The holidays are no doubt the busiest and most cheerful time of year in New York City. Holiday shows, events and festivals, dazzling decorations, stunning Christmas trees, bright and stunning lights and window displays and an overall feeling of joy even on the coldest of winter days. This time of year is a great way to get out and celebrate the holidays with family, friends and your community.
Between Broadway, the Lincoln Center, Radio City Music Hall, the Apollo Theater and so much more, there are holiday shows happening almost every day in New York. Make your family’s holiday season a little extra magical and make memories that’ll last a lifetime by checking out one (or more) of these amazing holiday shows happening in New York this year. They’re bound to get even the Grinch-iest of people in a festive spirit and could make for a great gift!
Looking for more ways to thrill your family this holiday season? Check out The Best Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Everyone in the Family.
Twas the Night Before… by Cirque Du Soleil – Chelsea
4 Pennsylvania Plaza, 212-465-6000
December 12-29
Cirque Du Soleil is offering an exhilarating spin on a classic Christmas tale with their first-ever Christmas show! Join Isabella, a curious girl who’s become jaded by the hoopla surrounding Christmas, as she is whisked away to an upside-down, inside-out world where she meets characters inspired by the original timeless poem. Twas the Night Before… is a fun-filled flurry of love, Christmas cheer and loveable characters for the entire family to cherish! This festive show about the wonders of sharing and friendship promises to spark lasting memories this holiday season. Full price tickets range between $56 and $181 depending on seat location. Use the code “CDSFRI” on Black Friday for 40% off select tickets
The Illusionists – Magic of the Holidays – Midtown
250 West 52nd Street, 212- 757-8646
November 29 to January 5, 2020
Some of the most amazing illusionists on Earth are bringing their magic touch back to Broadway for a 5th year this holiday season! Featuring acts from America’s Got Talent and beyond, this year’s all-new holiday show is perfect for the whole family. Dazzling performers from around the world come together for this spectacular can’t-miss holiday event. Get your tickets before they’re gone, because now you see them, and soon you won’t! Standard ticket prices range between $79 and $249 depending on seat location.
iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour 2019 – Chelsea
4 Pennsylvania Plaza, 212-465-6741
December 13
More than 20 years ago, New York’s Z100, the most listened to pop radio station in the country, introduced Jingle Ball, a holiday concert with the year’s top artists performing their #1 hits. The show quickly became the most anticipated holiday tradition with tickets selling out in minutes. Get your tickets for this year’s Jingle Ball and don’t miss out on a star-studded lineup including Taylor Swift, the Jonas Brothers, Camila Cabello, 5SOS, Lizzo and more! It’s the holiday season’s hottest concerts with the top artists of 2019. Ticket prices vary depending on seat location.
A Christmas Carol on Broadway – Midtown
149 West 45th Street, 866-302-0995
November 21 to January 5, 2020
See the latest Broadway adaptation of this classic Christmas story at the Lyceum Theater in Manhattan. This timeless and timely tale of redemption welcomes theatergoers of all ages into an immersive experience that’s brimming with holiday spirit. Featuring dazzling staging, storytelling and performances from Tony Award winners, A Christmas Carol will be sure to delight the entire family, not even Scrooge himself can resist this amazing show! Standard ticket prices range from $149 to $325 depending on the type of seating.
FunkiJam’s HOLIDAY BEAT! Family Spectacular – Hell’s Kitchen
339 West 47th Street, 347-913-5267
December 7, 8, 15
There’s only one holiday show that gives audiences the chance to see so many celebrations in one place. Part live concert and part stage show, FunikiJam’s HOLIDAY BEAT is New York City’s only Off-Broadway show to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, Chinese New Year, and Shichigosan in a kid-friendly and educational fashion. When Special Agent Bahjat wants to throw a holiday party that includes everyone, Captain Jam and the Agents of Jam take him on a globe-spanning musical adventure to complete Special Mission: HOLIDAY PARTY and throw the ultimate celebration. Your entire family will have a fun-filled time, all while learning how different cultures celebrate the holidays! Tickets are $37.50.
Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes – Midtown
1260 Avenue of the Americas, 866-858-0007
November 22 to January 5, 2020
Share the joy of the holidays with the entire family at the Christmas Spectacular, starring the legendary Radio City Rockettes! Be part of the holiday magic as Radio City Music Hall transforms into an immersive, cheerful winter wonderland and make memories that will last a lifetime. Whether you come every year or are set to experience it for the first time, make this dazzling and delightful performance a part of your family’s holiday traditions! Ticket prices vary depending on show time and date, and seat location. Save 50% off selected tickets using the code “WEBN3” until November 27.
