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Upcoming Holiday Concerts & Performances in the Capital Region
Thursday, November 13, 2025 5:00 PM
by Discover Albany Staff
'Tis the season! Albany County and the Capital Region's music halls and performing arts venues will soon echo with the sounds of jingle bells, classic carols and holiday tunes. Get the scoop on upcoming holiday concerts and performances around Albany County and New York's Capital Region.
Kick off the holiday season at MVP Arena!
On December 17, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra returns to the area with The Ghosts of Christmas Eve Tour. This rock opera is a holiday tradition for many families across the country!
Disney fans of all ages will want to head over to the MVP Arena in the new year for Disney on Ice! This fantastic show runs from January 1 to January 4 and features world-class skating, dazzling acrobatics, and surprising stunts from beloved Disney characters.
This professional theatre in the heart of downtown Albany provides opportunities for holiday cheer all season long! Murder for Two: Holiday Edition takes the stage November 28 to December 28. Step into a madcap musical mystery where a Christmas Eve party goes fatally wrong. One actor plays eager young police officer Marcus Moscowicz, while the other actor plays all 10 suspects! Then close out your 2025 at Opal Essence's New Year's Eve Dragtacular, a drag performance to ring in the start of 2026 on the evening of December 31.
The Palace Theater offers events for everyone this holiday season!
Enter a Christmas dreamland with the Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet on December 3. Performed by an international cast, this holiday tradition features larger-than-life puppets, breathtaking acrobatics and dazzling costumes.
Don't miss the Magic of the Season concert performed by the Albany Symphony Orchestra on December 7 complete with carols and a visit from Santa. The holiday fun continues throughout the week with the show-stopping Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland on December 9. The show features aerial circus-acts, festive music, acrobatics and more.
Return to the Palace on December 23 for Champions of Magic: Holiday Spectacular featuring dazzling illusions, breathtaking grand-scale magic, and surprises for the whole family!
Throughout December, the Palace Theater is hosting a free Holiday Movie Series. Watch The Muppet Christmas Carol on December 8, Elf on December 15, and It's a Wonderful Life on December 19.
Holiday fun awaits at Cohoes Music Hall, a historic music hall operated by Playhouse Stage Company. Families will love the Playhouse Stage Company's nostalgic production of A Christmas Story: The Musical. This stage adaptation of the favorite holiday film is the ultimate gift running December 3 to December 21. Don't miss Jefferson McDonald: Great Jingle Balls of Fire on December 9! The stage comes alive in a joyful tribute to the birth of classic rock, wrapped in the warmth and wonder of the holidays. Ring in the New Year at the Cohoes Music Hall with the annual First Night of Funny on December 31.
Celebrate the holiday season by visiting the historic Ten Broeck Mansion on December 6 for Music in the Mansion. This holiday cello and violin concert features Erica Pickhardt (cello) and Elizabeth Silver (violin) from the Albany Symphony. The concert is family-friendly, completely free, and includes educational interaction with the audience and a Q&A. Following the performance, take a tour of the mansion's annual Holiday House paying homage to the holiday traditions of the 18th century. Stop by the mansion's Museum Shop after your concert and tour to find the perfect holiday treasures for your loved ones.
Dance the night away at the Albany Armory. The beautiful and historic venue will host Christmas Concert: Off the Record on December 19. The 60's rock and roll trio will perform upbeat holiday hits for a very merry start to the season.
Hop in your sleigh and head over to Vorheesville for a couple holiday concerts at Old Songs! On December 6, enjoy a joyful and heartfelt celebration of song with Windborne Presents: Music of Midwinter. Windborne’s lush vocals and unique arrangements bring light to a dark time, as they draw on midwinter music from traditional, classical, and folk from the US, British isles and beyond.
Then on December 13, warm up on a cold winter's night by attending John Kirk & Trish Miller's Holiday Concert!
Enjoy your favorite sounds of the season under the glow of candlelight during two different Candlelight Concerts at the The Venue in Cohoes. Candlelight: Christmas Carols on Strings is scheduled for December 13 and December 19. A beautiful string quartet will host an enchanted evening of holiday classics. But don't miss out on Candlelight: 90s Hip-Hop on December 19 following the Christmas Carols on Strings performance!
Drag Me to the Stage Holiday Brunch brings festive fierceness to the Albany Funny Bone at Crossgates on December 7. Join RuPaul’s Drag Race legends Mrs. Kasha Davis, Darienne Lake, and Thorgy Thor for a merry mix of brunch bites, big laughs, and over-the-top holiday glamour.
Author: Discover Albany Staff
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