2025 Christmas Theater and Concerts in Columbus

Take in one of the many magical Christmas theater shows or Christmas concerts in Columbus to get in the holiday spirit. 

Start a new annual tradition with one of the regular events, or enjoy a new performance each year!

Columbus is host to many great Christmas theater performances and concerts each year. There are plenty to choose from at all price points! If you know of other great performances, please email info@columbusonthecheap.com to be included.

2025 Christmas Theater and Christmas Concerts in Columbus

Champions Of Magic: Holiday Spectacular (website)

Celebrate the season with the Champions Of Magic: Holiday Spectacular featuring dazzling illusions, breathtaking, grand-scale magic, and festive surprises for the whole family.
This high-energy, interactive show blends their signature humor, jaw-dropping magic, and holiday cheer, creating a one-of-a-kind experience perfect for the season.

Dates: Wednesday, November 12, 2025  |  7:30 PM
Tickets: $40.93-$97.59
Location: Palace Theatre, 34 W Broad St. Columbus

The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show (website)

Award-winning comedy icons, writers, actors, and drag queen powerhouses BenDeLaCreme & Jinkx Monsoon are coming back to town with the wildly successful, internationally acclaimed, “The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show.” Throughout the show’s 8-year history Jinkx and DeLa have met sentient Christmas treats, twisted space-time with Dickensian Ghosts, escaped the meta clutches of their own holiday traditions, and led a harrowing rescue mission in the Nutcracker’s Land of Sweets.

Whatever the twists and turns, fans can expect another year of over-the-top camp spectacle, side-splitting gags, brand new songs, heartfelt storytelling, thrilling dance numbers, and iconic costumes.

Date: Thursday, November 20, 2025  |  8 PM
Tickets: $62.50 – $241
Location: Southern Theatre

Shadowbox Live: Holiday Hoopla (details)

Holiday Hoopla: November 20 – December 28, 2025: (Slightly) raunchy Christmas Fun and Rock and Roll. Tickets are sold by the table, ranging from $46.50-$272.75 per table, depending on table selection and date/time. Great for dates and groups of friends for a night out!!

No So Silent Night: Opens November 30 – December 28, 2025. Not So Silent Night follows the story of a DJ taking requests and dedications on Christmas Eve, leading to a sweet, fun and song-filled holiday night.

Tickets: prices vary per show; see above
Location: 503 S. Front St. • Suite#260 • Columbus, OH • 43215

A Drag Queen Christmas (website)

Murray & Peter Present “A Drag Queen Christmas” hosted by Nina West. It’s the longest running drag tour in America.

Get ready for your favorite queens performing live on stage. We’ve got Lexi, Shea Coulee, Jewels Sparkles, Crystal Methyd, Suzie Toot, Brooke Lynn Hytes, Bosco and Lydia B. Kollins. Recommended for ages 18+.

Date: Friday, November 21, 2025  |  8 PM
Tickets: $45.14-$111 
Location: Palace Theatre

Home Free: Let Me Come Home Tour (website)

This winter, all-vocal country sensation Home Free invites you to celebrate the season with their heartwarming holiday tour, Let Me Come Home — named after their touching original track from the brand-new 2024 holiday album, Any Kind of Christmas.

Date: Saturday, November 22, 2025 |  8 PM
Tickets: $45.77-$405 (price does not include fees)
Location: Davidson Theatre, Riffe Center

The Nutcracker presented by The Central Ohio Youth Ballet (website)

Dates: November 28 – November 30, 2025. Show times vary by date.
Tickets: $24-$32 (price does not include fees)
Location: Midland Theatre, 36 N Park Pl, Newark, OH 43055

A Christmas Carol (website)

CAPA is proud to present a new version of the holiday classic A Christmas Carol, blending traditional and contemporary stage with local and national performers.

Date: November 28–30, 2025
Tickets: $32.46 – $54.24
Location: Ohio Theatre

PENTATONIX: Christmas in the City Tour

As one of the most innovative, inventive, and inimitable vocal groups of all time, Pentatonix reimagine, reinvigorate, and redefine a cappella. 

Dates: November 29, 2025 at 7 p.m. 
Tickets: Starting at $38; on sale Nov 1
Location: Secrest Auditorium and Music Hall, 334 Shinnick St, Zanesville, Ohio

The Nutcracker with Movement on Main Center for Dance (website)

Dates: November 29-30, 2025 at 2 p.m. & 6 p.m.
Tickets: on sale Nov 1
Location: Secrest Auditorium and Music Hall, 334 Shinnick St, Zanesville, Ohio

Lisa Ferraro: Jazz Up The Holidays (website)

Benefiting non-profit SoulCall Global, Jazz Up the Holidays, will be both LIVE and VIRTUAL CONCERT this year

Dates: December 3, 2025 at 7 p.m.
Tickets: $35, $25 for seniors
Location: McConnell Arts Center, 77 Evening St Worthington, OH 43085 

A Magical Cirque Christmas (website)

A Magical Cirque Christmas is a dazzling holiday variety show that captivates audiences of all ages. Bursting with festive charm, laugh-out-loud comedy, and heartwarming magic, this high-flying spectacle showcases the extraordinary talents of the world’s most elite cirque performers.

