San Diego Symphony Reveals 2025 Summer Season at the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park
The lineup will include Cynthia Erivo, Shaggy, and more.
By: Stephi Wild Mar. 04, 2025
The San Diego Symphony has announced its 2025 Conrad Prebys Summer Season, the 5th season at The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. Set on the San Diego Bay, this summer's season will feature performances with the San Diego Symphony and Music Director Rafael Payare; guest artists including Cynthia Erivo and Shaggy; tribute concerts to Tina Turner, ABBA, Dolly Parton, and more; and an array of beloved films in concert. The summer season officially kicks off on June 27, though the venue has many "pre-summer" performances in May and June, including James Taylor, Ludacris, Trombone Shorty and more.
Summer Season Classics
The season opens with Music Director Rafael Payare and the San Diego Symphony on June 27, 2025, with special guest Paul Merkelo, trumpet, performing Wynton Marsalis' Trumpet Concerto. The festivities continue with the 4th of July: America in Song with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra featuring vocalists Morgan James, Bryonha Marie, and Nicholas Christopher. Two summer classics return later in the season, with Marie Jacquot conducting Beethoven on the Bay on July 13, featuring violinist Clara-Jumi Kang, and Stephanie Childress conducting the Tchaikovsky Spectacular on August 30, with pianist Kiron Atom Tellian.
Guest Artists
Special guest artists will be collaborating with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra this summer. Multi-GRAMMY winner Beck joins the orchestra for an unforgettable performance on July 29. On August 17, the OSCAR nominated star of Wicked takes center stage in An Evening with Cynthia Erivo. The San Diego Symphony Orchestra will also collaborate with Shaggy for Mr. Symphonic—performing his biggest hits and a history of Reggae music—on August 1, and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard will join forces with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra on August 11. Legendary R&B vocal group Boyz II Men reunite with the Orchestra for a concert filled with their many Grammy winning hits on August 24.
Celebrations and Tributes
The season will showcase tributes and celebrations of music powerhouses across the decades. The music of David Bowie gets things going in the pre-season with Classic Albums Live performs David Bowie – The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars on June 20. The Music of the Knights with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra will celebrate the music of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sir Elton John, and Sir Paul McCartney on June 28. The next day, June 29, the San Diego premiere of Dolly Parton's new symphonic experience, Dolly Parton's Threads: My Songs in Symphony, will feature the iconic star's songs and the stories behind them in a special concert with Dolly appearing onscreen. The Music of ABBA with Rajaton and the San Diego Symphony Orchestra will be performed on July 5 and Simply The Best: The Music of Tina Turner on August 2, featuring Tony-winner Adrienne Warren, who was handpicked by Turner to star in Broadway's Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. The celebrations will round out at the end of the summer with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra's performance of SNAP! Best of the ‘90s on August 31, a musical anthology of the iconic decade before the millennium that brought forth the likes of Alanis, Shania, Oasis, Tupac and more.
A Variety of Musical Genres Onstage
Talent across genres will take the stage at The Rady Shell this summer, starting with Ludacris in the pre-season on June 5, followed by Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave with the Might Not Make it Home Tour on June 7. Earth, Wind & Fire will bring audiences a performance of their timeless hits on July 6, and country star Maren Morris will take The Rady Shell stage for the first time on July 31. Broadway takes center stage when Chicago the Musical in Concert with San Diego Symphony Orchestra and conductor Rob Fisher perform on August 8. The Beach Boys return to the Bay on August 9 as well as Gipsy Kings featuring Nicolas Reyes on August 10. For their Rady Shell debuts, Ludacris will perform on June 5; Beck will perform on July 29; Maren Morris will perform on July 31; Shaggy will perform on August 1; “Weird Al” Yankovic will perform on August 29; and an Evening with Chicago will round out this season's performances on September 10.
Movies in Concert
An array of family-friendly films-in-concert span the summer, starting early in the pre-season with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra and conductor Jason Seber for The Princess Bride in Concert on March 28. Later in the summer, on July 11, Top Gun: Maverick in Concert will take viewers on an incredible adventure as the San Diego Symphony Orchestra plays the score live, conducted by John Beal. Marvel Studios' Infinity Saga Concert Experience is happening July 17 at the Rady Shell. Thiago Tiberio conducts the orchestra in a new Marvel Studios film concert taking fans on an epic on-screen cinematic journey covering twenty-three films and presented live. Tiberio returns on July 19 to conduct Disney's “The Lion King” in Concert. Finally, the season ends with back-to-back blockbusters; Barbie The Movie: In Concert on August 22 and Jurassic Park in Concert on August 23. Each screening is enhanced by the San Diego Symphony Orchestra performing the blockbusters' musical score live.
Food & Beverage
The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park's culinary program, The Shell Provisions, offers an impressive range of local specialties in partnership with local San Diego concepts including URBAN KITCHEN Group, offering burgers, chicken, poke, and more; Biga Pizza and salad; Lola55 burritos, tacos and nachos; Cali Cream Homemade Ice Cream; Wicked Popcorn and other specialties as well as vegan and gluten-free selections. Table service is available in the Marina section offering beverage service and pre-ordered dinners by Celebrity Chef Richard Blais through the website. Prebys Plaza Dining Pavilions offer dining tables, allowing concertgoers to enjoy some of the best tastes San Diego has to offer while taking in the beautiful sights and sounds of the city.
Accessible Spaces and Free Community Events at The Rady Shell
The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park is a public park at which the San Diego Symphony programs a wide range of free community activities including family-friendly festivals like Picnic at the Park or the California Festival Family & Community Day; wellness events like monthly yoga classes and the annual Pride Yoga and Dance Party in partnership with FIT Athletic; and rehearsals that are free and open to the public including enhanced programming for schools in the Linda & Shearn Platt Open Rehearsal program. In addition to free public park programming, the San Diego Symphony provides free tickets through its Music Connects program to 501c3 nonprofits and government organizations serving its local community. Similarly, the San Diego Symphony is proud to offer a discount ticket program for all seniors and active military with ID. Senior and military discounts apply in the Parkside and Bridgeview sections only at The Rady Shell. For more information on both of these accessibility initiatives, please visit the website www.TheShell.org.
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