The Best Holiday Shows in Tampa Bay to See With the Kids
The Nutcracker, A Christmas Carol, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra are among the holiday shows in Tampa Bay that have become a tradition for local families. These beloved holiday performances are back on stage in 2025 along with many more Christmas shows you won't want to miss. Don't forget to explore our list of Best Christmas Events in Tampa Bay and Where to Take Pictures with Santa!
Ok–now let's dive into some of our favorite holiday shows to help you plan out your December to remember!
The Best Christmas Shows in Tampa Bay
(Listed in order of date of appearance.)
A Charlie Brown Christmas
- Dates: November 12, 2025, at 7 pm
- Location: Mahaffey Theater, 400 First Street South, St. Pete
- Tickets: Tickets start at $43
Peanuts’ timeless holiday television special comes to life with the national tour of A Charlie Brown Christmas Live On Stage, skating into St. Petersburg’s Duke Energy Center for the Arts – Mahaffey Theater! This critically acclaimed holiday celebration that the whole family can enjoy brings Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and the rest of the Peanuts gang together live on stage as they uncover the true meaning of Christmas and perform songs from the unforgettable musical score of legendary composer Vince Guaraldi. The Broadway-style production, complete with immersive sets, lighting, choreography, and colorful costumes, has sold more than 300,000 tickets over the prior holiday seasons.
A Christmas Story at the Straz in Tampa
- Dates: November 28-30, 2025
- Location: Straz Center Morsoni Hall
- Tickets: Tickets start at $51
From the songwriting team behind the smash hit Tony Award®-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen and the critically acclaimed films La La Land and The Greatest Showman, A Christmas Story, The Musical, brings the classic 1983 movie to hilarious life on stage! Set in 1940s Indiana, a young and bespectacled Ralphie Parker schemes his way toward the holiday gift of his dreams, an official Red Ryder® Carbine-Action 200-Shot Range Model Air Rifle.
Cirque Dreams Holidaze in St. Pete
- Dates: November 29, 2025, at 4 pm and 8 pm
- Location: The Mahaffey Theater – 400 First Street South, St. Pete
- Tickets: Tickets start at $53
CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE dazzles with a brilliantly breathtaking holiday spectacular for the whole family. As the original Cirque Holiday theatrical event, this annual tradition wraps a Broadway-style production around awe-inspiring contemporary circus arts. Guests will be on the edge of their seats as a cast of holiday characters come to life, captivating audiences while defying gravity. Broadway World exclaims, “Lose yourself for 90 minutes and go back to those wonderful dreams you had as a kid.”
Holiday Classics at the Tampa Theatre in Downtown Tampa
- Dates: Coming in 2025
- Location: 711 N. Franklin Street, Tampa
- Tickets: Tickets start at $10 for non-members
Holiday Classics are returning to the silver screen at the historic and beautiful Tampa Theatre with screenings of Miracle on 34th Street, Home Alone, It's a Wonderful Life, Elf, and more! There will be a Christmas Carol sing-along before select shows, too.
A Nostalgic Night with Maculy Culkin at the Straz in Tampa
- Date: December 4, 2025, at 7:30 pm
- Location: Straz Center Morsani Hall
- Tickets: Tickets start at $45
Join Straz Center for a special 35th anniversary screening of the timeless classic, Home Alone, followed by an exclusive live moderated interview with the one and only Macaulay Culkin. That's right, the star who brought Kevin McCallister to life will be joining us for a one-of-a-kind event that you won't want to miss!
A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play at the Straz
- Date: December 4-21, 2025, at various times
- Location: Straz Center's Shimberg Playhouse
- Tickets: Tickets start at $55
Celebrate the season with a timeless classic, reimagined! Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol comes to life as a live 1940s radio play, complete with holiday music, clever sound effects, and a cast of Tampa Bay favorites featuring Michael Gregory. Gather ‘round as the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge unfolds in a nostalgic evening of ghosts, redemption, and festive storytelling. It’s a heartwarming reminder that even the coldest heart can be warmed by the spirit of Christmas.
The Nutcracker at Palladium Theater in St. Pete
- Date: December 5-7, 2025, at various times
- Location: Palladium Theatre, 253 5th Avenue N, St. Pete
- Tickets: Tickets start at TBA
The St Petersburg Ballet Company will perform The Nutcracker at the Palladium Theater in St. Pete.
Vienna Light Orchestra in St. Pete
- Date: December 10, 2025, at 7 pm
- Location: The Mahaffey Theater: 400 First Street South, St. Pete
- Tickets: Tickets start at $58
Immerse yourself in the enchantment of Christmas with Vienna Light Orchestra’s Christmas Tour 2025. Celebrated for their captivating performances, this world-renowned ensemble features the musical brilliance of musicians and stunning sopranos from seven different countries, delivering a breathtaking evening of holiday magic.
St. Petersburg City Theater presents A Christmas Carol in St. Pete
- Dates: December 12-21, 2025
- Location: St. Petersburg City Theatre’s MainStage, 4025 31st Street South, St. Pete
- Tickets: Children 10 and younger are $10, Students are $15 and adult tickets are $23
The beloved holiday tradition returns! Join ST. Petersburg City Theater for Charles Dickens’ timeless tale of redemption as Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by spirits of past, present, and future. With heartwarming music, dazzling costumes, and a powerful message of compassion and generosity, A Christmas Carol is a must-see event for the whole family.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Lost Christmas Eve
- Date: December 14, 2025, at 3:00 and 7:30 pm
- Location: Amalie Arena, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa
- Tickets: Tickets start at $57
The Trans-Siberian Orchestra is back at Amalie Arena in Tampa with the NEW version of Christmas Eve and Other Stories.
