Holiday Performances in Central KY

Enjoy celebrating the holidays with special performances in Central KY. Theatre, ballet, music and more! You’ll find all the local performances here!

Lexington Children’s Theatre

Rudoph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Jr.
Sunday, Nov. 30 – 2:00pm
Saturday, Dec. 6 – 2:00pm
Saturday, Dec. 6 – 7:00pm (Pay What You Will)*
Sunday, Dec. 7 – 2:00pm
The holiday classic soars off the screen in this Broadway Junior, 60-minute musical adaptation of the beloved television special. Because of his shiny nose, Rudolph doesn’t feel like he belongs in Christmastown and sets off to find a place that accepts him. Along his journey, he encounters fellow misfits, only to realize that home is where he has belonged the whole time. When a storm threatens to keep Santa’s sleigh from taking flight, it’s up to Rudolph to save Christmas.

Holiday Heroes: Rudolph
December 6, 2025 6 pm – 6:45 pm
Lexington Opera House
Join Lexington Children’s Theatre and the Lexington Fraternal Order of Firefighters for a holiday celebration full of joy and giving! Before the Pay What You Will performance of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, bring a toy to donate, explore a real fire truck, and meet Santa outside the Opera House.
Learn more about all accepted gifts and all toy drop locations and events at https://lfdfof.org/toy-program/.

The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker Ballet
Central Kentucky Dance Theater
December 12, 2025
Join Central Kentucky Dance Theatre as they open the holiday season with a celebration of the holiday through the timeless story of ” The Nutcracker.” Join Clara through this magical adventure that will warm your heart and fill your holiday season with joy.

Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet at the Singletary Center
Watch for 2025 Info
The beloved family tradition is back: NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet! Gather your loved ones for the warm glow nostalgia of America’s favorite Christmas celebration. Experience the extraordinary international cast and Ukrainian Principal Artists performing at the peak of classical European Ballet. Be transported by the magic of jaw-dropping acrobatics, larger-than-life puppets, and stunning hand-crafted sets and costumes. Don’t miss this chance to experience the wonder of NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet.

The Lexington Ballet at The Lexington Opera House
Watch for 2025 Info

Kentucky Ballet Theatre
December 13, 2025 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm
December 14, 2025 2:00 pm
December 20, 2025 2:00 pm & 7:00 pm
December 21, 2025 at 2:00 pm
The Nutcracker, a magical Christmas ballet, is set to the beautiful music of Tchaikovsky. This holiday performance is complete with Drosselmeyer and Clara, along with a cast of snowflakes, mice, soldiers, angels, fairies, and of course the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier.

The Nutcracker on Ice
December 6, 2025 4 pm
December 7, 2025 3:30 pm & 6:30 pm
Enjoy a performance of The Nutcracker ON ICE at the Lexington Ice Center. Tickets $19.

Bluegrass Youth Ballet – “The Nutcracker in One Act” at the Singletary Center
December 18 – 20, 2025
Presented in a single, family-friendly act, BYB’s version of The Nutcracker was created with younger audiences in mind, condensing the enchantment to one hour to keep the attention of younger children. Follow the adventures of Clara, a young girl that receives a beautiful Nutcracker on Christmas Eve. Delighted with the gift, Clara falls asleep holding her new toy until she’s suddenly awakened as a mouse steals her Nutcracker. Suddenly, her living room is magically transformed into a battlefield where the Nutcracker fights off the Rat Queen. The Snow Queen arrives and sweeps Clara and the Nutcracker through the Land of Snow to the Land of Sweets, where colorful visitors entertain them with dances from around the world. Clara’s mother finds her asleep on the couch where Clara has dreamt the fabulous story of The Nutcracker.

The Nutcracker by Lexington Dance Factory at EKU Center for the Arts
Saturday, December 13, 2025

Lexington Philharmonic

A Cathedral Christmas at The Cathedral of Christ the King
Friday, December 12, 2025 8 pm
Saturday, December 13, 2025 8 pm
LexPhil and The Lexington Singers return to the beautiful Cathedral of Christ the King for this holiday tradition in a program of timeless orchestral and choral works. This awe-inspiring musical experience in a divine setting will transport all to a place of peace that evokes the spirit of the holiday season.

Lexington Chamber Chorale

How Can I Keep From Singing: Sounds of the Season
Sunday, November 30, 2025 5:00 pm
Second Presbyterian Church
Welcome the holiday season with us as we perform new and familiar tunes celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah. Featuring an audience sing-along, this is the perfect concert to get your entire family in the holiday spirit.

COLLAGE: A Holiday Spectacular presented by UK Choirs at Singletary Center

Saturday, December 6, 2025 2 – 3:30 pm
Saturday, December 6, 2024 7:30 – 9 pm
Sunday, December 7, 2025 3 – 4:30 pm
Rejoice in the holiday spirit with the 28th annual Collage! Celebrated vocalists and musicians from the UK School of Music and the Lexington Singers Children’s Choir perform holiday favorites from close to home and around the globe, conducted by UK Director of Choirs, Dr. Jefferson Johnson.

Asbury Songs of the Seasons Christmas Concert

Friday, December 5, 2025 7:30 p.m.
Asbury’s Hughes Auditorium
FREE
Don’t miss beautiful music, poetry and thoughtful reflection hosted by our Music and English departments. Songs of the Season is your go-to Christmas event.