Christmas Shows in Toronto 2026

December is the busiest month of the year on Toronto’s stages. Between mid-November and early January you can see a Broadway-style Grinch, the National Ballet’s Nutcracker, three versions of Handel’s Messiah, a brand-new comedy riff on A Christmas Carol, a symphony playing along to Elf and a long list of holiday concerts at Massey Hall.

This guide lists the confirmed Christmas shows in Toronto for 2026, grouped by type, with dates and venues.

Toronto Christmas shows 2026 at a glance

Show	Dates	Venue
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical	Nov 10 – 22	CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre
A Christmas Carol (Shaw Festival)	Nov 12 – Dec 23	Fleck Theatre, Harbourfront Centre
The Andy Kim Christmas Show	Dec 2	Massey Hall
Elf in Concert (TSO)	Dec 3 – 6	Roy Thomson Hall
The Nutcracker (National Ballet of Canada)	Dec 5 – 31	Four Seasons Centre
Cinderella (Canadian Stage panto)	Dec 5 – Jan 3	Winter Garden Theatre
Finding Nemo: A Holiday Adventure (Young People’s Theatre)	Nov 26 – Dec 27	Young People’s Theatre
TSO Holiday Pops: A Celtic Celebration	Dec 9 – 10	Roy Thomson Hall
Goblin: Christmas Carol	Dec 12 – Jan 10	CAA Theatre
The Thrill of Hope: A Holiday Concert	Dec 15 – Jan 3	Soulpepper, Distillery District
TSO Messiah	Dec 15 – 20	Roy Thomson Hall
Tafelmusik Messiah	Dec 17 – 19	Koerner Hall
Choir! Choir! Choir!: Un-Silent Night	Dec 19	Massey Hall
Tafelmusik Sing-Along Messiah	Dec 20	Massey Hall

Ballet

The Nutcracker

December 5 – 31 · Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts

The National Ballet of Canada’s Nutcracker, choreographed by James Kudelka, is Toronto’s biggest holiday tradition on stage. The 2026 run is a revitalized version of the 1995 production. Tickets start at $72, with $12 standing room. Full details in our Nutcracker Toronto guide.

Theatre and musicals

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical

November 10 – 22 · CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre, 244 Victoria Street

The touring stage musical of Dr. Seuss’s story kicks off the season early, with the Grinch, Cindy-Lou Who and Max the dog, plus the songs from the classic TV special. It’s a short run, so book early if you have kids who love the Grinch. Shows are Tuesday to Saturday evenings, with Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinees.

Goblin: Christmas Carol

December 12, 2026 – January 10, 2027 · CAA Theatre, 651 Yonge Street

A world-premiere comedy from Mirvish’s Off-Mirvish season. The premise: a group of Goblins with tickets to A Christmas Carol storm the stage to “save” the show when the performance goes off the rails. It comes from Rebecca Northan, Bruce Horak, Ellis Lalonde and Spontaneous Theatre, the team behind earlier improvised Goblin shows. Best for adults and older teens who like their Christmas with chaos.

The Thrill of Hope: A Holiday Concert

December 15, 2026 – January 3, 2027 · Michael Young Theatre, Soulpepper, 50 Tank House Lane

Soulpepper’s holiday concert celebrates the winter solstice and the tradition of gathering to sing through the longest night. It’s created by Beau Dixon, Raha Javanfar and Luke Reece and features Alana Bridgewater, Beau Dixon, Andrew Iles, Raha Javanfar and Alex Samaras. Tickets from $39. It’s inside the Distillery District, so pair it with the Distillery Winter Village.

More holiday theatre

Young People’s Theatre presents a musical Finding Nemo (November 26 to December 27, ages 6+), Canadian Stage’s family panto Cinderella plays the Winter Garden Theatre from December 5 to January 3, Three Ships Collective stages an immersive A Christmas Carol at Campbell House Museum, and the Shaw Festival brings its family-friendly A Christmas Carol to the Fleck Theatre at Harbourfront Centre from November 12 to December 23. See A Christmas Carol in Toronto, family holiday theatre and holiday pantomime. For something strictly for grown-ups, see adult Christmas shows.

Orchestra and film

Elf in Concert

December 3 – 6 · Roy Thomson Hall

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra plays John Debney’s score live while the movie Elf plays on the big screen. A great choice for families with older kids and anyone who knows every line.

TSO Holiday Pops: A Celtic Celebration

December 9 – 10 · Roy Thomson Hall

Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy join the TSO with their family for Celtic holiday music, with matinees and evening shows both days. See TSO holiday concerts.

Handel’s Messiah

Three ways to hear it in 2026: the TSO with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir at Roy Thomson Hall (December 15 to 20), Tafelmusik on period instruments at Koerner Hall (December 17 to 19), or the Tafelmusik Sing-Along Messiah at Massey Hall (December 20). Compare them in Messiah in Toronto.

Concerts at Massey Hall

• The Andy Kim Christmas Show, December 2: the long-running benefit concert with guest Canadian artists
• St. Michael’s Choir School: A Canadian Christmas, December 12
• Good Lovelies 20th anniversary Christmas tour, December 17
• The Barra MacNeils: An East Coast Christmas, 40th anniversary tour, December 18
• Choir! Choir! Choir!: Un-Silent Night, December 19, two shows. The audience is the choir.

The Toronto Children’s Chorus also performs its holiday concert at Roy Thomson Hall on December 13. More in Christmas choir concerts in Toronto and candlelight Christmas concerts.

Free and low-cost shows

Churches, community choirs and schools put on free or pay-what-you-can concerts throughout December. See free Christmas concerts in Toronto.

Which show should you see?

• With young kids: the Grinch musical in November, or Nutcracker matinees in December
• With teens: Elf in Concert or Goblin: Christmas Carol
• For a classic night out: The Nutcracker or Messiah
• For something you can join in: Sing-Along Messiah or Choir! Choir! Choir!
• For a date: see Christmas date ideas in Toronto

Tips for booking

• Buy from the official box office (Mirvish, the National Ballet, TSO, Massey Hall/Roy Thomson Hall, Soulpepper) to avoid resale mark-ups and fake tickets.
• Weekend matinees before Christmas sell first.
• Leave time for transit. Most venues are a short walk from a Line 1 subway station.

Plan the rest of the season with our complete guide to Christmas in Toronto.