Summer’s most anticipated crescendo is here. Lyric Opera of Chicago invites the city to its cherished end-of-summer ritual: Sunday in the Park with Lyric. On Sunday, August 23, at 7:00 p.m., the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park will transform into a vibrant stage where the power of the human voice meets the warmth of a Chicago summer night — and where thousands of Chicagoans will gather to celebrate the new Chicago cultural season.
The evening promises a surge of fresh energy as the stage welcomes the new Ensemble of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, Lyric’s world-renowned artist-development program. These rising stars will join forces with the acclaimed Lyric Opera Orchestra — conducted by Lyric’s dynamic Music Director Enrique Mazzola and new Ryan Opera Center conductor Luke Poeppel — for a performance that pulses with passion, playfulness, and the pure radiance of opera.
In addition to Poeppel, the entire Ryan Opera Center Ensemble will be involved in the performance. Sopranos Kylie Kreucher and Josie Larsen; mezzo-sopranos Alexis Peart and Camille Robles; tenors Sid Chand and Daniel Luis Espinal; baritones Sihao Hu and Adam Partridge; and bass-baritones Matthew Dexter, Lin Fan, and Benjamin R. Sokol will perform operatic favorites and selections from Lyric's 2026/27 Season. Ryan Opera Center pianist Myungseo Kim will play in the Lyric Opera Orchestra, and Ryan Opera Center stage director Alexi Ortega Chavez and stage manager AJ Helms will join Lyric's team backstage to calibrate every artistic element of the concert.
"There is an unmatched magic in gathering in the heart of our city to share in the transformative power of live music," says John Mangum, Lyric’s General Director. "Sunday in the Park with Lyric is more than just a concert — it’s where the Chicago community comes alive. It is a night of family, fun, and the exquisite thrill of hearing some of the world’s most exciting emerging voices in one of the country’s greatest outdoor venues. We can’t wait to celebrate the spirit of our city with you under the stars."
A night of joy, music, and connection. Whether a lifelong opera devotee or seeking the perfect way to cap off a summer weekend in Chicago with family and friends, all are invited to experience the grandeur of Lyric in the open air. Attendees are encouraged to claim their patch of lawn, spread out a picnic, and settle in for an evening of operatic favorites and high-drama highlights from Lyric’s upcoming season. Easy-to-follow English titles will be projected throughout the performance, ensuring everyone in the Pavilion and on the Great Lawn can lose themselves in the storytelling.
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When: Sunday, August 23, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. The performance will last approximately 90 minutes and will be performed without intermission.
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Where: Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph Street. Enter at checkpoints A and B on Randolph Street — see map here.
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Tickets: Admission is entirely free. Seating in the Pavilion and on the Great Lawn is available on a first-come, first-served basis — no tickets required.
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Bring: Attendees are welcome to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and their own picnics (including beer and wine). For a seamless evening, please review Millennium Park's official guide to security protocols and prohibited items.
- Win: Throughout the evening, audience members will have the chance to win exclusive prizes and tickets to upcoming Lyric performances
Join Lyric to toast the final, golden notes of summer and the exhilarating promise of the new season ahead. For more information on Sunday in the Park with Lyric, visit lyricopera.org/millennium.
To explore the full Lyric season — seven operas spanning centuries and continents, four unique concerts including a special night with Broadway icon Idina Menzel, two Academy Award–winning films performed live with orchestra, and the return of the Lyric summer musical with a new production of Guys & Dolls — visit lyricopera.org/newseason.
Lyric’s 2026/27 Season is presented by the Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation.
Sunday in the Park with Lyric is generously supported through an endowment by an Anonymous Foundation with additional support from the Rhoda & Henry Frank Family Foundation, The Recording Industry’s Music Performance Trust Fund, and the Film Funds Trust Funds.
Maestro Enrique Mazzola is generously sponsored by H. Gael Neeson, the Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation, Mary Stowell, and the Zell Family Foundation as members of the Enrique Circle.
Lyric Opera of Chicago thanks its Official Airline, United Airlines, and acknowledges support from the Illinois Arts Council.
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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For more information, visit lyricopera.org.