Ricky Martin Brings Latin Pop Celebration to Highland Park’s Ravinia Festival

Puerto Rican star’s 20-song set turns Ravinia into a Latin music dance party

HIGHLAND PARK, Illinois — Ricky Martin brought a high-energy Latin pop showcase to the Ravinia Festival on Thursday, Aug. 20, performing 20 songs during his debut at the Highland Park venue and drawing one of the festival’s largest crowds of the summer, according to a Ravinia spokesperson.

The Puerto Rican singer, 54, used the roughly 90-minute performance to revisit decades of hits, largely in Spanish, while backed by an eight-piece band with a horn section and a 12-member dance troupe. The concert unfolded before a crowd inside the Hunter Pavilion and across Ravinia’s lawn, where concertgoers waved Puerto Rican flags, wore red, white and blue apparel, and joined open dancing before the show.

Martin opened with the tropical pop track “Pégate” and moved through a set that included “María,” “Tu Recuerdo,” “Vente Pa’ Ca,” “La Mordidita” and “La Bomba.” His English-language crossover standards also prompted major audience reactions, including “She Bangs,” “Nobody Wants to Be Lonely,” “Private Emotion” and “Livin’ La Vida Loca.” The night ended with balloons dropping during “The Cup of Life,” Martin’s enduring World Cup anthem.

Ravinia adds salsa lessons and Puerto Rican cultural programming

The festival expanded the concert into a broader celebration of Latin music and Puerto Rican culture. West Loop dance studio Latin Rhythms led salsa lessons and open dancing, while the Puerto Rican Arts Alliance organized a traditional music performance by the Latin Music Project at Ravinia’s Carousel Stage. Vendors included Casa Famosa, which sold hard agua frescas, and a large video screen on the north side of the lawn gave patrons a view of the stage.

The programming gave the affluent North Shore venue a distinctly communal atmosphere. Highland Park’s population is predominantly white, but Martin’s Spanish-language set was met with enthusiastic singing, dancing and flag-waving throughout the evening. The response underscored the continued reach of Latin music well beyond its traditional markets as the genre remains a major force in global pop culture.

Martin’s appearance came months after he made a surprise guest appearance during Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance, singing “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii,” a song addressing gentrification and overtourism in Puerto Rico. While the Ravinia concert did not carry the same overt political message, its emphasis on Spanish-language music and Latin dance traditions offered a different kind of cultural statement.

Veteran performer previews more music

Martin has been a central figure in Latin pop’s international expansion since his early career in the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo. His crossover success helped create a path for later global stars including Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, while newer artists such as Bad Bunny have brought Spanish-language music to even wider commercial audiences.

At Ravinia, Martin told the audience he had recently returned home after performances in Europe and Asia and arrived ready to celebrate. He also said he intended to release new music and return soon, joking that his love of performing could keep him on stage well into old age.

There were no reported disruptions during the Highland Park concert. Ravinia’s summer season remains underway, while Martin has indicated that additional music and future performances are planned.