

Irakere 50
Chucho Valdés, Paquito D’Rivera & Arturo Sandoval
featuring Emilio Frías
-
DateJuly 9, 2025
-
VenuePavilion
-
Donor Gates4:30 PM
-
Public Gates5:00 PM
-
Ticket Prices$29–$65
An order processing fee will be added to your cart at checkout.
Get in the rhythm! All night, a dance floor is open on the North Lawn to move to the music of Irakere.
Have you got the spirit in your shoes but want to learn some moves? Visit the dance floor on the North Lawn for free salsa dance lessons before tonight’s concert.
Dance instructors from Latin Rhythms studio in the West Loop and KR Dance Studio in Albany Park and Irving Park are back — along with the Latinos Juntos Dance Team from Curie High School and Lane Tech High School International Cuban Club — to lead group salsa dance lessons while DJ Alvin Black III spins up music on the dance floor. Lessons are free for all ticketholders!
At 7:30 p.m., when Chucho Valdés, Paquito D’Rivera, Arturo Sandoval, and the Irakere 50 band hit the stage, the dance floor will be open all evening for social dancing to the live music.
Reserved Seat Ticket: $55–$65
Reserved Block Ticket: $55
Price per person; must reserve full block of 2, 4, or 6
General Admission Ticket: $29
Price increases by $5 one week before the event; ticket selection screen shows current price
Lawn Admission Ticket: More Info
All guests need a ticket for park admission, regardless of age
Wintrust Chair & Table Rental Reservation
The Park View and Lawn Bar are open for dinner and drinks, and the Freehling Room is open to eligible Ravinia donors. Reservations are recommended for dinner.
The Tree Top Lounge is open with craft cocktails and more curated beverages, plus savory small bites.
Ravinia Café and Concession Stands are open with hot bites plus chilled grab-and-go food and drinks, ice cream, and snacks.
Cashless: Cash will not be accepted at Dining Pavilion restaurants, bars, or concessions. Please bring a credit/debit card or other cashless forms of payment.
About the Performance
With a career spanning over 60 years, Cuban pianist, composer, and bandleader Chucho Valdés has cemented his legacy as one of the most influential figures in modern Afro-Cuban jazz. Hailed as “a pianist of imperial command, possessed of a dazzling, deceptively casual virtuosity” (New York Times), Valdés is a seven-time GRAMMY® and six-time Latin GRAMMY® winner, honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 2018.
This summer, Valdés returns to Ravinia with Irakere 50, celebrating the groundbreaking small big-band he founded in 1973 and led until 2005. Fusing Afro-Cuban ritual music, Cuban popular music, jazz, rock, and classical elements, Irakere forever transformed Latin jazz. Alongside Valdés for this milestone event are two legendary musicians in their own right and former band members—saxophonist and clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera and trumpeter and composer Arturo Sandoval.
Joining the celebration is special guest Emilio Frías, known as “El Niño,” performing alongside his orchestra El Niño y la Verdad. Founded in 2013 with musical director Wilfredo Naranjo "Pachy Jr.,” the orchestra stays true to authentic Cuban roots while incorporating contemporary harmonies, drawing influences from generations of Cuban musicians. With lively arrangements by Pachy and guitarist Dayron Ortega, the El Niño y la Verdad promises an infectious energy that will have audiences singing along long after the concert’s end!
Be sure to bring your dancing shoes for a free pre-concert group dance lesson, then dance the night away on the open dance floor on the Lawn!