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.

Gaelynn Lea

@ Rochester Civic Music's Theatre Season

Gaelynn-Facebook  DAVIES_LOGO

This performance will take place as scheduled. Please check back here for any weather related delays, postponements, or cancelations. 

As part of Rochester Civic Music's "Theatre Season," violinist, songwriter and disability rights advocate Gaelynn Lea will perform with her full band at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24 in the Rochester Civic Theatre. Get your tickets here (https://www.ticketmaster.com/rochester-civic-theatre-tickets-rochester/venue/50716), on sale Thursday, Jan. 26 at 7:00 a.m.

Rochester Civic Music is pleased to accommodate individuals with disabilities. CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) services and ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation will be on site for this performance. Presented by Rochester Civic Music and Davies Printing Company.


Masks required at the request of the artist. 
Seating is General Admission. Tickets are $25, on sale Thursday, Jan. 26. Please contact Civic Music at 507-328-2200 (TTY 1-800-627-3529) fourteen working days prior to this event if you require a special seating assignment.

About the Artist: Gaelynn Lea won NPR Music's “Tiny Desk Contest” in 2016, and not long after she took to the road. Since then she has toured in 45 states and 9 countries, captivating audiences around the world with her unique mix of haunting original songs and traditional fiddle tunes. Gaelynn Lea has performed at several major festivals including SXSW and the Winnipeg Folk Festival. She has also opened for well-known bands such as Wilco, The Decemberists, LOW, and the industrial rock super-group Pigface.

Most recently Gaelynn Lea composed the original music for a Broadway production of Macbeth starring Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga. This iconic Shakespeare play was directed by Sam Gold and was nominated for three Tony Awards®, including “Best Sound Design.”

In addition to performing and recording, Gaelynn also does speaking engagements about Disability Rights, finding inner freedom, and accessibility in the arts. In recent years, she has shared her perspective on “PBS NewsHour,” “On Being with Krista Tippett,” “The Moth Radio Hour,” “NowThis,” “The Science of Happiness” podcast, and via two widely-viewed “TEDx Talks.”

Gaelynn Lea is the co-founder and Vice President of a change-making group called RAMPD (Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities), which aims to amplify Disability Culture, promote inclusion, and advocate for accessibility in the music industry. She also joined the Recording Academy with the class of 2021, and in 2022 was elected to serve as a Governor on the Recording Academy’s Chicago Chapter Board.

Gaelynn Lea is in the midst of writing a memoir about her childhood in Northern Minnesota, touring adventures, and disability advocacy. She hopes this book will help to solidify the concept of disability as diversity, as it entertains and educates music lovers and activists alike. - https://violinscratches.com/

Tickets on sale Thursday, Jan. 26 at Rochester Civic Music in City Hall (walk-in, no handling fees), the Mayo Civic Center Box Office (walk-in, no handling fees), and Ticketmaster (online). Order by phone at 507-328-2200. Group rates available. 

The Rochester Civic Music Box Office hours are 8 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.. Cash, Check, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover are accepted.  

The Mayo Civic Center Box Office Hours are Wednesday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Closed Saturday - Tuesday.

Mayo Civic Center FAQ

About the "Theatre Season:" Rochester Civic Music's "Theatre Season" presents events in the intimate setting of the 300 seat main hall at the Rochester Civic Theatre on the Mayo Civic Center campus. These indoor theatre concerts provide an engaging and personal experience, allowing attendees to soak in the finer details of the artistry involved.

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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.