From gravity-defying acrobatics to jaw-dropping feats of strength and agility, every act is set to a modern soundtrack of beloved Christmas classics. It’s a spellbinding winter journey through music, movement, and holiday joy—perfect for the whole family. 

Dates: December 4, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $49.40-$97.59
Location: Palace Theatre

Home for the Holidays with CJO (website)

The Columbus Jazz Orchestra’s annual Home for the Holidays concerts are always festive, heart-warming and totally swingin’. A holiday musical treat featuring Broadway star Mammie Parris.

Dates: December 4-7, 2025
Tickets: $15-$107
Location: Southern Theatre, 21 E. Main Street, Columbus, OH 43215 

Capital University Christmas Festival (website)

The Christmas Festival concerts feature the Chapel Choir, Choral Union, Cantabile, Consort, and a variety of instrumentalists. This festival is a long-standing holiday tradition enjoyed by the university, its friends and the greater Columbus community.

Dates: December 4-7, 2025
Tickets: On sale in early November
Location: Mees Hall at Capital University

WCOL Winter Wonder Jam with Koe Wetzel (details)

92.3 WCOL, Columbus’s #1 for New Country, brings country music stars together for one incredible night at the 2025 Winter Wonder Jam. 

Dates: Friday, December 5, 2025
Tickets: Starting at $48
Location: Celeste Center, 717 East 17th Ave. Columbus

Holiday Pops with CSO (details)

The Columbus Symphony’s holiday tradition is back with spectacular performances of your favorite holiday songs and carols featuring the Columbus Children’s Choir and starring Tony DeSare and your Columbus Symphony.

Dates: December 5-7, 2025
Tickets: $23.63-$109.48
Location: Ohio Theatre, 39 E. State Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215

Holiday Pops with Columbus Symphony Orchestra

RAIN – A Beatles Christmas Tribute (website)

Join us for a nostalgic evening of love, joy, and timeless music as RAIN – A Beatles Christmas Tribute brings the spirit of the season to life. Hear holiday favorites alongside the legendary sounds of the Beatles.

This festive celebration blends the magic of the holidays with the unforgettable music you know and love. It’s an evening perfect for families, friends, and Beatles fans of all ages.

Date: Saturday, December 6, 2025  |  8 PM
Tickets: $42.14 – $67.34
Location: Palace Theatre

An Acoustic Christmas with Over The Rhine (website)

Dates: Sunday, December 6, 2025 at 8 p.m.
Tickets: $42.14- $54.24
Location: Davidson Theatre, Riffe Center

The Worthington Chorus Presents: Christmas… With a Twist! (website)

Christmas … With a Twist! Think of traditional Christmas music, your favorite tunes that get stuck in your head, sung a little differently—With a Twist!  Join us for a creative trip down Christmas memory lane.

Dates: December 6, 2025 at 1 p.m. & 4 p.m.
Tickets: Adults $15, Children 12 and under $5
Location: McConnell Arts Center, 777 Evening St, Columbus, OH 43085

Festival of Advent Lessons and Carols (website)

Saint Mark’s Choir and the Canterbury Choir will lead the the service of Lessons and Carols, which alternates Advent-themed lessons with beautiful and inspiring music, all in preparation for the Christmas season.  

Music will include choral works by Malcom Archer, Gustave Holst, Giovanni Pierlugi da Palestrina, Mark Sirett, Natalie Sleeth, Conrad Susa, and Healy Willin. A reception will follow.  

Date: December 7, 2025 at 4 p.m.
Tickets: FREE, donations will be accepted in support of the Special Music Fund at Saint Mark’s. 
Location: Saint Mark’s, 2151 Dorset Road, Upper Arlington. Parking is available in the Tremont Shopping Center and the Upper Arlington library lot. 

A Very Merry Holiday Pops with Newark Granville Symphony Orchestra (website)

Ring in the holiday season with the Newark-Granville Symphony Orchestra’s A Very Merry Holiday Pops! This community tradition features the choirs from Newark and Granville High Schools under the direction of Russell Nutt and Kristen Snyder.

