival performances featuring the Chicago Boyz Acrobatic Team, Alexander D’Amazing, Eric Robinson, and Stephanie Diaz with Gaby Diaz, sharing acrobatic displays, clowning and spectacle, trampoline feats, cicada puppets and more in Wrigley Square.
  • Dance performances in the North Promenade Tent
  • INT’L CAFE sparks opportunities for cultural exchange by connecting language speakers/signers of all levels for immersive conversations with new friends in the North Promenade Tent.
  • Heart of Chicago Soul Clubspinning all vinyl, rare and Northern Soul, with Northern Soul Dancing taught by Miss Wolff’s Jiving School in the North Promenade Tent.
  • Eli’s Giant Cheesecake celebrating Millennium Park’s 20th Birthday at Cloud Gate. Join the celebration and enjoy free cheesecake.
  • A roving performance by Los Pleneros de Don Segundo with horns, vejigantes, cabezudos, and stilt walkers.
  • Pop-up Performances by South Shore Drill Team and Ballet Folklorico de Chicago at Cloud Gate.
  • Common with the Grant Park Orchestra
  • The evening will culminate with a fireworks display to celebrate Millennium Park’s 20th Anniversary.

Sunday, July 21 

The final day of 20th anniversary programming brings a full day of family-friendly activities, plus a dynamic evening concert featuring an array of award-winning performers as part of the “The S&S Chicago Experience,” curated by Steve “Silk” Hurley and Shannon “Skip” Syas.

  • Family-friendly programming in North Promenade Tent, Crown Fountain, and Wrigley Square.
  • Story hour for families at Crown Fountain.
  • The Golden Horse Ranch Band family square dance for all ages in the North Promenade Tent.
  • Interactive Drum Circleand instrument making led by Rhythm Revolution at Crown Fountain.
  • Wonder Wagon brings large, colorful puppets to Wrigley Square with opportunities for hands-on interaction.
  • Dance performances from Chicago artists in the North Promenade Tent.
  • INT’L CAFE sparks opportunities for cultural exchange by connecting language speakers/signers of all levels for immersive conversations with new friends in the North Promenade Tent.
  • Sonorama DJ collective with free dance lessons in Salsa and Cumbia and open dance party featuring vintage Latin sounds in the North Promenade Tent.
  • The S&S Chicago Experience at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion stage curated by Steve “Silk” Hurley and Shannon “Skip” Syas

Millennium Park 20th Anniversary Summer Season

Millennium Park concert at Pritzker Pavilion
Millennium Park concert at Pritzker Pavilion; photo by Abel Arciniega :: @tequilagraphics

The 20th-anniversary celebration is just the start of the free arts programming held in Millennium Park this summer. Keep the celebration going during a packed 20th anniversary season schedule, including exciting performances, activities for families and youth, workouts, new public art, concerts, and more.

Uniting Voices Chicago presents “Paint the Town Red”
Thursday, May 23
Paint the Town Red is one of Uniting Voices Chicago’s most anticipated and largest events of the year, bringing together young singers from every corner of Chicago and every level of their programs in song.

Chicago Gospel Music Festival
June 1
Chicago Gospel Music Festival spotlights the depth of this music genre, spanning traditional and contemporary groups. This year’s program explores the genre’s deep Chicago roots with a powerful lineup of top talent.

Chicago House Music Festival
June 2
Celebrating 40 years since the birth of House Music, a genre born in Chicago that revolutionized dance music internationally, the Chicago House Music Festival returns to Millennium Park for a day-long dance party across multiple stages.

Chicago Blues Festival
June 6 – 9
A legendary Chicago event since 1984, the Chicago Blues Festival is the world’s largest free blues festival. This year’s event is a celebration of Chicago legend Buddy Guy, with additional performances by Shemekia Copeland, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Southern Avenue, and more.

Visitors at The Bean (Cloudgate) in Millennium Park

Grant Park Music Festival
June 12 – Aug. 17
Experience a summer of extraordinary music with dozens of free classical concerts. A Chicago tradition for 90 years, this is the nation’s only free, summer-long outdoor series dedicated to classical music.

Millennium Park Summer Music Series
July 1 – Aug. 8
Come hear some of the biggest names in music during this free concert series on Monday and Thursday evenings, featuring both local arts and international talent.

Millennium Park Summer Film Series
July 16 – Aug. 20
This year’s schedule of free movies will showcase one of the many independent film festivals that are a part of Chicago’s vibrant film community.

Broadway In Chicago’s Summer Concert
Aug. 12
Presented by Broadway in Chicago, the free concert will showcase selections from new and iconic productions like Back To The Future, Les Misérables, Mean Girls, Disney’s Beauty And The Beast, and more. 

Lyric Opera’s “Sunday in the Park with Lyric”
Aug. 25
The Lyric Opera Orchestra will perform a variety of favorites from the 2024/25 season, which includes Rigoletto, Fidelio, The Marriage of Figaro, La Bohème, and more.

Chicago Jazz Festival
Aug. 29 – Sunday, Sept. 1.
The oldest of Chicago’s free lakefront music festivals boasts an incredibly diverse lineup over Labor Day weekend. The lineup runs the gamut from jazz legends to influential modern masters and crucial new voices in the genre’s continuing evolution.

Millennium Park Residency Program
July 13 – Sept. 22
Millennium Park Residency Program brings free dynamic programming from local arts groups, including performances by the Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project, Old Town School of Folk Music, Collaboraction Theatre, Experimental Sound Studio, and more.