Highland Parks Premiere Outdoor Music Venue Ravinia Scheduled To Revamp Its Pavilion Completely By 2026

Feb 13, 2025 admin_bitlc Breaking News, Features, Music News, Reviews, This Just In 0

---

February 13, 2025

Ravinia Festival is going to revamp it’s legendary and historic grounds in the coming years. This marks the first renovation since the park and its sprawling lawn areas opened in 1904. The Plan is set to update everything from stage, lighting, seating to back of house needs like loading docks, green rooms and production facilities.

More from Ravinia:

We are thrilled to share a transformational moment in Ravinia’s history! Today, we publicly launch the Setting the Stages Campaign, a $75 million initiative to enhance every aspect of our beloved park—starting with a complete renovation of the Pavilion.

Thanks to the generosity of early donors and members of our Board of Trustees, we have already raised over $50 million toward this ambitious goal. This campaign ensures that Ravinia remains a world-class destination for music and community, preserving its historic charm while elevating the concert experience for future generations. 

Ravinia and the Pavilion will remain open for a slightly shortened 2025 season, running from June 6 to August 31, as part of this historic project. The Pavilion’s transformation, set for completion in 2026, will include improved acoustics, upgraded seating, state-of-the-art production capabilities, and a newly designed backstage area for artists. In recognition of extraordinary leadership gifts, the venue will be renamed Hunter Pavilion, and the new backstage area will be known as The Negaunee Foundation Artist Center.

Supported by a $75 million “Setting the Stages” campaign, the project begins with a complete renovation of the Pavilion, Ravinia’s largest venue. The signature roof will remain intact while the Pavilion receives a new stage, seating, and lighting, as well as enhanced acoustics and more robust production capabilities. Construction is in two distinct phases; infrastructure improvements are already underway and are expected to be finished before summer 2025, so that Ravinia can present its 2025 season from June 6 to August 31, before work resumes in the fall.

The second phase will be completed for the opening of Ravinia’s following season in July 2026. Upon completion in 2026, the transformed venue will be renamed the Hunter Pavilion, honoring Maxine and Thomas B. Hunter III, in recognition of a leadership gift of $10 million from the Hunter Family Foundation. The thoroughly renovated and redesigned back-of-house areas serving Ravinia’s artists will be named The Negaunee Foundation Artist Center in recognition of a major gift of $21 million from The Negaunee Foundation.

Click below to subscribe to updates and more information about the Setting the Stages campaign, and you will be entered to win a lawn party for 10 to a 2025 concert of your choosing, including chair rentals and catering for your whole party!*

---

• Highland Park, Hunter Pavilion, Ravinia, Renovation, The Negainee Foundation

---

---