What to see in Washington DC this Holiday season
Discover the best live shows and entertainment, from Nutcrackers to Broadway musicals
Baby it's cold outside... but it's warm in the theater! Head indoors to keep the family cosy - and entertained! - this Holiday season. There's a host of splendidly festive live entertainment coming to you. Here are our top picks so you can discover something new to enjoy this Christmas:
How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Dr. Seuss' beloved holiday tale, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, is coming to you this year! Max the Dog is your narrator as the Grinch's fiendish plan to steal Christmas from the holiday-loving Whos unfolds. However, the Grinch soon discovers there's more to Christmas than he bargained for in this heart-warming festive classic.
Dec 30 - Jan 4, 2026, National Theater - BOOK HERE
A Christmas Carol
Penny-pinching and bad-tempered old miser Ebenezer Scrooge goes on the adventure of his life, from his past to his present and beyond, and learns that the value of gold will never equal that of genuine love for his fellow men. The classic tale thrills with its beloved characters and message of compassion, love and kindness, and of course, Christmas spirit!
Showing until Dec 31, Fords Theater - BOOK HERE
Water for Elephants
Get ready - the circus is rolling into town!
The Tony-nominated musical Water for Elephants, which earned an impressive seven 2024 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, has embarked on its first national tour! Veterinary student Jacob Jankowski runs away after a life-changing tragedy fills his world with grief. He stumbles upon a circus and his reality is transformed in a way he could never imagine.
Dec 9 - 14, National Theater - BOOK HERE
Cirque Dreams Holidaze
A specially themed holiday show, Holidaze sees various Christmas ornaments magicked to life as the seasoned troupe of 30 performers from over 12 different countries combine their talents into 20 acts, transforming themselves into costumed characters and perform astonishing feats that celebrate the holiday season with spectacle, imagination and whimsical joy.
Dec 19 - 20, The Theater at MGM National Harbor - BOOK HERE
Candlelight: Christmas Carols on Strings
Come All Ye Faithful and enjoy a not-so-Silent Night of Joy To The World!
The holidays are on the way and what's more Christmassy than the carols? If you're in the mood for a festive sing-a-long, our friends at fever have you covered with this wonderful yuletide concert, featuring all your favorite carols played by a talented string quartet in an evocative candlelit venue.
Dec 19, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library - BOOK HERE
The Washington Ballet - The Nutcracker
The magic takes on a patriotic theme in Septime Webre's glorious take on the holiday ballet, with 1882 Georgetown providing the setting instead of Austria. George Washington becomes the courageous Nutcracker, battling against King George III, who appears as the villainous Rat King! Joining the holiday fray is our flag designer Betsy Ross, John Paul Jones, Frederick Douglass, the Anacostia Indians, and the frontiersmen, all making for a truly historical and legendary combination!
Nov 29 - Dec 28, Warner Theater - BOOK HERE