Big Band Holidays – Midtown
10 Columbus Circle, 212-258-9800
December 18-22
It’s the most wonderful time of year in the House of Swing! The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and music director Marcus Printup continue a beloved New York tradition with Big Band Holidays. Soulful renditions of holiday classics like “Jingle Bells,” “Joy to the World,” and “Brazilian Sleigh Ride,” will thrill audience members of all ages and uplift your family’s holiday spirit. Don’t miss out on brilliant holiday performances from some of the most charismatic vocalists in the scene! Standard ticket prices range between $40 and $155 depending on seating.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer The Musical – Flatbush
1027 Flatbush Avenue, 800-745-3000
December 1
The beloved TV classic Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer soars off the screen and onto the stage this holiday season. Come see all of your favorite characters from the special including Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster, Clarice, Yukon Cornelius and, of course, Rudolph, as they come to life in Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical. It’s an adventure that teaches us that what makes you different can be what makes you special. Don’t miss this wonderful holiday tradition that speaks to the misfit in all of us. Standard ticket prices range between $29.50 and $79.50 depending on seat location.
We’re giving away tickets to see Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical! Five lucky families will each win a family four-pack of tickets to see the musical for the 1 pm or 4:30 pm performance on Sunday, December 1st. The deadline to enter is Wednesday, November 27th at 9 am. Winners will be announced at 12 pm the same day and the tickets will be sent electronically at that time.
Hip-Hop Nutcracker – Flatbush
1027 Flatbush Avenue, 800-745-3000
December 15
The Hip Hop Nutcracker resets Tchaikovsky’s classic score to explosive hip-hop choreography courtesy of Jennifer Weber. A dozen all-star dancers, complete with a DJ, violinist, and awesome digital scenery, all come together to bring the traditional Nutcracker story to life with a fun-filled urban twist! This evening-length show celebrates love, community and the magic of the holiday season with electric energy and some rad dance moves. Standard ticket prices range between $29.50 and $79.50 depending on seat location.
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker at the New York City Ballet – Upper West Side
20 Lincoln Center Plaza, 212-496-0600
November 29 to January 5, 2020
Your family can be one of many from New York City and around the world to be captivated by the lure of Tschaikovsky’s music, Balanchine’s The Nutcracker. As the clock chimes midnight, a brave young girl turns the tide in a battle between toy soldiers and mischievous mice, and a blizzard of ballerinas reveal a wonderful world of confection. All 90 dancers, 62 musicians, 40 stagehands and more than 125 children, in two alternating casts, from the School of American Ballet join forces to put on one of New York’s most magical holiday shows. Standard ticket prices range between $60 and $300 depending on seat location.
The New York Pops: A Frank and Ella Christmas – Midtown
881 7th Avenue, 212-247-7800
December 20-21
Jazz star Tony DeSare and stage legend Capathia Jenkins join The New York Pops’ annual holiday celebration, ringing in the most wonderful time of the year. Hear holiday favorites like “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” Jenkins reprising Ella Fitzgerald’s classic take on “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town,” DeSare revisiting Frank Sinatra’s beloved arrangement of “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” a rock shuffle duet of “Let it Snow,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Winter Wonderland,” the New York City premiere of “Eight Days of Light” in celebration of Hanukkah, and more. The best holiday shows feature smooth festive tunes that get the entire family into a cheerful spirit, and these musical renditions of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald classics are sure to do the trick! Ticket prices range from $40 t0 $145.
A Christmas Carol at the Merchant’s House – Bowery
29 East 4th Street, 212-777-1089
November 29 to January 5, 2020
In December 1867, Charles Dickens arrived in New York City for a month of sold-out performances of his beloved holiday classic, A Christmas Carol. Join Mr. Dickens, portrayed by John Kevin Jones, as he tells his timeless Christmas tales. You’ll be transported back 150 years by this interactive performance, complete with 19th-century, holiday decorations, flickering candles, and richly appointed period furnishings. Ticket prices range from $45 to $105.
28th Annual Double Dutch Holiday Classic – Harlem
253 West 125th Street, 212-531-5300
December 8
There aren’t many holiday shows quite like this one! Be part of an electric atmosphere and come out and support members of the National Double Dutch League as they compete on the Apollo Stage! The 28th Annual, David A. Walker Memorial, Double Dutch Holiday Classic makes possible speed and music fusion events for the best Double Dutch teams in the world. Each year, since 1991, the show has sold out to parent supported, standing room only audiences, so don’t miss your chance to grab tickets! Admission tickets are $22 each.
