Do I have to stay all night?

No. The program is a series of separate sets, so you can come for one or several.

Ragamala: All-Night Indian Classical Music at World Music Festival Chicago

Name: Ragamala: All-Night Indian Classical Music at World Music Festival Chicago
Start: 2026-09-25T23:00:00.000Z
End: 2026-09-26T13:00:00.000Z
Location: Chicago Cultural Center, Preston Bradley Hall, The Loop, Downtown, the Loop & West Loop

Free

Ragas are tied to times of day, and this is the rare chance to hear the late-night and dawn ones when they are meant to be played. The lineup moves between Carnatic and Hindustani sets all night, including L. Shankar on double violin around 1 a.m. It all happens under the Tiffany dome in Preston Bradley Hall, and it costs nothing.

What to expect

Back-to-back sets from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m.: a University of Chicago student ensemble to start, then violin, shehnai, bansuri, veena, surbahar and vocal sets with tabla and mridangam through the night. People come and go between sets.

Good to know

Preston Bradley Hall is on the Cultural Center's third floor, entrance at 78 E. Washington St.
Highlights by the city's schedule: L. Shankar at 1 a.m., a set honoring flutist Lyon Leifer's 80th birthday at 11:15 p.m., and a sunrise vocal set at 6:45 a.m.
Admission is free; the city's release lists no ticketing.
It is the opening night of a 10-day festival that continues across the city through October 4.

Going? Keep it.