Sting performs at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, IL (Photo by Dan Garcia).
Highland Park’s Ravinia Festival, one of the most unique festivals in the country, has blessed music fans with their full 2022 lineup.
Headlining the Illinois festival this upcoming summer will be names like Stevie Nicks, Common, Sting, Pitbull, Why Don’t We, The Revivalists, John Fogerty, Little Big Town, Bonnie Raitt and many more. The festival kicks off at the end of May and will run until the middle of September.
Ravinia attracts hundreds of thousands of fans throughout the season and features seating in a 3,000+ seat pavilion as well as an expansive lawn area for fan picnics during performances, unlike nothing else that you’ll experience. You can visit the festival’s official website for tickets and more information.
Check out some highlights from Ravinia’s 2022 lineup below and check out their full schedule here.
Highland Park’s Ravinia Festival has really outdone itself for its 2019 schedule. With a number of memorable performances last summer, from The Beach Boys with John Stamos to 50 Cent’s Ravinia Debut, 2018 set the bar high for the new year.
Lucky for fans in the Chicago area, Ravinia may have booked its best lineup yet. With more shows than we can name, several stand outs from Ravinia’s 2019 schedule include:
Tash Sultana (6/1)
Rob Thomas (6/6)
Josh Groban (6/7)
Lionel Richie (6/11-12)
Buddy Guy (6/14)
Tony Bennett (6/21)
Little Big Town (6/28)
Counting Crows (6/29)
Sugarland (6/30)
Steve Miller Band (7/1)
T.I. (7/2)
Michael McDonald and Chaka Khan (7/6)
Maxwell (7/9)
Lady Antebellum (7/10)
Jennifer Hudson (7/14)
Weird Al Yankovic (7/28)
Ringo Starr and The Beach Boys (8/3-4)
Chicago (8/10-11)
Nickelback (8/13-14)
Pentatonix (8/15)
Sting (8/23-24)
Queen Latifah and Common (8/31)
Steely Dan (9/1-2)
Kesha (9/8)
Morrisey (9/14) and more!
Get your tickets now and check out Ravinia’s full schedule now at their official website.
50 Cent delivered a very rare and special performance to the Chicago-area Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, IL last night. The rap legend and Power creator/actorbrought a huge and diverse crowd to one of the Midwest’s most unique experiences. Whether you were dancing in the pavilion or lounging out and enjoying sounds on the lawn, if you were in attendance last night, you had a more than memorable night.
We hope you made it out to the special performance, but if you didn’t, we have our five reasons why you missed out below.
1. 50 Cent Shows Are a Rarity
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson rarely does shows in the country, in fact, 50 has only performed a few shows in the U.S. in the past few years. It’s been even longer than that since 50 Cent performed in the Chicago area, so when you have a chance to see him live, you have to jump on the opportunity. And although he doesn’t perform often, you wouldn’t have guessed it from last night’s performance. 50 brought a live band and performed a ton of his greatest hits, without issue. Practice may make perfect, but 50 Cent looked like he was in the middle of a tour with his great stage presence last night.
2. The Setlist
While also mixing in his brand new Tekashi 6ix9ine-assisted single ‘Get The Strap’, 50 Cent gave the fans what they wanted last night as Jackson performed the hits from start to finish. Opening with his 2007 track ‘Movin On Up’, 50 Cent kept the crowd entertained with tracks like ‘How We Do’, ‘What Up Gangsta’, ‘Many Men’, ’21 Questions’, ‘Window Shopper’ and of course his mega breakout track ‘In Da Club’, among others.
3. He Brought Some Friends
Although there was no opener for the night’s performance, 50 Cent didn’t travel to the Windy City solo as his G-Unit label-mates Tony Yayo and Uncle Murda joined him on-stage for the entire night. The two even contributed verses of their own for tracks like ‘On & On’, ‘Pimping’ and more.
4. There’s No Place Like The Ravinia to Catch a Show
The energy of last night was something special! A 50 Cent show in Highland Park may not sound like a perfect match, but the Chicago suburb’s festival consistently brings some of the best acts to the area, and the fit was amazing. The packed crowd was very diverse, proving that everyone loves 50 Cent’s music. From the moment the show started, the crowd was on their feet for the rest of the night.
5. He Repped Chicago
50 Cent proudly reps South Jamaica, Queens but that didn’t stop the New York-native from showing love to Chicago. Sporting a Chicago White Sox cap, 50 Cent put a little touch of Chicago into his wardrobe. 50 Cent and Chicago clearly have love for each other, and we hope that he returns to the area again in the near future because last night was one that we won’t soon forget!
