Boston · Christmas in Boston
Christmas in Boston for Grown-Ups
Boston's Christmas is a concert-hall Christmas. The Pops play carols at Symphony Hall, the Handel and Haydn Society sings Messiah as it has for 173 years, and the Nutcracker fills the old opera house on Washington Street. Add oysters, a candlelit cocktail bar and a walk on the Common in the cold, and you have a very grown-up December weekend.
- Pops
- Holiday Pops, Symphony Hall, December 3-17, 2026
- Ballet
- The Nutcracker, Citizens Opera House, November 27-December 31
- Choral
- Handel and Haydn's Messiah, Symphony Hall, November 27-29
- Folk
- Midwinter Revels, December 11-28, 2026
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Holiday concerts
The Boston Pops Holiday Pops run December 3 to 17, 2026 at Symphony Hall, with 7:30 p.m. evening concerts, 3 p.m. matinees and a few morning kids' matinees (and, yes, a visit from Santa). Pick an evening show for the grown-up crowd. Thanksgiving weekend belongs to the Handel and Haydn Society, whose orchestra and chorus sing Messiah at Symphony Hall on November 27, 28 and 29 for the 173rd consecutive year.
Boston Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall
Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Ave
The BSO's 2026-27 season at Symphony Hall began at the end of September. The orchestra spends its summers at Tanglewood in the Berkshires, and the Boston Pops cover jazz, film music, Broadway and the great American songbook.
Tip: Check the concert calendar before you fix your dates.
The Nutcracker
Boston Ballet's Nutcracker, in Mikko Nissinen's production, plays the Citizens Opera House (the former Boston Opera House) on Washington Street from November 27 to December 31, 2026. Boston Ballet says it is the only official seller of tickets, so buy on its site.
Boston Ballet's The Nutcracker
Citizens Opera House, 539 Washington St, Downtown Crossing
Heads-up: Runs November 27 to December 31, 2026 only.
Mikko Nissinen's Nutcracker, Boston Ballet's holiday production since 2012, plays the Citizens Opera House (the former Boston Opera House) from November 27 to December 31, 2026.
Tip: Boston Ballet says it is the only official seller of Nutcracker tickets; buy on its site rather than from resellers.
Revels and folk traditions
The Midwinter Revels, Boston's long-running winter-solstice show of song, dance and storytelling, runs December 11 to 28, 2026; this year's production travels to the Great Plains. Revels had not listed the 2026 venue when we checked, so confirm it when you book.
Warm rooms on cold days
Spend a cold afternoon in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, built around a flowering courtyard that feels like Venice on a grey day, then take a stool at the Union Oyster House bar near Faneuil Hall for oysters and chowder. For cocktails, The Hawthorne in Kenmore Square feels like a friend's living room; for jazz, Wally's in the South End has live music every night of the year.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
25 Evans Way, Fenway
A Venetian-style palace around a flowering courtyard, hung with Isabella Stewart Gardner's collection. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Tuesday, and until 9 p.m. on Thursdays. Adults $25, seniors $22.
Tip: Book a timed ticket ahead; popular entry times sell out. Thursday evening is the calmest visit.
Union Oyster House
41 Union St, near Faneuil Hall
Serving food since 1826 and billed as America's oldest restaurant, on the Freedom Trail by Faneuil Hall. Sit at the old oyster bar for a dozen on the half shell and a chowder. Reservations through OpenTable.
The Hawthorne
Hotel Commonwealth, 500A Commonwealth Ave, Kenmore Square
A grown-up craft cocktail bar in the Hotel Commonwealth, with fine wines and a living-room feel. Open nightly from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Reservations are taken for up to 10 guests until 9 p.m.; walk-ins are welcome, with a wait list at busy times.
Tip: Book a table for a pre- or post-concert drink; Symphony Hall is a short ride away.
Wally's Café Jazz Club
427 Massachusetts Ave, South End
A family-run jazz club with live music every night of the year since 1947. Students from the local conservatories sit in with veterans at the jam sessions (Tuesday to Saturday, 7 to 9 p.m.), then the night sets run until midnight. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and 9 p.m. Sunday and Monday.
Tip: It is a small room; arrive early for a seat.
Dates not yet published
The 2026 dates for Boston's tree lightings and holiday markets (Boston Common, Faneuil Hall and the SoWa Christmas Market in the South End) are not yet published. Faneuil Hall Marketplace has announced it is planning a Christmas market but had not given dates when we checked.
Our advice
- Come in the first half of December: the Pops, the Nutcracker and Revels all overlap from December 11 to 17.
- Book Holiday Pops and Nutcracker seats early; weekend evenings go first.
- Pack for real cold: a hat, gloves and shoes with grip for icy brick pavements.
- Check current hours, event dates and prices before you go.
Everything on this page was checked on October 1, 2026, on each organizer's official site. Holiday dates, show runs and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Questions people ask
When is the Boston Pops Holiday Pops in 2026?
December 3 to 17, 2026, at Symphony Hall, with evening concerts at 7:30 p.m. and afternoon matinees at 3 p.m.
When is Boston Ballet's Nutcracker in 2026?
November 27 to December 31, 2026, at the Citizens Opera House on Washington Street.
When is Handel and Haydn's Messiah in 2026?
November 27, 28 and 29 at Symphony Hall: the Handel and Haydn Society's 173rd consecutive year of Messiah.
Is Boston worth visiting at Christmas?
Yes, if you like music and don't mind the cold. In mid-December you can see the Pops, the Nutcracker and Revels in one long weekend, between warm museums, oyster bars and cocktail rooms.