Lyric Opera of Chicago presents Sunday in the Park with Lyric, the company’s annual free concert in Millennium Park on September 7, 2025

CHICAGO (8/7/2025) — Lyric Opera of Chicago kicks off the 2025/26 cultural season in spectacular style with Sunday in the Park with Lyric, a free outdoor concert celebrating the power and beauty of live opera. This annual end-of-summer tradition will take place on Sunday, September 7, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park (201 E. Randolph Street), welcoming Chicagoans and visitors alike for an evening of glorious music under the stars.

Artists from Lyric’s Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center will be joined by members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra for a concert conducted by Lyric’s Music Director Enrique Mazzola and Ryan Opera Center Conductor Chi-Yuan Lin. The program will feature highlights from the upcoming 2025/26 Season as well as beloved opera favorites. Easy-to-follow English titles of the texts will be projected throughout the evening.

For the first time ever, this year’s Sunday in the Park with Lyric will include a special appearance by Company Artists from The Joffrey Ballet, the Lyric Opera House’s resident ballet company, offering audiences a preview excerpt from the dance company's upcoming production of Carmen. This collaboration builds on the ongoing partnership between Lyric and Joffrey, which began in the 2020/21 Season when the ballet company officially made its home at the Lyric Opera House — and was recently extended through 2034 following a series of record-breaking productions.

“After completing my debut season at Lyric, I’m excited to spend the summer in Chicago and join Sunday in the Park with Lyric for the first time,” said John Mangum, General Director, President & CEO of Lyric Opera of Chicago. “Every year, thousands of Chicagoans come together to share music under the stars — it’s a joyful tradition that connects us and celebrates the beginning of a new season.”

Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs, share a picnic with friends and family, and enjoy one of the city’s most cherished cultural gatherings. Free seating is available in both the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and on the lawn on a first-come, first-served basis, with no tickets required.

Throughout the evening, audience members will also have the chance to win tickets to upcoming performances at Lyric, with drawings taking place every 30 minutes.

Lyric’s 2025/26 Season opens on Friday, October 10, with the Lyric Opening Concert & Gala: Brian Stokes Mitchell & Laura Benanti in Concert, followed by the Lyric premiere of Cherubini’s Medea starring Sondra Radvanovsky on Saturday, October 11. The season features a mix of new productions, treasured classics, and bold contemporary works. The full season lineup, subscription packages, and single-ticket options are available at lyricopera.org.

To learn more about Sunday in the Park with Lyric, visit lyricopera.org/millennium.

Lyric Opera's Season is presented by

About Lyric

Lyric Opera of Chicago is where the world sings — and where Chicago comes alive.

Under the leadership of General Director, President & CEO John Mangum and Music Director Enrique Mazzola, Lyric stands at the intersection of artistic excellence and civic purpose, harnessing the full power of opera — voice, orchestra, stagecraft, and story — to illuminate the questions, emotions, and experiences that define us as human beings. Nearly 75 seasons of world-class performances have made Lyric one of the greatest opera companies in the world. What drives us now is what has always driven us: the belief that this art form, at its best, can move people in ways nothing else can.

Lyric is also Chicago’s partner — in its neighborhoods, its schools, and its communities — through education, engagement, and a relentless commitment to making opera accessible, relevant, and irresistible to everyone. At the heart of that commitment is The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, which trains the artists who will carry this art form into its future. Every night when the curtain rises, Lyric reminds this city — and the world — why live performance still matters.

Lyric Opera of Chicago doesn’t just present opera, it redefines what opera can be. It’s where Chicago comes to be moved, inspired, and connected.

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