Nutcracker and Holiday Shows Near Boston 2026
Boston Ballet's Nutcracker opens Friday, Nov 27 and runs through Dec 31, and Handel and Haydn's Messiah plays Symphony Hall the same weekend, so the first big holiday nights are about two weeks away. This page lists each production with its dates, venue, ticket link and any sensory-friendly or discounted performances.
- Boston Ballet Nutcracker and Handel's Messiah open
- Holiday Pops opens at Symphony Hall
- Boston Ballet Sensory Friendly Nutcracker, 1:30 pm
- Midwinter Revels preview at Sanders Theatre
Every row comes from the company or venue's own page for 2026. Prices appear only where the organiser publishes them. If a ticket price is not on the page, the row sends you to the box office. Rows grey out after their last performance.
Nutcracker
Boston Ballet is the only official seller of its Nutcracker tickets. Touring and local productions run alongside it.
| Production | Where | Dates | Tickets | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Ballet: The Nutcracker | Citizens Opera House, 539 Washington St, Boston | Nov 27 to Dec 31 | Prices are on the ticket page. Tickets | About two hours with one intermission. Live orchestra. Theater runs warm; some loud music and flashing light. | Boston Ballet |
| Boston Ballet: Sensory Friendly Nutcracker | Citizens Opera House, Boston | Fri, Dec 4, 1:30 pm | Tickets | Shortened to 1 hr 20 min with intermission. House lights stay up a little, no strobe, quiet space, preview guide, activities from 12 pm. Box office 617.695.6955. | Boston Ballet sensory friendly |
| Boston Ballet: College Night | Citizens Opera House, Boston | Thu, Dec 3 | Groups of 10+ college students, group sales | $35 tickets for groups of 10 or more college students, plus a $25 group sales fee. Group sales 617.456.6366. | Boston Ballet student discounts |
| Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet | Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont St, Boston | Fri, Dec 11, 7 pm | From $66 at the box office. Tickets | Touring production on its 33rd annual tour, with acrobatics and large puppets. | Boch Center |
| Anthony Williams' Urban Nutcracker | Shubert Theatre, 265 Tremont Street, Boston | Dec 12 to Dec 20 | From $29 at the box office. Tickets | Dec 12 at 2 pm and 7 pm, Dec 13 at 1 pm and 5:30 pm; more showings listed on the page. | Boch Center |
| Nutcracker: Symphony of Lights (Grand Kyiv Ballet) | Emerson Colonial Theatre, 106 Boylston Street, Boston | Wed, Dec 2 | Tickets | Presented by Grand Kyiv Ballet. Price and showtime are on the ticket page. | Emerson Colonial Theatre |
| Safe Haven Ballet presents The Nutcracker | Lowell Memorial Auditorium, 50 East Merrimack St, Lowell | Sat, Nov 28, 4:30 pm | Tickets | Listed on the venue's 2026 calendar. Price is on the ticket page. | Lowell Memorial Auditorium |
Boston Ballet's $30 rush tickets for youth and students do not apply to The Nutcracker. Student subscriptions are $35 a ticket for ages 2 to 17 and full-time college students, per the Boston Ballet student discounts page.
Holiday concerts
Pops, Messiah and Baroque Christmas play Boston halls, and the Pops also visit Lowell.
| Production | Where | Dates | Tickets | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Pops: Holiday Pops 2026 | Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Ave, Boston | Dec 3 to Dec 24 | Tickets | Includes 11 am Kids' Matinees and a Dec 9 Company Celebration with Sutton Foster. Prices are on each performance's page. | Boston Symphony Orchestra |
| Holiday Pops Sensory Friendly | Symphony Hall, Boston | Sat, Dec 5, 10:30 am | Tickets | 60-minute concert with reduced volume and lighting, quiet room, noise-reduction headphones and relaxed house rules. | Boston Symphony Orchestra |
| Holiday Pops Kids' Matinee | Symphony Hall, Boston | Dec 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 23 and 24, 11 am | Tickets | Morning family concerts listed on the Holiday Pops page. | Boston Symphony Orchestra |
| Boston Pops: Holiday Pops in Lowell | Lowell Memorial Auditorium, 50 East Merrimack St, Lowell | Sun, Dec 20, 2:30 pm | Tickets | Spectacle Live members get presale. Groups of 10+: contact the venue. All sales final. | Lowell Memorial Auditorium |
| Handel and Haydn Society: Handel's Messiah | Symphony Hall, Boston | Nov 27 (7:30 pm), Nov 28 and Nov 29 (3 pm) | Tickets | 173rd consecutive year. 2 hr 50 min with intermission. Nov 28 is a Boston Family Days event. | Handel and Haydn Society |
| Handel and Haydn Society: Baroque Christmas | NEC's Jordan Hall, 30 Gainsborough Street, Boston | Thu, Dec 17, 7:30 pm; Sun, Dec 20, 2 pm | Tickets | About 2 hours. Schutz's The Christmas Story, with the H+H Youth Choruses. | Handel and Haydn Society |
| Midwinter Revels: An American Celebration of the Solstice | Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St, Cambridge | Preview Dec 11; Dec 12 to Dec 28 | $47 to $107; preview $10 to $75. Tickets | 15 performances plus a preview, sold through the Harvard Box Office. Free closed captioning at all performances. | Revels |
| Cabot holiday concerts | The Cabot, 286 Cabot St, Beverly | Through Dec 31 | Holiday listings | Includes Tartan Terrors (Dec 5, 8 pm), Old Crow Medicine Show Holiday Hootenanny (Dec 11, 8 pm) and Christmas with the Nelsons (Dec 18, 8 pm). | The Cabot |
| Celtic Christmas by Candlelight | Lowell Memorial Auditorium, Lowell | Sat, Dec 19, 2 pm and 7:30 pm | $44 to $68. Tickets | Both showtimes are on the venue's event page. | Lowell Memorial Auditorium |
Revels discounts: EBT and WIC cardholders can buy up to 4 tickets at $12 each, and patrons 35 and under can buy up to 2 balcony tickets at $35 plus fees with code 35UNDER35.