St. Pete Opera: Holiday Sparkle
- Dates: December 19-21, 2025, at various times
- Location: The Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg
- Tickets: $25 to $95
Holiday Pops at its grandest! Our Holiday Sparkle fills the Palladium with an outpouring of musical holiday joy. You’ll be swept away by the glorious sounds of our 40-piece orchestra, and our holiday sparkle singers will touch your heart with their choral and solo renderings of popular favorites, both sacred and secular. Share the season’s joy with family and friends!
The Florida Orchestra Holiday Pops
- December 19, 2025: The Straz Center in Tampa at 8 pm
- December 20, 2025: Mahaffey Theater in St. Pete at 2 pm and 8 pm
- December 21, 2025: Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater at 2 pm and 7:30 pm
- Tickets: Tickets start at $30
The Florida Orchestra will make its rounds in Tampa Bay to perform holiday classics at The Staz in Tampa, Mahaffey in St. Pete, and Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater. There are two matinee shows on schedule for kiddos who can't stay up late.
A Very Broadway Christmas in St. Pete
- Dates: December 21, 2025, at 3 pm and 7 pm
- Location: The Mahaffey Theatre, 400 First Street S, St. Pete
- Tickets: Tickets start at $57
Broadway on the Bay’s A Very Broadway Christmas is an enchanting holiday experience featuring musical numbers from some of your favorite Broadway Christmas shows as well as some holiday classics. Come spend an evening at the Mahaffey Theater with multiple Broadway stars representing an array of Broadway shows.
The Nutcracker at The Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa
- Dates: December 19-23, 2025
- Location: The Straz, 1010 N Macinnes Place, Tampa
- Tickets: Tickets start at $21.25
Enter Clara and Drosselmeyer's fantastical world of dancing sweets, sword-fighting rodents and some of ballet's most famous music. Next Generation Ballet’s Nutcracker features award-winning young dancers from NGB alongside guest star dancers from American Ballet Theatre, Chloe Misseldine and Jarod Curley. Curley is the first NGB alumnus from a major American ballet company to guest star in NGB’s Nutcracker. This glittering Tampa holiday tradition should not be missed!
Cirque Musica: Holiday Wonderland in Clearwater
- Date: December 19, 2025, at 7 pm
- Location: Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 McMullen Booth Road, Clearwater
- Tickets: Tickets start at $49
Cirque Musica: Holiday Wonderland, the must-see holiday event, comes to Ruth Eckerd Hall! “Wonderland” is an all-new musical journey that will transport audiences to a magical land far away for a fun-filled, unforgettable holiday-themed show experience. Featuring the talented cast of Cirque Musica, spectators will be dazzled by the acrobats, aerialists, hilarious hijinks, and holiday cheer.
Rockapella Christmas in Clearwater
- Date: December 20, 2025, at 8 pm
- Location: Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, 405 Cleaveland Street, Clearwater
- Tickets: Tickets start at $38
Rockapella brings its exciting, internationally acclaimed a cappella sound back to the Bilheimer Capitol Theatre with a night of holiday classics! For their new Christmas show, the a capella superstars will perform holiday classics like “Silver Bells,” “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” and “White Christmas” with their original holiday hits “The Hope We Hold,” “Christmas Without You,” and more.
Celtic Angels Christmas in Clearwater
- Date: December 20, 2025, at 7 pm
- Location: Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, 405 Cleaveland Street, Clearwater
- Tickets: Tickets start at $44
Celtic Angels Christmas is back at The Bilheimer Capitol Theatre! Get swept away with The Celtic Angels in this dazzling collection of Holiday and Irish favorites. A truly joyous seasonal celebration from start to finish. Feel the magic of the Celtic Angels as they invite you to immerse yourself in the electric ambience of an Irish Christmas. Witness the power and precision of the world-class Irish step dancers, The Celtic Knights, accompanied by the thrilling live tunes of the Trinity Ensemble.
Dolly Parton's Rocky Mountain Christmas in Clearwater
- Dates: December 22-23, 2025
- Location: Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 McMullen Booth Road, Clearwater
- Tickets: Tickets start at $44
Celebrate the holidays with a new take on a classic as Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol makes it's Clearwater debut at Ruth Eckerd Hall! Featuring music and lyrics by eleven-time GRAMMY® winner Dolly Parton, Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol is a heartwarming musical that reinvents Dickens' classic in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee of the 1930s. This unforgettable production and amazing cast imagines Ebenezer Scrooge as the owner of a mining company town, where his callous greed blinds him to the joys and gifts of the season. As a Christmas Eve snowstorm approaches, Scrooge is visited by his deceased business partner and three ghosts who compel him to see life anew and discover that love is the greatest gift we have.
The Nutcracker Magical Christmas Ballet at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Pete
- Dates: December 28, 2025, at 12 pm, 4 pm, and 8 pm
- Location: The Mahaffey Theater, 400 First Street South, St. Pete
- Tickets: Tickets start at $43
The Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Pete is celebrating the story of the Nutcracker with an all-star cast that blends world-class ballet with whimsical puppets, lavish costumes, and stunning acrobatics!