Ravinia

What Ravinia does

Ravinia Festival Association is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that operates North America's oldest outdoor music festival from its 36-acre park in Highland Park, Illinois, just north of Chicago. Founded in 1904, the festival runs a roughly three-month summer season hosting 100+ concerts and serving an estimated 400,000–600,000 guests annually across classical, jazz, pop, rock, country, R&B, and world music. The core venue infrastructure includes the 3,200-seat Hunter Pavilion (currently undergoing a once-in-a-generation renovation ahead of its 2026 reopening), the more intimate Bennett Gordon Hall, and the Martin Theatre, with the property uniquely served by Metra's Union Pacific North Line — the only private train stop in Illinois.

Programming is anchored by an annual Chicago Symphony Orchestra residency and supplemented by the Steans Music Institute (founded 1988), a pre-professional training program for emerging classical and jazz musicians, and Reach Teach Play, a music-education initiative serving approximately 20,000 students in Chicago and Lake County public schools. The Ravinia Festival Association is governed by a Board of Trustees (with Women's Board and Associates Board auxiliaries) and supported by Welz Kauffman–era leadership that is in transition, with Jeffrey P. Haydon now identified as President on the organization's own website.

Revenue is generated across six streams: ticket sales (lawn general admission, reserved pavilion, and the $10 Rising Stars series), individual donations at tiered giving levels (Annual Fund), corporate sponsorships at Premier, Mainstage and Spotlight tiers (Allstate, Audi, BMO, Discover, Fifth Third Bank, Wintrust and others), on-site dining (Park View, Mirabelle and concessions), private event and off-season venue rentals, and merchandise via the Festival Shop and Reclaimed Ravinia commemorative program. Ticketing is delivered exclusively through the Ravinia mobile app on iOS and Android, with digital-wallet and peer-to-peer sharing functionality. Distribution is primarily direct (website, app, box office, call center) supplemented by radio co-promotion partnerships with Chicago stations including XRT, Q101, WGCI, US99, and 87.7 MeTV-FM.

Name

Ravinia

Legal name

Ravinia Festival Association

Website

https://ravinia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1904

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ravinia Festival Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit operating North America's oldest outdoor music festival from Highland Park, IL, presenting 100+ concerts each summer anchored by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra residency, plus music-education programs serving 20,000 students and tiered donor/sponsor support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Music Festival

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Musical Groups and Artists (711130), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Music & Dance Festivals (Non-Commercial/Local) (MPAGAEAH), Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG), Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

Keywords

• Outdoor music festival
• Live concert events
• Classical music performances
• Music education programs
• Summer concert series

Headquarters

HQ city

Highland Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from selling admission tickets to concerts and performances across multiple venues. Digital tickets delivered via Ravinia app.
2. Individual Donations: Charitable contributions from individuals at various giving levels with corresponding benefits, supporting the nonprofit mission of bringing world-class performances and music education.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partnerships at Premier, Mainstage, and Spotlight tiers providing sponsorship benefits and brand visibility.
4. Festival Shop Merchandise: Online merchandise store selling Ravinia-branded apparel, picnic accessories, and commemorative items.
5. Dining Services: On-site restaurants (Park View, Mirabelle) and food/beverage sales during performances.
6. Private Events Rentals: Concert season rentals and off-season rentals for corporate events, weddings, and private functions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ravinia is a historic outdoor music festival located in Highland Park, Illinois, founded in 1904. It presents live concerts across multiple genres—including classical, jazz, pop, and family programming—at the Martin Theatre, Hunter Pavilion, and lawn venues, and runs the REACH*TEACH*PLAY community education program and the Steans Music Institute. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit and is the summer residency home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Product overview

Ravinia Festival operates as a single unified outdoor music festival and venue, offering live concert performances and music education programs. The core product is the annual summer festival hosting 100+ events featuring the Chicago Symphony Orchestra residency, headline artists, and emerging musicians across multiple genres. Supporting programs include Reach Teach Play (music education serving ~20,000 students), the Steans Institute (professional musician training), and the Breaking Barriers Festival (women-in-music programming). The festival also operates a Digital Ticketing Platform delivered exclusively through the Ravinia App, a Festival Shop for merchandise, Reclaimed Ravinia commemorative pieces, and Private Event Rentals for venue hire.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ravinia Festival Concert Season
• REACH*TEACH*PLAY
• Steans Music Institute
• Breaking Barriers Festival
• Ravinia Mobile App
• Ravinia Festival Shop
• Private Event Rentals

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, premier and minor.