Date: December 7, 2025 at 7:00pm
Tickets: $20.25 – $40.25
Location: Midland Theatre, 36 N Park Pl, Newark, OH 43055

Uptown Scrooge Abridged! in Westerville (website)

Take a seat for an interactive performance of “A Christmas Carol” where the audience members go on Scrooge’s journey, with plenty of laughter, drama and surprises along the way. The twist? You are the star of the show and can control the story. Join the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, to share the magic of Dickens’ classic tale like never before. 

Dates: Sundays, December 7, 14, 21, 2025
Tickets: $26 for adults; $16 for students and seniors.
Location: Tours start at Java Central, 20 E. College Ave. Westerville

Dave Koz & Friends 2025 (website)

Marking the 28th anniversary of the longest-running jazz-based Christmas tour, Dave Koz & Friends bring a fresh sensibility to this rich musical tradition on their 2025 outing, performing timeless Christmas classics, a Chanukah medley and hits from each artist’s respective catalogue.

This year’s tour reunites Koz with long-time musical partner, guitarist/singer Jonathan Butler, and features special guests, vocalist Haley Reinhart, bassist/vocalist Casey Abrams, and keyboardist Kayla Waters—all of whom are truly artists on the rise.

Dates: December 11, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: Starting at $44
Location: Palace Theatre, 34 W. Broad St. Columbus

Vaud-Villities Christmastime in Columbus (website)

Step into the heart of the holiday season with Christmastime In Columbus! Prepare to be dazzled and delighted by a magical event that captures the charm of Columbus and the warmth of the holiday season with festive cheer, sparkling performances, and unforgettable moments. 

Dates: December 11-14, 2025
Tickets: $25-$55.45. Friday matinee: $27.62

Location: Lincoln Theatre, 769 E. Long Street, Columbus OH

BalletMet The Nutcracker (details)

BalletMet The Nutcracker returns to the Ohio Theatre in 2023! This family-friendly performance has become a holiday tradition for all ages. Tickets are limited and will sell out.

Dates: December 11-28, 2025
Tickets: $38.50 to $121.45. Other discounts and My First Nutcracker available. Read more here. 
Location: Ohio Theatre

BalletMet The Nutcracker discounts and special performances

Progressive Christmas Concert & Soup for Shelter (website)

Get in the holiday spirit with a unique Christmas concert. Attend three separate performances at three Uptown Westerville churches located within a block of each other. Costumed guides will lead ticket holders between venues by lanterns. Before the concert from 5-7 p.m., enjoy some warm soup at the annual Soup for Shelter event at the Otterbein Campus Center. After dinner, leave your car parked and walk to your first concert of the night! 

Dates: December 12, 2025. Soup for Shelter 5-7 p.m.; Progressive Concert 7-9:15 p.m.
Tickets: $20 Soup for Shelter; $15 Progressive Concert. All proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity building projects. Ticket sales available online only until 9pm Thursday, Dec. 11)
Location: Starting location will be announced with ticket purchase.

The Irish Nutcracker

Join Clara on her enchanting journey of the Land of Sweets this holiday season! Featuring dancers from The Irwin Academy of Irish Dance, enjoy this classic tale with an added twist.

Dates:
Friday, December 12 at 7:00 PM
Saturday, December 13 at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM
Tickets: $16
Location: Weathervane Playhouse, 100 Price Rd, Newark, Ohio 43055

NABC The Nutcracker (website)

Presented by the New Albany Children’s Ballet Theatre. Experience the delightful orchestral sounds, colorful costuming and graceful dancing of over 220 youth and professional dancers with the NACBT’s production of The Nutcracker.

Dates: December 12-14, 2025
Tickets: Tickets go on sale Wednesday October 29th at 12noon
Location: Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts, 100 E. Dublin-Granville Road, New Albany, OH 43054

PBJ & Jazz: Songs of the Season (website)

Get into the holiday spirit with Songs of the Season. 
PBJ & Jazz concerts are 45-minute long interactive concerts designed to introduce jazz and American music to young children and their families. Featuring some of Columbus’ finest musicians and ensembles, PBJ & Jazz concerts are a great introduction to live music for the youngest audience member.

Date: December 13, 2025 at 10 a.m. & 11:30 a.m.
Tickets: $6.29 per person ($23.81 per family)
Location: Lincoln Theatre

Santa’s Werkshop (website)

Come explore the holidays with the Columbus Gay Men’s Chorus as we bring out your favorite sacred and secular music through the telling of Santa’s Werkshop in our acting, singing, and dancing like only the gays can.

Dates: December 13-14, 2025
Tickets: $10.50-$132
Location: Davidson Theatre, Riffe Center

Hilliard Community Chorus Concert: Messiah (website)

Hilliard Community Choir presents a chorale rendition of Handel’s Messiah. This timeless masterpiece, celebrated for its powerful arias and grand choruses, will be brought to life by our dedicated ensemble of local voices.

