Beat the rush and book ahead with our guide to the best holiday entertainment heading to Boston this holiday season! Be it the magic of The Nutcracker or belly laughs with Elf in Concert or a rockin' time with the Trans-Siberian Express, there's plenty of shows for any audience!

Boston's Finest

Boston Ballet - The Nutcracker
Citizen's Bank Opera House
November 28 - December 28
First performed in 1963, the Boston Ballet's Nutcracker is the jewel in the crown of the company's season, a tradition that has enchanted audiences for five decades. The production received an update in 2012 from Mikko Nissinen. With glittering costumes, world-class choreography, and elegant sets and of course, Tchaikovsky's unforgettable score, don't miss the iconic production when it begins this Thanksgiving!
BOOK HERE

A Christmas Carol
Cutler Majestic Theater
December 6 - 23

No Humbugs here!

The festive classic to end all classics, no holiday season is complete without taking your seats for a showing of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, and this year, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company invites you to join them for a brand new production, destined to be an unmissable holiday tradition! Be swept up in the glorious tale of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge (Will Lyman) and his transformative supernatural Christmas Eve visitations as this sumptuous new staging from Steve Wargo, with direction from Diane Adams McDowell.
BOOK HERE

Boston Pops - Holiday Pops
Boston Symphony Hall 
December 4 - 25
A bona fide holiday tradition in the same leagues as the Nutcracker in its many iterations, The Boston Pops' Holiday Pops concert is a festive feast for the eyes, ears, and soul. Perfect for the whole family, the time-honored production, led by Keith Lockhart, is filled with Yuletide cheer, bolstered by upbeat arrangements of classic carols and popular Christmas songs, a joyful sing-along, and a visit from the one and only St. Nick himself!
BOOK HERE

A Charlie Brown Christmas
Boston Symphony Hall
December 30
Charlie and the gang are here to show you the true meaning of Christmas in this stage adaptation of the classic TV Special. Debuting in 2013, this theatrical production faithfully recreates the atmosphere of the comic strips and features the jazzy score from the TV show as well as a group of Christmas sing-alongs at the end. A wonderful way to introduce younger children to the Peanuts gang, and to explore what Christmas is all about Christmas, beyond just the presents!
BOOK HERE

Festive Family Favorites

Cirque Du Soleil - T'was The Night Before
Wang Theatre
November 26 - December 14

Grab your winter coat and get ready to jingle on down to Cirque du Soleil's amazing holiday spectacular, Twas The Night Before Christmas. You'll witness their 49th original production and first-ever holiday-themed show. Judging by their previous productions, this is one you certainly don't want to miss!
This unique take on the Christmas classic will bring joy and entertainment to the whole family, whilst teaching the act of kindness behind sharing and the joy of friendship. You'll also find out what really happens the night before Christmas through Cirque's eyes.
BOOK HERE

Irving Berlin's White Christmas
The Music Hall
December 3 - 21
A stage adaptation of the classic film, Irving Berlin's White Christmas, tells the story of two showbiz buddies, formerly old war comrades, who are tasked with staging a winter pageant in a picturesque but struggling Vermont inn owned by their old commanding officer - and find their perfect matches in the bargain. Will they be able to pull off the ultimate Christmas miracle and save the show? Well, yeah, but in this case, the fun is in following them on their marvellous, adventure-filled journey!
BOOK HERE

Christmas Chuckles for Grown Ups

A John Waters Christmas
Berkelee Performance Center
December 14

Filther and merrier than ever!

John Waters loves Christmas, and he wants you to know. The legendary cult-filmmaker takes to the stage with his traditional one-man monologue, extolling the virtues of everyone's favorite holiday, from offering advice on Christmas films and music to asking the important questions you've always wanted answered by the people's pervert, such as 'Is Santa erotic?'
BOOK HERE

A Swingin' Little Christmas with Jane Lynch
Nashua Center For The Arts
December 7
From humble beginnings at Chicago's world-famous Steppenwolf Theatre to the caustic, dry wit of Sue Sylvester on Glee, the multi-award-winning Jane Lynch has become an icon of stage (with her 2013 debut as Miss Hannigan on Broadway) and screen, stealing every scene of every movie she's ever been in (from 40-Year-Old Virgin to Wreck-it Ralph.)  Here's your chance to catch Jane Lynch live this holiday season as she's joined by her special guests for this appropriately festive new show, 'A Swingin' Little Christmas'!
BOOK HERE

Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Show
Wang Theatre
November 22
 Making the yuletide gay since 2018, this glorious collaboration from two of RuPaul's Drag Race's most glittering alumni is the perfect tonic for the hysteria of the holiday season, with boozy holiday cheer infused with good old razzle-dazzle song and dance numbers, copious amounts of eggnog, and classic carols with a cheeky drag twist. If you're Nutcracker-phobic, then this double act has your alternative holiday entertainment sorted. Jinkx will spice things up, and Dela will cover them in sugar!
BOOK HERE

A Very Alaska Christmas Show
Big Night Live
December 14
Blast off into the most fabulously festive time of year with Alaska Thunderfuck's cosmic Christmas extravaganza! The intergalactic drag icon performs a night of glitteringly festive music and cheer, with holiday tales only Alaska could tell. Joined by her fairy sidekick Jeremy on the piano, come and watch her absolutely SLEIGH it this holiday season!
BOOK HERE

Merriment and Music

Candlelight - Holiday Special
Simons Theatre
December 26

You'll be smiling 'til New Year's Eve!

Everyone loves a holiday special, and there is nothing more special than this awesome festive experience from our friends at fever.
Featuring a raft of the season's most beloved and timeless music, including extracts from The Nutcracker, join a live string quartet in a wonderful candlelit venue for a Christmas celebration so merry, you'll be smiling 'til New Year's Eve!
BOOK HERE

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - The Ghost of Christmas Eve
SNHU Arean
November 28
The Trans-Siberian Orchestra is hitting the road once again in 2025, bringing their electrifying holiday rock opera to audiences across North America. Join them for a festive celebration that spans over two decades of Christmas magic! Along with The Ghosts of Christmas Eve, fans can expect some of the band's greatest hits, making it clear why audiences keep coming back year after year.
BOOK HERE

Mannheim Steamroller
Capitol Center for the Arts
December 5
With the release of Mannheim Steamroller's first holiday album in 1984 came the kind of fame that made the act a veritable Christmas-time tradition. With founder and composer Chip Davis at the helm, the all-American music troupe continues to tour extensively, bringing Yuletide cheer to audiences throughout the US with a unique Neo-Classical take on popular carols and songs. It's no wonder that Mannheim Steamroller is the top-selling Holiday Act of all time!
BOOK HERE

Want more holiday - see all our Christmas Shows here