The ILLIAC returns in 2026, and has expanded from Hessel Park to include Downtown Champaign! 

Brought to you by the same promoters who have made PYGMALION into a thing for the past twenty-plus years in Champaign-Urbana, and named in honor of The Illiac Suite: widely known as the first piece of music composition created by an electronic computer, the event itself first took place in 2014 in Downtown Urbana as a one day music festival. After ten years, it returned in 2024 in Hessel Park, presenting Sinfonia da Camera’s first-ever outdoor performance. 

Here and now, we are excited to showcase yet another season-opener for the in-resident chamber orchestra at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, alongside other local and touring acts that will delight and surprise. 

Pack a picnic, or grab some food and a glass of wine from the vendors and enjoy historic Hessel Park in a way you can only once a year. Then head to Downtown Champaign and be part of a resurgence of cultural engagement that will only continue to grow in the years ahead. 

Welcome, or welcome back, to Champaign, Illinois. It’s pretty great around here.