• Chicago Symphony OrchestracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Chicago Symphony Orchestra maintains an annual residency at Ravinia Festival, performing classical and pops concerts throughout the summer season. The partnership includes special programming like 'Beer, Brats & Beethoven' and the CSO Series.
• Steans Music InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 1988 in honor of Lois M. Steans, the institute provides world-class training for emerging classical and jazz musicians including pianists, string players, singers, composers, and jazz musicians.
• Metra Union Pacific North LinecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMetra's Union Pacific North Line train stops at Ravinia's main entrance during summer performances, making Ravinia the only private train stop in Illinois. This provides unique public transportation access for concertgoers.
• AllstateflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerLead sponsor for Reach Teach Play education program
• AudipremierGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier sponsor
• BMOpremierGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier sponsor
• DiscoverpremierGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier sponsor
• Fifth Third BankpremierGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier sponsor
• Midtown Athletic ClubspremierGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier sponsor
• WintrustpremierGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier sponsor; provides chair and table rental services for lawn seating
• XRT RadiominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChicago radio station partner for co-presenting concerts including St. Vincent, Brandi Carlile, Alabama Shakes, Kool & The Gang
• Q101 RadiominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChicago radio station partner for co-presenting concerts including St. Vincent, Alabama Shakes, Kool & The Gang
• WGCI RadiominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChicago radio station partner for co-presenting Chance the Rapper concert
• Joffrey BalletcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoffrey Ballet performs at Ravinia with live orchestral accompaniment, including programs like 'Rita Finds Home' and morning Kids Concert Series presentations
• Art Institute of ChicagominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for 'One Score, One Chicago' program connecting Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition to works from the Art Institute's collection
• People's Music SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for El Sistema-based REACH Orchestra program at Hibbard Elementary School

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Tanglewood / Boston Symphony Orchestra: Summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Tanglewood is a directly comparable outdoor classical/jazz/pop music festival venue with similar residency, education (Tanglewood Learning Institute), and nonprofit structure serving a major U.S. metro.
• Hollywood Bowl: Iconic outdoor summer concert venue run by the LA Philharmonic, offering mixed-genre programming (classical, pop, jazz) under a nonprofit model with comparable scale, ticketing, dining, and rental operations.
• Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts: Filene Center and The Barns at Wolf Trap operate as a nonprofit outdoor performing arts venue near Washington, D.C., with comparable summer-season programming, classical-to-pop genre mix, and education programs.
• Blossom Music Center (Cleveland Orchestra): Summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra, Blossom is an outdoor amphitheater with a comparable resident-orchestra-plus-pop programming model, ticketed lawn and reserved seating, and similar scale to Ravinia.
• Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC): Summer venue for the New York City Ballet and Philadelphia Orchestra in Saratoga Springs, SPAC offers a comparable mix of classical residency and contemporary concerts in an outdoor nonprofit setting with education programming.

Regional players

• Grant Park Music Festival: Free outdoor classical music festival in Chicago's Grant Park, serving the same Chicago metro as Ravinia. Competes for the same classical audience but with a free-admission model, making it a regional adjacent rather than direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Lyric Opera of Chicago: Major Chicago-based performing arts nonprofit presenting opera and musical theater. Shares the same donor pool and Chicago classical/arts audience as Ravinia but operates an indoor season rather than outdoor summer festival model.
• Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Symphony Center): CSO is both Ravinia's core residency partner (mutual customer) and an indirect competitor during the off-season at Symphony Center. Highly relevant as both a comparable nonprofit classical music operation and a strategic partner.

Broad incumbents

• Kennedy Center: National performing arts center in Washington, D.C., operating a much broader portfolio of venues and programming. Relevant as a much larger incumbent nonprofit in the live performing arts space, with overlapping education and donor models.
• Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts: Multi-venue performing arts complex in NYC presenting classical, jazz, opera, and contemporary programming. Larger and broader than Ravinia, but shares the nonprofit model, education mission, and reliance on corporate sponsorship and individual donations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ravinia-festival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ravinia