Riverside Music Series

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Live Music. Big Names. No Tickets.

Est. 1992

Thank you to the thousands of fans, the musicians, and our partners who made the 2025 season unforgettable!

Save the dates - we'll be back in July and August 2026 with another five weeks of free concerts in the park. Lineup announcement coming spring 2026.

Riverside Music Series Logo - Dark Yellow

For more than 30 years, the Riverside Music Series has brought big-name bands and big summer energy to Mayo Park on Sunday nights.

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Planning Your Visit

At the Park

Activities & Extras

Getting Involved & Guidelines

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Highlights from 2025

  • Family activities: New in 2025, guests could stop by the Rochester Art Center’s patio for low-key, drop-in fun. Each week included a rotating mix of bubbles, sidewalk chalk, and other kid-friendly play items.
  • First-time performers: All five headliners were new to the Riverside stage this year, including Blind Melon, Caylee Hammack, and Hoobastank.

Follow @rochesterpublicmusic on Instagram or Rochester Public Music on Facebook for updates.

Live from Med City: Gao Hong & Issam Rafea from the Historic Chateau Theatre

  • Date: 05/27/2021 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM  
  • Location: ONLINE EVENT
 
Live from Med City | Season 1, Episode 11
Gao Hong & Issam Rafea from the Historic Chateau Theatre | FREE Virtual Concert
Sponsored by The Current

Premiere: Thu May 27 @ 6 PM 

Re-Broadcast Schedule: Twice Daily (except for Mondays)
Thu May 27 - Thu June 3 | 7 AM & 6 PM

HOW TO WATCH: This virtual concert can be viewed on Rochester Civic Music's Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch accounts, and on the local Government Access Cable Channels (Spectrum Channel 188, MetroNet Channel 80). All Facebook Live broadcasts will be cross posted to partner accounts including the City of Rochester, Minnesota’s Rochester, 507 Magazine, The Rochester Posse, along with that episode’s featured artist.
 
FACEBOOK EVENT: Live from Med City: Gao Hong & Issam Rafea from the Historic Chateau Theatre

This episode of "Live from Med City" was recorded in the historic Chateau Theatre in downtown Rochester’s “Heart of the City” district. A special audience-less performance and interview from the Minneapolis based Chinese/Syrian music ensemble Gao Hong & Issam Rafea.

Their music sounds both ancient and strikingly modern at the same time. It is neither Chinese nor Arabic, but something fresh and new that only they can produce. Both the Arabic lute, the oud (played by Issam Rafea), and the Chinese four-stringed lute, the pipa (played by Gao Hong), originated from the same ancient instrument - the Persian barbat. Though the pipa has been altered considerably though out its 2000-year history, it originally resembled the 5,000-year old oud and is thought to have been introduced to China through the Silk Road. Since they only play improvisations, no two performances are ever exactly the same, and the duo often creates instantaneous site-and audience-specific pieces to describe their immediate feelings and honor their audiences.

Rochester Civic Music, the City of Rochester's music department, presents "Live from Med City", the online video digest for all things arts and entertainment in Rochester, MN. The "Live from Med City" concept was conceived with the objective of spotlighting the many “live arts experiences” Rochester has to offer, featuring artists from around the block and from all over the world, and filmed in some of its finest and most unique venues.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support Grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.
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Listen and watch

Listen to the 2025 Season Sampler: Relive 2025's lineup with our curated Spotify playlist.

Alumni Playlist

Explore the artists who’ve helped shape Riverside over the years with our curated Spotify mix.

What is the Riverside Music Series?

This short video captures the spirit of the series.

Additional information

See below for answers to frequently asked questions.

Schedule & Start Times
Location
Directions & Parking
Cost & Tickets
What to Bring
Seating
Restrooms
Food & Drink
Weather Policy
Smoking
Accessibility & Guest Services
Family Activities
Giveaways
Meet & Greets
Soliciting & Campaigning
Vendor Opportunities

Supporters & Partners

The Riverside Music Series is funded primarily by the City of Rochester. Support from sponsors, funders, and community partners helps us grow the series, welcome more people, and keep the music free and accessible for all.

2026 sponsorship opportunities are now available. Visit our Supporters & Partners page or email publicmusic@rochestermn.gov to learn more.

2025 Funding Partners

Think Bank logo
Title Sponsor since 2008
Minnesota State Arts Board logo Clean Water Legacy logo
Grant Support
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

2025 Media Partners

Minnesota 97.5 logo
Minnesota 97.5
Quick Country 96.5 logo
Quick Country 96.5
Y-105 FM logo
Y-105 FM

2025 Family Activity Partner

Rochester Art Center logo
Rochester Art Center

City Partners

We’re also grateful to Rochester Parks & Recreation, Rochester Public Works, the Rochester Police Department, and the Mayo Civic Center for their partnership and support.