Nutcracker and holiday shows in Chattanooga 2026

Last checked Oct. 20, 2026. Dates and times come from the Tivoli Theatre Foundation, which runs Memorial Auditorium, the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera and the Chattanooga Theatre Centre. This page is updated each year at the same address.

Chattanooga Ballet’s The Nutcracker is Friday to Sunday, Dec. 11-13, at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium. The holiday season on stage opens earlier, with a touring Nutcracker on Nov. 22, and runs through the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera’s Home for the Holidays on Dec. 19-20. The Chattanooga Theatre Centre’s Christmas musical, The Happy Elf, runs Dec. 4-20.

At a glance

• Chattanooga Ballet’s The Nutcracker: Dec. 11-13, Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCallie Ave.
• Touring Nutcracker: 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, Memorial Auditorium
• Handel’s Messiah: 3 p.m. Dec. 5-6, First Cumberland Presbyterian Church
• The Happy Elf: Dec. 4-20, Chattanooga Theatre Centre
• Home for the Holidays: Dec. 19-20, Memorial Auditorium
• Memorial Auditorium box office: through the Tivoli Theatre Foundation

The Nutcracker

Chattanooga Ballet’s The Nutcracker, Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCallie Ave.

The dates and times are from the Tivoli Theatre Foundation’s Nutcracker listing, which links to official tickets. Chattanooga Ballet has not yet posted 2026 prices on a page we could read; this page will add them when it does. Resale sites already list seats at well above face value, so buy through the venue’s own link.

NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet, a touring production, plays Memorial Auditorium at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22. It is a different show from Chattanooga Ballet’s, and the venue sells add-ons such as photos with the ballerina. Tivoli Foundation listing.

Symphony and choral

• Handel’s Messiah, 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 5-6, First Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Chattanooga Symphony & Opera with the CSO Chorus, conducted by Darrin Hassevoort. Zoned general admission: VIP $75, general $45, students and children half price. The symphony says these performances fill up fast. Saturday and Sunday.
• Home for the Holidays, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20, Memorial Auditorium. The CSO’s family holiday pops, conducted by Ilya Ram, with the Metropolitan Bells and the CSO Chorus. Saturday and Sunday.

Theater

• Harry Connick Jr.’s The Happy Elf, Dec. 4-20, Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Main Stage. The Theatre Centre’s holiday musical. Performance times are on the 103rd season page; the box office is 423-267-8534, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday to Friday.

Holiday concerts

• Lindsey Stirling: The Snow Waltz Tour, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 25, Memorial Auditorium. Listing.
• Mannheim Steamroller Christmas, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, Memorial Auditorium. Listing.

Parking

Memorial Auditorium is on McCallie Avenue downtown. Meters are free after 6 p.m. and on Sundays unless signs say otherwise, and CARTA’s free Downtown Shuttle runs until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; details are on our getting around page. Check our road construction and closures page before a December show, when downtown parades and races close streets.

What this means for you

• The Nutcracker matinees on Saturday and Sunday are the easiest shows for families with young children.
• Messiah is general admission by zone; arrive early for a better seat.
• Pair a show with the season’s lights and parades: see our holiday lights and Christmas events and Christmas parade and tree lighting pages.

Frequently asked questions

When is The Nutcracker in Chattanooga in 2026?

Chattanooga Ballet’s The Nutcracker is Friday to Sunday, Dec. 11-13, at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium: 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, according to the Tivoli Theatre Foundation’s listings.

Is there more than one Nutcracker in Chattanooga?

Yes. A touring production, NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet, plays Memorial Auditorium at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22. Chattanooga Ballet’s own production is Dec. 11-13.

When is the Chattanooga Symphony’s Messiah?

At 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 5-6, at First Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The symphony lists zoned general admission at $45, VIP seats at $75 and half price for students and children.

What Christmas show is at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre?

Harry Connick Jr.’s The Happy Elf runs Dec. 4-20 on the Main Stage. Performance times and prices are on the Theatre Centre’s box office pages.