A touring Nutcracker plays the Paramount Dec. 8. Live Arts' A Christmas Carol runs Dec. 10-20, and the symphony's family holiday concerts are Dec. 5 and 6.

Last checked Oct. 31, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Every date and time comes from the theater’s or company’s own listing, linked below. Prices are left out where the organizer does not publish them; check the box office before you go.

Charlottesville’s biggest Nutcracker night this year is a touring show: Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet plays the Paramount Theater at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8. Around it, the Paramount fills early December with holiday concerts, the Charlottesville Symphony plays its Family Holiday Concerts at Old Cabell Hall on Dec. 5 and 6, and Live Arts brings back A Christmas Carol from Dec. 10 to 20.

At a glance

  • Wed. Dec. 2: Winter Nights with Matteo Bocelli, 7:30 p.m., the Paramount
  • Thu. Dec. 3: Christmas with Elvis, 7 p.m., the Paramount
  • Sat. Dec. 5 and Sun. Dec. 6: Charlottesville Symphony Family Holiday Concerts, Old Cabell Hall
  • Tue. Dec. 8: Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet, 7 p.m., the Paramount
  • Wed. Dec. 9: A Crooner’s Christmas, 7:30 p.m., the Paramount
  • Dec. 10-20: A Christmas Carol, Live Arts
  • Sat. Dec. 19: Oratorio Society of Virginia, Christmas at The Paramount, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.

The Nutcracker at the Paramount, Tuesday, Dec. 8

Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet is produced by Talmi Entertainment, which tours it to more than 80 cities a year. The Paramount’s listing calls it the largest Nutcracker production in North America, with an international cast, acrobatics, puppetry and Tchaikovsky’s score. There is one performance, at 7 p.m.

  • Where: the Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., on the Downtown Mall
  • Tickets: through the Paramount box office, 434-979-1333, open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays and one hour before each show
  • Not the same company as Charlottesville Ballet. Buy from the Paramount, not a resale site.

Charlottesville Ballet’s Nutcracker

Charlottesville Ballet, the city’s own company, held auditions for its 2026 Nutcracker in August. Its website could not be reached when we checked on Oct. 31, so we have not listed performance dates from other sites. We will add the dates, venue and prices once we confirm them with the company.

Holiday concerts

  • Winter Nights with Matteo Bocelli, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2, the Paramount. Paramount listing.
  • Christmas with Elvis, 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, the Paramount. Tribute artist Matt Lewis with Charlottesville’s Big Ray and the Kool Kats and the Long Live The King Orchestra, playing “Blue Christmas” and other holiday songs Elvis recorded. Paramount listing.
  • Charlottesville Symphony Family Holiday Concerts, with the UVA University Singers, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, and 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, at Old Cabell Hall on the UVA Grounds. Tickets through the UVA Arts Box Office. Symphony concert page.
  • A Crooner’s Christmas, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9, the Paramount. The swing band Good Shot Judy, a 20-piece orchestra and the vocal group The Satin Dollz play holiday standards made famous by Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Ella Fitzgerald. Paramount listing.
  • Christmas at The Paramount, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19. The Oratorio Society of Virginia, led by Music Director Michael Slon, sings Vivaldi’s Magnificat with chamber orchestra and holiday favorites, with more than 100 voices. Paramount listing.
  • Met Live in HD Holiday Encore: The Magic Flute, 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 21, the Paramount, a screening of the Metropolitan Opera’s 2006 holiday production. Paramount listing.

Holiday theater: A Christmas Carol at Live Arts

Live Arts, the community theater at 123 E. Water St., lists A Christmas Carol from Thursday, Dec. 10, to Sunday, Dec. 20, and calls it a “nostalgic Live Arts favorite” with huge puppets. Performance times and tickets are on the Live Arts show page; the box office is 434-977-4177.

Same weeks, downtown

The city’s all-day Grand Illumination fills the Downtown Mall on Saturday, Dec. 5, ending with the tree lighting next to City Hall, the same day as the symphony’s first holiday concert. See our Christmas parade and tree lighting page and holiday lights and Christmas events.

Parking and getting there

  • The city’s Water Street garage, 200 E. Water St., and Market Street garage, 550 E. Market St., are the closest to the Paramount and Live Arts. The first hour is free, then $1 per half hour up to $12, according to the city’s parking garages page.
  • More in our getting around guide, and check road construction and closures before you drive downtown.

What this means for you

  • For a Nutcracker this year, the confirmed date is Tuesday, Dec. 8, at the Paramount.
  • Saturday, Dec. 5, brings the Grand Illumination and the symphony’s first holiday concert on the same day.
  • Charlottesville Ballet’s dates will be added here once the company confirms them to us.

Related guides: arts and exhibitions this month, things to do this month and New Year’s Eve.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Nutcracker in Charlottesville in 2026?

The touring Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet plays the Paramount Theater, 215 E. Main St., at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8. Charlottesville Ballet’s own 2026 dates could not be confirmed with the company as of Oct. 31; we will add them when we can.

Is the Nutcracker at the Paramount the Charlottesville Ballet?

No. The Dec. 8 show is a touring production from Talmi Entertainment, which the Paramount describes as the largest Nutcracker production in North America. Charlottesville Ballet is a separate local company.

When is A Christmas Carol at Live Arts?

Live Arts lists A Christmas Carol from Thursday, Dec. 10, to Sunday, Dec. 20, at its theater at 123 E. Water St. Performance times and tickets are on the Live Arts site.

Where do I park for the Paramount Theater?

The city’s Water Street garage, 200 E. Water St., and Market Street garage, 550 E. Market St., are both a short walk from the Paramount. The first hour is free, then $1 per half hour up to $12.