The holiday season is now upon us, with millions expected to give the gift of entertainment and check out various concerts and stage shows that celebrate the joy of the season. Check out all the top holiday shows heading your way soon – and how much they’ll cost you – as the season kicks into high gear.
Holiday concerts have the most in-demand tickets of all the season’s events, with John Legend dominating the bunch. The crooner’s A Legendary Christmas Tour will visit 23 cities from November 15 through December 30, garnering an average ticket price of $169 apiece. Even Mariah Carey and the power of her classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You” couldn’t surpass Legend’s tremendous popularity this holiday season. Carey’s seasonal residency show in New York saw ticket prices averaging between $140-$160 during its four-year run.
Legend is undoubtedly the star of the season between the cross-country tour and his album of the same – his first release since his historic EGOT achievement in September. He will also appear in millions of homes across the country when he and wife Chrissy Teigen host their first-ever TV special, A Legendary Christmas with John and Chrissy.
A cappella supergroup Pentatonix have flexed their muscles as one of the biggest acts to dominate the holidays with their own television special and several chart-topping holiday records. They’re back at it again with new album Christmas Is Here! and its subsequent nine-city tour. While the vocal group are still one of the most popular touring acts of the upcoming two months, ticket prices for the Christmas Is Here Tour are slightly lower from their 2017 holiday tour, now an average of $116 each compared to last year’s $135.
The best-selling Trans-Siberian Orchestra are celebrating 20 years of captivating audiences with their massive annual tour, set to span over 100 performances in 68 cities. With an overall average ticket price of $107 this year, they are the most affordable holiday concert this season – though their showstopping tour has seen an increase in price for the last four years.
Family-friendly stage productions are always among the top holiday shows each year, and are no exception this upcoming season, although patrons can expect generally lower ticket prices for these events than the aforementioned concert tours.
Perennial favorite The Nutcracker (and its many variations) will be performed in over 100 cities in the coming weeks and according to Ticket Club data, has the most expensive average ticket at just under $100. The musical adaptation of 2003 flick Elf is not far off, with tickets for the show – which is playing in 28 cities – coming in at $99 and change. On the lower end of the spectrum is the stage adaptation of A Charlie Brown Christmas, which sees a $75 average price per ticket before it invades 55 cities.
Shows confined to one city, namely the annual Radio City Christmas Spectacular, do not suffer compared touring productions. In fact, the Rockettes’ flagship show is growing in popularity and ticket demand each year. Its 2018 season, which begins performances November 9 and runs through January 1, has an overall average ticket price of nearly $160, though prices vary week-by-week, reaching their peak in the days around Thanksgiving and Christmas.