Orlando Christmas Shows and Performances: A Winter Wonderland of Entertainment

As the holiday season draws near, the air in Orlando becomes infused with a magical charm that calls couples to explore the city’s romantic side. While there are plenty of FREE holiday concerts, there are a number of holiday concerts in Orlando that are worth the price of admission.

Whether you’re a local looking to rediscover the romance in your own city or a visitor eager to experience the magic of Orlando during the holidays, this guide will help you plan a festive date night, enjoying the sounds of the season. 

Want more festivities? Check out these related posts:

• Festive Christmas Cocktails at Orlando’s Holiday Pop-Up Bars
• Orlando’s Best Holiday & Christmas Lights
• Restaurants for Christmas Dining

Featured Christmas Shows and Performances

ice!™ featuring The Polar Express™ (featured image)

• Dates: November 13, 2026 – January 3, 2027
• Location: Gaylord Palms Resort, Kissimmee

Christmas at Gaylord Palms transforms the 65-acre resort into a sparkling holiday destination filled with festive wonder and family fun. The yuletide celebration is anchored by the return of “ice! featuring The Polar Express™,” where more than 2 million pounds of hand-carved ice bring the beloved holiday story to life in a dozen larger-than-life scenes inside a 9-degree environment. Guests also can enjoy the award-winning POMP, SNOW & CIRQUEumstance show, snow tubing down Snow Flow Mountain, photos with Santa, snowball throwing, a dazzling atrium light display and hundreds of Christmas trees.

Use code DATENIGHT to save up to 25%* on ice! and POMP, SNOW & CIRQUEumstance tickets.

*Valid Online Only. Maximum 8 tickets per order. Taxes and fees may apply. Cannot be combined with any other offer or discount. Discount not valid on previously purchased tickets. Blackout dates may apply.

Holiday Harbor Nights

• Date: Friday, November 27, 2026 at 6:30 p.m.
• Location: Loews Portofino Bay Hotel

 Kick off the holiday season at Holiday Harbor Nights, returning the Friday after Thanksgiving with Italian-inspired cuisine, fine wines, live music and the grand illumination of Portofino’s Christmas tree. Set in the Harbor Piazza at Universal Orlando Resort, this festive open-air event brings the spirit of Italy to life. Enjoy unlimited culinary samplings from the hotel’s award-winning restaurants, paired with a handpicked selection of wines. A live band and special balcony opera performance add to the evening’s charm. Perfect for wine lovers, food enthusiasts and anyone seeking a memorable holiday night out, this is an event not to miss.

A Holiday Evening in The Packing District

• Date: Friday, December 4, Tree Lighting, 5-6 p.m., Holiday Pops Concert, 7 p.m.
• Location: Great Southern Box Co. Food Hall & The Grove Park

Start your evening at Great Southern Box Co. Food Hall from 5-6 p.m. for the First Annual Holiday Tree Lighting in The Packing District, then head to The Grove Park for a free Holiday Pops concert with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra at 7 p.m.

Grab dinner, enjoy the lights, and bring a blanket for an evening of music and holiday magic the whole family will love. Free parking is available at both locations.

Orlando Ballet’s The Nutcracker brought to you by Orlando Health

● Dates: December 4- 27, 2026; shows at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
● Location: Steinmetz Hall at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
● Tickets start at $39

Create a holiday memory that lasts a lifetime. Whether it’s a festive date night, a special father-daughter outing, or a cherished family tradition, The Nutcracker is the perfect way to celebrate the season together. Jorden Morris’ The Nutcracker brought to you by Orlando Health returns to the Dr. Phillips Center this December with dazzling costumes, larger-than-life sets, and magical moments for all ages. Select performances also feature festive pre-show and family-friendly activities to make your experience even more memorable. Get tickets now.

More Orlando Holiday Shows & Performances

The Magic Show: Holiday Edition

• Dates: Select nights, November – December 2026
• Location: Grande Lakes Orlando

Families will love this magic show by America’s Got Talent finalist, Drew Thomas, that combines mind-bending magic and large-scale illusions with astonishing acts like making people vanish, reappear, and defy natural laws, unfolding in an intimate setting, blurring the boundary between reality and illusion.

Vienna Light Orchestra

• Date: Sunday, November 15, 2026, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
• Location: Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Walt Disney Theater

Gather with your loved ones for a holiday performance like no other, featuring world-class musicians and vocalists set to a glorious backdrop of 2,000 candles and a Christmas tree forest.

Orlando Philharmonic’s Symphony Storytime: Peter and the Wolf

• Date: Thursday, November 19, 10:30 a.m.
• Location: Orange County Library, South Trail Branch

The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra’s Symphony Storytime Series is a fun and engaging way to introduce young children to the magic of classical music! Designed for children ages 3 to 5, each performance combines live orchestral music with narration and beautiful hand-drawn illustrations that bring beloved children’s stories to life.

Children are welcome to sit right in front of the musicians and experience the performance in whatever way feels comfortable for them. Dancing, wiggling, cheering, and noises of all kinds are welcome!

Lindsey Stirling The Snow Waltz Tour

• Date: Saturday, November 21, 2026, 8 p.m.
• Location: Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Walt Disney Theater

Lindsey Stirling is bringing her iconic electric violin to Orlando with stunning visuals and acrobatics.

