About Us:
The Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts remains an independent not-for-profit organization that produces one of the largest and longest-running free outdoor festivals in the nation. Original and pioneering, the Levitt Pavilion is dedicated to providing FREE and abundant access to the performing arts; presenting a dynamic constellation of established and emerging artists from around the county, country and globe - all of whom are paid; and preserving an outdoor space for people of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy the arts, nature, and each other.
Established by the Westport community in 1973, we remain independent - artistically, organizationally and fiscally. We are the original Levitt Pavilion and in recent years we have served as a model for replication in other states.
The Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts is a non-profit, open-air summer festival where a variety of music and entertainment is presented FREE virtually every night at our outdoor stage, located along the banks of the Saugatuck River in downtown Westport, the Levitt Pavilion's Inaugural Summer Season features 7 weeks of world-class arts and entertainment presented free-of-charge as well as ticketed benefit fundraisers that help underwrite our free programming.
The Levitt Pavilion presents a vibrant range of music, featuring established and award-winning artists as well as emerging ones, from local bands to national and international acts, plus a mix of other performing arts including dance and comedy.
Every summer also includes the Melissa & Doug Children’s Series on Wednesdays; and for movers and shakers, there’s RiverSwing – an annual series of six or more evenings sprinkled throughout the season on free pre-concert dance lessons led by professionals in the style of the music about to be enjoyed.
Each year, the Levitt Pavilion welcomes over 50,000 patrons from Fairfield County, over 30 neighboring communities and the Tri-State area. To date, the Pavilion has welcomed more than 1.5 million people – and counting.
During the course of the year, the Levitt Pavilion produces a series of ticketed events to help underwrite the cost of the free programming - including the Summer Gala and the Stars on Tour Concert Series. Past stars are a veritable pantheon of international favorites, including Willie Nelson, Tom Jones, The Gipsy Kings, Ray Charles, Tony Bennett, The Doobie Brothers, The Beach Boys, Huey Lewis & The News, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Ashford & Simpson, The Chieftains - and more - even a jam session with Westonite Keith Richards!
The Levitt Pavilion has been an anchor institution in the community since 1973 and is supported through the generosity of corporate, foundation, and individual donations as well as services and support from the Town of Westport, Westport Parks & Recreation, and the State, including the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism. The Friends of the Levitt Pavilion, Inc., d/b/a The Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts, is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