The Christmas Show – 16th Annual – Staten Island
35 Hyatt Street, Staten Island, 718-442-2900
December 13
Now in its 16th year, The Christmas Show is a high energy, rhinestone-studded series of songs and dances that the whole family will enjoy! The most wholesome of holiday shows revolve around a grandmother reading a Christmas story to her grandchildren about the various things that make the holiday season special. Set in grandmother’s house, the story takes the audience on a magical journey through numerous scenes and scenarios from the North Pole to Times Square, Clove Lake Park to The Rainbow Room, and culminates in a justifiably renowned Living Nativity. Audience members can sing along to popular tunes like “White Christmas,” “Sleigh Ride,” “Let it Snow,” and “Silver Bells,” as well as religious numbers including “O Holy Night” and “Go Tell it on the Mountain” Ticket prices range from $10-$50.
The Magic Flute by the Met Opera – Upper West Side
30 Lincoln Center Plaza, 212-799-3100
December 15 to January 4, 2020
The most beloved of holiday shows continues as Mozart’s delightful fairy tale returns in the Met Opera’s abridged, English-language version perfect for families and younger audiences. With Lothar Koenigs conducting a dynamic cast of standout Mozarteans, this adaptation of Mozart’s operatic fairytale will delight audiences with a magical production, featuring eye-popping puppetry and stunning performance visuals. Tickets available from $30.
Kwanzaa Celebration: Regeneration Night – Harlem
253 West 125th Street, 212-531-5300
December 28
The Kwanzaa Celebration featuring the renowned New York-based dance company Abdel Salaam’s Forces of Nature Dance Theatre and guest performances returns to the Apollo Theater. Since 2006, the Apollo has established an annual show to celebrate this holiday tradition on one day of the Kwanzaa holiday. The Apollo’s celebration is a joyful evening of dance and music honoring the principles of Kwanzaa, family, community, and culture. It’s everything you’d expect from a classic holiday show! Standard tickets are $25, premium tickets are $40.
Handel’s Messiah by New York Philharmonic – Upper West Side
10 Lincoln Center Plaza, 212-875-5656
December 15-19
The New York Philharmonic’s Messiah is the must-see, must-hear holiday event. Every bar of Handel’s greatest masterpiece speaks to audiences with passion, beauty, spirituality, and joy. Dazzling solos, instrumental fireworks, and the most glorious choral writing of all time never fail to thrill. This performance is truly a unique and joyful treat amongst holiday shows. It’ll be sure to get you and the family feeling joyful and in the holiday spirit. Ticket prices range from $29 to $164.
WeBop Family Holiday Party – Midtown
10 Columbus Circle, 212-721-6500
December 14
Celebrate the holidays at Lincoln Center Kids’ annual Holiday Jazz Jam with Mr. Tim and the WeBop Family Jazz Band! Families will sing and swing into the season with this fun and upbeat show, perfect for younger kids who may not like sitting through other long holiday shows. Your kids will love this interactive and fun-filled jolly jazz show! It’s another great way to get the entire family excited for the holidays. This event is recommended for kids ages 8 months to 8 years old. Be sure to call up CenterCharge for ticket prices and availability.
Holiday Joy: A Gospel Celebration – Harlem
253 West 125th Street, 212-531-5300
December 21
Let the gift of music lift your spirit this Christmas season as GRAMMY-award winning singer Yolanda Adams returns to the Apollo for a soul-stirring holiday concert with gospel artist Donald Lawrence and comedic host Marcus Wiley. Don’t miss out on one of the most powerful of holiday shows, Holiday Joy will inspire you to give in to your excitement for the holidays and get you into a festive mindset. Tickets start at $35.
Navidad: A Mexican-American Christmas – Harlem & Flushing Meadows- Corona Park
253 West 125th Street, 212-531-5300
December 1
14 United Nations Avenue South, 718-760-0064
December 14-15
Navidad: A Mexican-American Christmas celebrates the holiday traditions experienced by a young person of Mexican immigrant parents growing up in New York City. Experiencing traditions from Aztec-inspired dance to Christmas carols, the youngster tries to bring their two worlds together. In a dream, they imagine the fusion of Mariachi music with Tchaikovsky, folk dance with ballet, and the wonderment of their two cultures. But a tempting character preaches the separation of these customs, and the youngster must choose. This is a great show representing culture and diversity while maintaining the fun! Tickets range between $25 and $30, use the promo code “calweb” for a $5 discount on premium seating.