“A Christmas Carol” at Orlando Shakes

• Dates: Select dates, November 25 – December 24, 2026
• Location: Orlando Shakespeare Theater, 812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL 32803

Charles Dickens’ timeless classic, “A Christmas Carol” comes to life at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater. Follow Ebenezer Scrooge’s transformative journey as he discovers the true meaning of Christmas. This production offers a fresh take of the beloved tale.

The Unauthorized Hallmark(ish) Parody Musical

• Date: Wednesday, November, 25, 2026, 7 p.m.
• Location: Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Walt Disney Theater

This parody musical is perfect for couples who love a good laugh and lots of classic holiday movie tropes!

Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra Home for the Holidays

• Date: Saturday, November 28, 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
• Location: Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Steinmetz Hall

Michael James Scott returns home for a holiday celebration with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, featuring holiday favorites, a sing-along, a visit from Santa, and more.

Clare and the Chocolate Nutcracker

• Date: Saturday, November 28, 2026, 7 p.m.
• Location: Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Walt Disney Theater

Orlando Community Arts, Inc. presents an exciting spin on a beloved holiday classic with Clare and the Chocolate Nutcracker! Join Clare on her travels with the Chocolate Nutcracker and the Sugar Plum Fairy as they visit Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Pacific Islands, India, Puerto Rico, and other lands on their way to the Kingdom of Toys.

Runa Live on The Oval “Hark! An Irish Christmas”

• Date: Saturday, November 28, 2026, 7 p.m.
• Location: Bok Tower Gardens

Celtic-American Roots music group, RUNA, continues to push the boundaries of Irish folk music into the Americana and roots music formats.

Christmas in The Park

• Date: Thursday, December 3, 2026, 6:15 p.m.
• Location: Winter Park, Central Park

Celebrate the 48th annual Christmas in the Park as the Morse Museum lights up its rare collection of Tiffany Windows in Central Park! Then, enjoy a performance from the Bach Festival Choir and Brass Ensemble.

Holiday Music The Musical Hammers

• Date: Friday, December 4, 2026, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
• Location: Bok Tower Gardens

The Musical Hammers Band consists of several hammered dulcimer musicians playing and singing tunes, accompanied at times by guitar, penny whistle, mandolin, banjo, psaltery, and a steel drum.

Tree Lighting Celebration

• Date: Friday, December, 4, 2026, 5:30 p.m.
• Location: Lake Eola Park, Washington Plaza

Countdown to the lighting of the city’s Christmas tree, then enjoy a holiday performance at Lake Eola Amphitheater and shop the Merry Market with more than 30 vendors!

Orlando Metropolitan Ballet Academy: Sugar Plum Fairy’s Winter Tale

• Date: Thursday, December 10, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
• Location: Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater

Enjoy the magic of the season with a two-act ballet set in the enchanting world of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. The Sugar Plum Fairy welcomes Clara and the Nutcracker to her realm as the Land of Sweets comes alive with delightful performances.

Handel’s Messiah

• Date: December 16, 2026, 7 p.m.
• Location: First United Methodist Church of Orlando

Enjoy the holiday season with Handel’s Messiah, directed by Eric Jacobsen, including soloists, the University of Central Florida University Choir, and the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve

• Date: Saturday, December 19, 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
• Location: Kia Center

Experience the melodic fusion of rock, classical, and orchestral elements from Trans-Siberian Orchestra alongside their captivating stage performance. kiacenter.com

Yuletide with The Byrne Bros. and more

• Date: Saturday, December 19, 2026, 7 p.m.
• Location: Bok Tower Gardens

Experience the warmth and wonder of the holiday season at Yuletide at Bok Tower Gardens, an enchanting evening of music, tradition, and timeless beauty.

Carols & Carillon with Dr. Reed and the Frostproof High School Choir

• Date: Sunday, December 20, 2026, 4 p.m.
• Location: Bok Tower Gardens

Celebrate the season with an unforgettable sunset concert atop Iron Mountain with Dr. Reed, the Frostproof High School Choir, and world-renowned carillonneur Geert D’hollander.

Classern Live at The Singing Tower: Holidays for Strings

• Date: Monday, December 21, 2026, 3:30-5 p.m.
• Location: Bok Tower Gardens

Celebrate the beauty of the season with Classern, an exceptional string quartet whose elegant performances bring the holidays to life through music. 

Holiday Performances at Walt Disney World

Disney Jollywood Nights

• Date: Select nights from November 7, 2026 – January 7, 2027
• Location: Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios, 351 South Studio Drive, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

Ticket prices based on reservation date.

Delight in yuletide entertainment, including live bands, stage shows, sing-alongs, and to wrap up the evening, Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! – a nighttime spectacular featuring fireworks, lasers, lights, projections and merry music. All inspired by the glitz and glamour of vintage Hollywood.

Experience Disney’s Jollywood Nights evening event with our Disney Jollywood Nights Expert Tips.

Candlelight Processional at EPCOT (with Dining Package option)

Date: November 27 – December 30, 2026
Location: America Gardens Theater at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT

A seasonal experience that features a celebrity narration of the story of Christmas, a 50 piece orchestra and massed choir. This is the main highlight of EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays.

By choosing a dining package option you ensure your seat at this highly-sought after Christmas event. Choose from select eateries at EPCOT offering Candlelight Processional Dining Packages.

Tickets include entry to Walt Disney World’s EPCOT but do not ensure you a spot at the Candlelight Processional, which is a first-come, first-served basis. Seating is based on availability due to limited capacity. To ensure a seat you must purchase a Dining Package.