FAQs

There are three ways to attend: with a Membership, a One Night Pass, or for free.

Memberships and One Night Passes can be reserved online, over the phone, or in-person at a concert.

Free seats are available on a first-come first-served basis for all concerts, including indoors concerts at the Harris Theater.

View the Jay Pritzker Pavilion seat map for a detailed look at seat locations. For concerts at the Harris Theater, view the Deering McCormick Hall seat map.

Passes are sent via email as print-at-home PDFs. You can choose to print your passes or display the bar code on your mobile device to the ushers on-site. Print-at-home passes may take up to 20 minutes to arrive in your inbox after placing an order.

If you cannot find your seating passes, please check your junk and spam folders before contacting Patron Services.

We are unable to mail passes. Will Call pickup is available at all concerts upon request. Circle Members may request a plastic Membership Card to use throughout the season.

Memberships and One Night Passes are tax-deductible contributions to the Festival. We are unable to offer refunds, but members may request exchanges. Please see our exchange policy below.

Memberships and One Night Passes are tax-deductible contributions to the Festival. We are unable to offer refunds.

Traditional and Signature members may receive free exchanges for concerts, based on availability. Choose Your Own members are subject to a $5 exchange fee. One Night Passes cannot be exchanged.

Exchanges are available based on seating availability and may not be available for every date. The following dates are not eligible for exchanges:

• Bernstein West Side Story, Wednesday, June 10
• Cirque: A Space Odyssey, Wednesday, July 22
• An Evening with Ben Folds, Wednesday, July 29
• Beethoven Symphony No. 9, Friday, August 14 and Saturday, August 15

To make an exchange, contact Patron Services.

Yes, groups of 10 or more are eligible for a group discount. Group seating is available in the back half of the Pavilion and is based on availability. Student groups may be eligible for additional discounts. To place a group order, contact Patron Services.

At this time, there are no such discounts for reserved passes in the Pavilion. Seating on the Great Lawn and in the back half of the Seating Bowl is always free.

All guests, regardless of age, must have a ticket to be seated in the front half of the Seating Bowl. Families with very young children may be more comfortable on the Great Lawn.

Choral Balcony seating is available for select concerts. You’ll be seated on the stage behind the musicians, looking over the audience and the Chicago skyline. For summer 2026, we are currently offering Choral Balcony seating for:

• Bernstein West Side Story, Wednesday, June 10
• Cirque: A Space Odyssey, Wednesday, July 22
• An Evening with Ben Folds, Wednesday, July 29

PLEASE NOTE: THERE IS NO LATE SEATING IN THE CHORAL BALCONY

Choral Balcony Seating Policies:

• The queue for general admission seating in the Choral Balcony will begin an hour and a half before the start of the concert at the stage right entrance, just off the west walkway near the Patron Services Center. Patrons will be led backstage fifteen minutes prior to the start of the concert, in the order in which they are in line.
• Once you have entered the Choral Balcony, you may not exit and re-enter your seats during the concert. All late seating or patrons needing to re-enter the Choral Balcony will be directed to the Seating Bowl instead.
• No food or drink of any kind (including bottled water) is permitted in the Choral Balcony.
• Please refrain from wearing any fragrances when in the Choral Balcony.
• Remember that just like the orchestra, you are onstage and other patrons can see you. Please help us avoid any distractions by not talking, taking pictures, or using your cellphone during the concert.

Yes! All our venues were designed with accessibility in mind. Visit our accessibility page for details.

For detailed information on public transit options, venue entrances, parking information, and security guidelines learn about our venues here.

Don’t let running a little late stop you from attending!

All free seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Late seating in the reserved section is at the discretion of Front of House staff. All who arrive late or who exit during the performance will be seated at an appropriate break, which in some cases may not be until intermission.

People in the Seating Bowl tend to listen to the music. Some people talk while seated on the Great Lawn. We only ask that you be considerate of your neighbors, as our state-of-the-art sound system is delivering high-quality audio, and people are listening!

Program notes are available online on the detail page of each concert. You are welcome to print out the program notes at home to bring to the concert. We also have QR codes at each concert for easy access.

A limited number of large print programs, intended for low-vision patrons, are available at the Patron Services Center upon request.

Yes! Grant Park Music Festival concerts are suitable for audiences of all ages. Children are always welcome at our programs.

If you are coming with a playful group, your family may be more comfortable on the Great Lawn.

You can view the full list of prohibited items on the Millennium Park website.

In general, we allow our patrons to bring outside food, drink, and utensils excluding metal knives. Many folks bring blankets, camp chairs, and umbrellas to picnic.

The Festival offers a variety of membership packages which reserve you a seat in the front half of the Seating Bowl. Explore our membership options to tailor your summer experience.

Members help keep the Festival free for close to 300,000 people each summer.

All memberships are 100% tax-deductible contributions, plus members get access to great perks like discounted parking, exchanges, guest passes, discounted add-ons and exclusive pre-sales. Become a member today!

Yes, the Grant Park Orchestral Association is a 501(c)3 public charity. Any membership to the Festival is considered a contribution and is 100% tax deductible. As our way of saying thank you, you have access to reserved seats and other member benefits.

Complimentary guest passes are included with some memberships. Guest pass use is subject to availability and may not be available for all dates.

Guest passes are not available for the following dates:

• Bernstein West Side Story, Wednesday, June 10
• Cirque: A Space Odyssey, Wednesday, July 22
• An Evening with Ben Folds, Wednesday, July 29
• Beethoven Symphony No. 9, Friday, August 14 and Saturday, August 15

Please keep in mind that while we do our best to accommodate seating requests, seating may be limited based on availability. We cannot guarantee that your guests will be able to be sat directly adjacent to your member seats.

To redeem your complimentary guest passes, contact Patron Services.

All members are entitled to discounted parking at the Millennium Park Garages during performances. To take advantage of your discount, you must complete and submit the parking form prior to your first performance.

Please contact Patron Services for detailed instructions.

Unless severe weather is predicted, the show will go on—rain or shine! Severe weather is described as lightning and or rain with heavy winds that move into the immediate vicinity of Millennium Park.

In the event of severe weather (as determined by the City of Chicago Office of Emergency Management), the performance will be halted, and the stage doors of the Pritzker Pavilion will be closed.

Audience members will be instructed to leave the seating area and lawn and to seek shelter in the parking garages located on the east side of the Pritzker Pavilion. Park staff in yellow vests will assist patrons.

Periodic announcements will be made to let patrons know if weather patterns will allow the Festival to resume the performance or if the performance is to be canceled. Updates will also be posted on the Festival website (gpmf.org) and our social media sites including Facebook, and Instagram.

The Festival does not offer refunds on reserved seats.