Dates: December 14, 2025 at 3:30 pm
Tickets: Free admission, donations encouraged
Location: Hilliard Davidson High School, 5100 Davidson Rd. 

Merry TubaChristmas (website)

Dates: Monday, December 15, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: Participants welcome to register to play for $15. Free for audience to watch, but they are collecting canned goods for the Mid-Ohio Foodbank.
Location: Mees Hall at Capital University

Mad, Mad Men concert Swingin’ Holiday Show (website)

Playing hits from the great American song book as well as Holiday faves from the early 1960s, these talented and seasoned members of the well-known “Phil Dirt and the Dozers” band are sure to turn out another memorable show!

Dates: December 18-20, 2025; Dessert reception starts at 6 pm
Tickets: $40. The MAC will be collecting canned foods to support our neighbors through the great work of the Worthington Food Pantry. 
Location: McConnell Arts Center, 777 Evening St, Worthington, OH 43085 

WTA Double Feature: A Bear-Y Merry Holiday & A Pirate Christmas

Join us for an evening of fun featuring 40 Weathervane Theatre Academy students across two productions. A Bear-Y Merry Holiday will be performed first, we will take a brief intermission, and A Pirate Christmas will be performed second. This double feature allows you see both shows for the price of one! These shows feature Weathervane Theatre Academy students ranging from 5 to 12 years old. 

Dates:
Friday, December 19 at 7 PM – Saturday, December 20 at 1 PM
Tickets: $11 (including fees) and will be assigned seats. Tickets will go on sale October 15th at 9 AM.
Location: Weathervane Playhouse, 100 Price Rd, Newark, Ohio 43055

Holiday Spectacular New Albany Symphony Orchestra (details)

The New Albany Symphony Orchestra joins forces with the New Albany Symphony Chorus in a festive performance of holiday favorites. Don’t forget to arrive early for the gift basket fundraiser.

Dates: December 20-21, 2025
Tickets: $20-$35
Location: Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts, 100 E. Dublin-Granville Road, New Albany, OH 43054

Santa and the Symphony – sensory friendly (website)

Designed for those on the autism spectrum, our friends in the dementia/Alzheimer’s community, or for those audience members needing a more relaxed concert experience. Performances are never longer than an hour and include pre-concert lobby activities.

Dates: December 20, 2025. Performance at 11:30 am.
Tickets: 500 FREE tickets per concert (limit 4 per family). Additional tickets $10.
Location: McCoy Center for the Arts, 100 E Dublin Granville Rd, New Albany, OH 43054

New Albany Symphony series and sensory-friendly symphony

Trans-Siberian Orchestra (website)

Dates: December 23, 2025 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) 2025 Winter Tour, will feature an all-new production of their beloved “The Ghosts of Christmas Eve” alongside a special second set of hits and fan-favorites that includes a 25th-anniversary salute to Beethoven’s Last Night.
“The Ghosts of Christmas Eve: the Best of TSO and More” tour promises to continue TSO’s tradition of captivating audiences nationwide with an unparalleled blend of rock, classical, and theatrical spectacle, complete with dazzling pyrotechnics, lasers, and incredible storytelling.
Tickets: starting at $55. Tickets for both shows are on sale at www.ticketmaster.com and the arena Box Office with a portion of the proceeds benefiting The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (The James) and the Heather Pick Music Program as well as The Salvation Army in Central Ohio.
Location: Nationwide Arena, 200 W Nationwide Blvd, Columbus, OH 43215

Looking for more Christmas fun?

Here’s the day-by-day list of Christmas events in Columbus!

Find upcoming holiday events!

Hip Hop Nutcracker (website)

A holiday mash-up for the entire family, The Hip Hop Nutcracker is a re-mixed and re-imagined contemporary dance spectacle that transforms E.T.A. Hoffmann’s beloved story from traditional 19th century Germany to the vibrant sights and sounds of contemporary New York City.

Set to Tchaikovsky’s timeless music, this unique and joyful production is performed by a supercharged cast of a dozen all-star dancers, a DJ, an electric violinist, and one of hip hop’s founding fathers, MC Kurtis Blow, who opens the show with a short set.

Dates: November 24, 2024 at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets: $46.98-$87.91
Location: Palace Theatre

Holiday Favorites Jazz Jam Sessions (website)

The Jazz Academy Jam Sessions are a community-focused events held the second Tuesday of each month. Each session will have a theme inviting Jazz musicians of all ages and experience levels to participate in the jam.

This year’s holiday jam session will be Derek DiCenzo, featuring classic holiday favorites. Come listen to the house band or jump on stage and join in the holiday fun.

Dates: TBA @ 6 pm
Tickets: Free!
Location: Jazz Academy, 769 E. Long St, Columbus, OH