Ives Concert Park is a prestigious, world-class performing arts center. This majestic outdoor amphitheater is situated on 40 wooded acres with a pond, breathtaking gardens and public hiking trails, and is located on the Westside campus of Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Connecticut.  Ives hosts a variety of world-renowned international, national, regional and local artists and is a truly unique arts experience in harmony with a natural environment, where trees and stars become the backdrop for cultural enrichment.  This nonprofit organization was named in honor of Danbury native Charles Edward Ives (1874 – 1954), one of America’s greatest composers. 

The Ives is a tremendous resource for the western Connecticut community, initiating economic development for local businesses, as well as establishing corporate stakeholder partnerships that assist in underwriting the costs of performances, thus allowing affordable access to acclaimed artistic performances. With more than 65,000 guests attending events each year, Ives Concert Park boosts tourism and is an asset in attracting consumers, new residents and businesses to the Greater Danbury region.  As the area’s only major outdoor venue devoted to live entertainment, Ives Concert Park features a Celebrity Series, a Fine Arts & Family Series including Shakespeare, Chamber Music, Children’s Events, as well as Jazz, Cultural Arts, Performance Arts, Visual Arts, Arts Education, an Ecuadorian Festival, an Irish Festival, The Connecticut Latin Music Festival and the Southern Connecticut Renaissance Festival.

Ives Concert Park Partners:

 

Hear what visitors are saying about Ives Concert Park!

“[Alison Krauss & Union Station were] great musicians in a great setting, with cool night air & stars overhead.”

Aimee N.

Bethel, Conn.

 

“[The Connecticut Ballet was] a wonderful evening at Ives Concert Park! Thank you Ives Concert Park, Danbury and all the wonderful sponsors who made this evening of truly wonderful fine arts possible!

Susan M.

Danbury, Conn.

 

“[The ballet] was magical. Thank you for providing such wonderful programming free of charge. I was more than happy to make a donation. My daughters and I loved the performance.”

Elizabeth D.

Danbury, Conn.

“[Steely Dan was] the concert of the summer … maybe of several summers.”

Chris F.

Danbury, Conn.

“Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed the concert on Saturday. The program was well chosen and the excellent musicians, the virtuoso performance by Kerry Walker, and Dr. Jimenez's musical mini-biography of Mozart, made for a delightful summer afternoon. Events like this make Ives Concert Park a valuable asset to our Danbury community.”

Betty B.
Danbury, Conn.

“The Ives Festival Orchestra did a fantastic job with Mozart. Thank you Dr. Jimenez, Dr. Walker and Ms. Alves for phenomenal performances.”

Catherine S.
Cheshire, CT

“What an amazing place to see a concert! Peter Frampton was amazing, but your venue and the people, their friendliness, made it that much more enjoyable. I hope to get back again this summer. Maybe Steely Dan ... : ) and I've gotta get more of those donuts!!”

Darlene C.

Lyndhurst. N.J.

“Grace Potter and Michael Franti this year was my first visit. I will be back for Steely Dan and probably many more shows! What a GREAT venue you have and your staff is exceptional ... thank you.”

Richard B.

Saugerties, N.Y.

“I had a really great time at last night's Grace Potter/Michael Franti show. I appreciated the friendly, competent staff. My first time there and I will definitely be back. Keep up the good work!”

“A beautiful place for an amazing concert. Frampton wowed everyone. The summer sky was stunning. Everything was clean, orderly and perfect. The staff worked hard. They were very polite, helpful and fun.”

“I just visited Ives Concert Park for the 1st time. As a veteran concert-goer, I must say that your venue is one of the nicest I have ever been to. I am telling everyone I know about it! I won tickets to Monday night's show, and a meet ‘n greet with Michael Franti. That was exciting enough, but then to be surrounded by your beautiful park, I was just so incredulous. I love the size of your venue as well. Every seat in the house is a good one. The vibes, the staff, the landscaped grounds-everything was just perfect. I can't wait to go back!!”

“I’ve been hearing about the venue for years by word-of-mouth and finally got there this weekend for the first time to see Earth, Wind & Fire. WONDERFUL place to see a concert. Great music, great food/beverages, lots of room to dance and super-friendly people all around. Pretty reasonable ticket prices for top-notch acts, too!”

“Very impressive line up this year (2011).  Looking forward to spending many an evening at the Ives Concert Park this summer.”

Robert and Joanne S.

Mahopac, N.Y.

"What a great show! The warm rain didn’t stop the Moody Blues from doing all their fan favorites. Food and drink available at moderate prices. Fun crowd too! My family and I really enjoy the venue and have attended many shows (Sheryl Crow rocked!) and festivals (Irish, etc.) throughout the years. I have already purchased tickets to see Peter Frampton and Allison Krauss this summer."

Eben K.

Danbury, Conn.

Thank you for running a fantastic venue that has hosted some very fond memories for my husband and I ... we are hoping to see some acts announced that we can bring our toddler to, so we can make more of those memories with him. :-)”

Kait and Chris J.

Danbury, CT

“We've been going for years. 10,000 Maniacs, The Kinks, Melissa Etheridge, Cake. We can't justify traveling to see a concert now when we have such a great venue in our own backyard! Thank you!”

Maria C.

Danbury, CT

“We did enjoy the Air Force Band of Liberty concert very much.  Thank you for providing this event to the community on this special day.”

Andrew P.

Sherman, Conn.

“First off, this was the first time my girlfriend and I have been to Ives and we loved it!! What a beautiful place! Even with the rain, we had a fantastic time! We think the rain actually added to our experience seeing The Moody Blues and made it that much more memorable!”

Michael T. and Lorraine W.

Clinton, Mass.

“The Willie Nelson concert was so enjoyable and it was a perfect night. We hope to be going up to Ives again very soon.”

Tracy M.

Milford, Conn.

“I was surprised to learn that I could buy bottles of wine at the Widespread Panic show ... big fan of Ives Concert park!"

Bob B.

Montclair, N.J

“My son took a chance and drove to Danbury and purchased a ticket for Slightly Stoopid at the box office.  He had a blast.”

Laura U.

Fairfield, Conn.

“The Dukes of September show was AWESOME!!!!!  Never had such a great time at a concert.  All the people sitting near us were really nice; had wonderful conversations along with excellent music.  A perfect night!  Keep up the good work!!!”

Kathleen M.

Trumbull, Conn.

“We didn't win the raffle at the Dukes of September concert, but we had a great time.  What a wonderful park!”

MaryBeth D.

Newington, Conn.

“I've always wanted to see the Moody Blues, being a nut for ’60s music. They did not disappoint! I've seen hundreds of shows in all kinds and sizes of venues and this was one of the best. We hope to see you again.”

George L.

Sandy Hook, Conn.

“The concert and seating were wonderful for Dukes of September. Looking forward to more events in the future.”

Doris G.

Oxford, Conn.

 

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