Check out our photos from last night’s performance below and get your tickets for the remaining dates of the Ravinia Festival here.
Highland Park’s Ravinia Festival brings a consistent and diverse lineup of performers to the Chicago-area festival on a yearly basis. The festival will host a classical music recital one night, a famous musical the next and then a concert from one of the biggest artists on the radio to cap off the packed weekend. Ravinia easily has something for everyone throughout its summer months, making it a staple of a memorable Chicago summer.
That’s why there was no better venue for Lindsey Stirling and Evanescence’s new summer tour, which kicked off this past month and which is backed by a full orchestra. Mashing a live orchestra and big name performers, Ravinia was the perfect setting for the entertaining co-headliners.
Kicking things off on Tuesday night was violinist Lindsey Stirling. Giving new life to the 400-year-old instrument, Stirling famously combines the violin with dance and performance art, while mixing in popular genres into her recordings. You may know her from her stints on America’s Got Talent or Dancing With The Stars, but those in attendance last night will know her best for stealing the show at Ravinia.
With no vocals in the large majority of her tracks, one could understandably expect the majority of her songs to sound relatively similar. However that couldn’t have been farther from the truth. Not only did each song that Stirling perform sound different and unique, but the performance art that Stirling used throughout the duration of her set helped tell a story, when lyrics could not.
Stirling also found ways to mix things up throughout her set, including a special surprise visit from Evanescence’s Amy Lee for a performance of ‘Shatter Me’, giving fans a sneak peak of the night’s headlining act.
Stirling also didn’t shy away from showing off her personality with her set. Early in the performance the stage was filled with various tombstones, including one dedicated to Piers Morgan, a judge on Stirling’s season of America’s Got Talent. Morgan did not shy away from critiquing Lindsey’s mixes of dance and violin, but who is laughing now? A subtle jab at one of her most famous haters, Stirling definitely had us laughing with her shade.
Another highlight of Stirling’s performance was when she took the time to tell the story of her first time in Chicago. Having heard about the Windy City’s famous deep dish pizza, Stirling walked over thirty blocks to grab a slice many years ago. However, after being told that there would be an hour wait and that she would need to order a whole pie, Stirling took to the streets to find a random stranger to share the pizza. Finally finding a hungry stranger to take her up on her offer, the two enjoyed the pizza and Stirling revealed that she still texts the man to this day when she finds her way back to Chicago. The funniest part being that this man, who refers to Lindsey as “pizza girl”, still has no idea what she does for a living.
The between song stories weren’t always as funny though, as the violinist also shared some inspiring words with her audience. Leading into her track ‘First Light’, Stirling spoke about how people have the power to take control of their own happiness. Sharing her struggles of depression and anorexia, Stirling likened taking care of your mind to exercising any other muscle in your body. It takes many reps, but with time you can strengthen your mind like any other muscle.
And while her personality was definitely on display throughout the night, it was Lindsey Stirling’s unbelievable ability to shred on the violin while dancing her butt off that left the crowd in awe. Everyone in attendance left with a new found respect for violin players, especially one like Stirling who can multi-task like none other. You may be able to walk and chew gum at the same time, but try spinning and jumping across the stage while flawlessly killing it on the violin.
Following Lindsey Stirling’s portion of the night, it was time for the Amy Lee-led Evanescence to greet their Illinois fans. Opening with their 2017 track ‘Overture’, Lee got the performance started with a minute-long piano solo. Soon after, Lee made the short walk to her mic stand and instantly showcased her amazing and unique vocals, sounding no different than when Evanescence first emerged in 2003 with their debut album, Fallen.
Throughout the night the band performed creative takes on some of their biggest songs from their entire discography. Backed by the live orchestra, the performance made fans appreciate the sounds of live instruments, especially in a day of age where rappers and singers aren’t back by much more than a Macbook.
While no section of the set shined over the others, Evanescence’s performance was consistently good from beginning to end. Two highlights though, included Amy Lee inviting Stirling back to the stage for ‘Hi-Lo’ and of course the band’s performance of their mega single, ‘Bring Me To Life’, which surprisingly took place only seven tracks into the seventeen track performance. Instead Evanescence chose to end the concert with ‘Imperfection’, the second single from their newest album, but an equally great song to end the night with.
Although we are sure that Lindsey Stirling and Evanescence’s tour is remarkable no matter what city or venue you catch it in, the unique tour seemed right at home at Ravinia. The unique splicing of a live orchestra and popular music is a combination that deserves to be witnessed by everyone, so make sure you catch the tour in a city near you!
Check out our photos from last night’s performance below.
The Early Registration 