Plays and family shows
Holiday plays and family shows in Boston, Beverly and Lowell.
| Production | Where | Dates | Tickets | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (Commonwealth Shakespeare Company) | Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont Street, Boston | Dec 11 to Dec 20 | From $30. Tickets | Use code BOCHXMAS to save 10%. Dec 11 at 7 pm, Dec 12 at 2 pm and 7 pm, Dec 13 at 2 pm. | Boch Center |
| Peter Pan Goes Wrong | Lyric Stage, 140 Clarendon St, Boston | Nov 13 to Dec 31 | Tickets | Comedy for ages 8 and up. Box office 617.585.5678. | Lyric Stage |
| Blue Man Group: A New Holiday Surprise | Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont St, Boston | Dec 15 to Dec 23 | From $35. Tickets | Dec 15 to 18 at 7 pm; more showings listed on the page. | Boch Center |
| The Polar Express | The Cabot, 286 Cabot St, Beverly | Sun, Dec 13, 1:30 pm | $35.75. Tickets | Film screening with Santa and games; doors 12 pm; pajamas encouraged. Family-level members get 20% off. | The Cabot |
| A Charlie Brown Christmas | Lowell Memorial Auditorium, Lowell | Fri, Dec 4, 7 pm | Tickets | Price is on the ticket page. | Lowell Memorial Auditorium |
Central Square Theater's 2026-27 season page lists no holiday production.
Common questions
Can students get cheap Nutcracker tickets at Boston Ballet?
Student subscriptions are $35 a ticket and college groups of 10 or more get $35 tickets on Dec 3. The $30 rush tickets do not apply to The Nutcracker, per Boston Ballet.
Is there a relaxed or sensory-friendly holiday show?
Yes. Boston Ballet's Sensory Friendly Nutcracker is Dec 4 at 1:30 pm, and the Boston Pops hold a Sensory Friendly Holiday Pops on Dec 5 at 10:30 am.
Are there discounts for the Revels?
EBT and WIC cardholders pay $12 each for up to 4 tickets, and patrons 35 and under can buy balcony tickets for $35 plus fees with code 35UNDER35.
Sources
Every entry above links to the page it was read from. Each page was checked on November 10, 2026.
- Boston Balletbostonballet.org · checked Nov 10
- Boston Ballet sensory friendlybostonballet.org · checked Nov 10
- Boston Ballet student discountsbostonballet.org · checked Nov 10
- Boch Centerbochcenter.org · checked Nov 10
- Boch Centerbochcenter.org · checked Nov 10
- Emerson Colonial Theatreus.atgtickets.com · checked Nov 10
- Lowell Memorial Auditoriumlowellauditorium.com · checked Nov 10
- Boston Symphony Orchestrabso.org · checked Nov 10
- Boston Symphony Orchestrabso.org · checked Nov 10
- Lowell Memorial Auditoriumlowellauditorium.com · checked Nov 10
- Handel and Haydn Societyhandelandhaydn.org · checked Nov 10
- Handel and Haydn Societyhandelandhaydn.org · checked Nov 10
- Revelsrevels.org · checked Nov 10
- The Cabotthecabot.org · checked Nov 10
- Boch Centerbochcenter.org · checked Nov 10
- Lyric Stagelyricstage.com · checked Nov 10
- Boch Centerbochcenter.org · checked Nov 10
- The Cabotthecabot.org · checked Nov 10
- Lowell Memorial Auditoriumlowellauditorium.com · checked Nov 10
- Boch Center: Shubert Theatre FAQbochcenter.org · checked Nov 10
- NEC: visit Jordan Hallnecmusic.edu · checked Nov 10
- ArtsEmerson: Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatreartsemerson.org · checked Nov 10