èßäAV

This beloved improv group is back by popular demand! Based on one audience suggestion (a title of a show that has never been written), The Improvised Shakespeare Company® creates a brand new, fully improvised Shakespearean masterpiece right before your eyes!

Add some soul to your holiday season with KEM at a brand-new, Kennedy Center-exclusive symphonic show! The Platinum-selling R&B star treats audiences to an evening of holiday magic and jazzy love songs at this intimate, uplifting concert featuring music from KEM’s acclaimed album What Christmas Means, fan favorites from his prolific career, fresh takes on comforting Christmas classics, and more. KEM is joined by special guest Ledisi at this one-of-a-kind concert!

Our colorful family opera steps into the jungle to find courage and friendship.

Experience the magical sound of Celtic Woman this holiday season! This brand-new symphony show features the all-female ensemble’s favorite Yuletide songs: “Silent Night,” “Carol of the Bells,” “Sleigh Ride,” “Deck the Halls,” and more—along with iconic Celtic Woman classics including “Danny Boy,” “Amazing Grace,” and “You Raise Me Up.”

From the creator of Doc McStuffins and Vampirina, Finn is filled with vibrant sea creatures and catchy tunes. Hilarious and heartwarming, this world premiere musical chronicles the coming-of-age journey of a young shark following his dreams.

Created by the Emmy® Award–winning writer from Schitt’s Creek, this hilarious new musical flips the script on the greatest love story ever told. & Juliet asks: What would happen next if Juliet didn’t end it all over Romeo? Get whisked away on a fabulous journey as she ditches her famous ending for a fresh beginning and a second chance at life and love—her way.

Based on the novel that sold more than 15 million copies and became a worldwide phenomenon, Life of Pi is an epic story of perseverance and hope that speaks to every generation and “gives new life to Broadway” (The Today Show). After a shipwreck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a 16-year-old boy named Pi survives on a lifeboat with four companions—a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a Royal Bengal tiger.

Hallelujah—Washington, D.C.’s favorite holiday tradition returns! Since its debut nearly three centuries ago, Handel’s Messiah reigns unchallenged as the ultimate celebration of holiday joy. This year, experience the larger-than-life oratorio in all its splendor as Masaaki Suzuki conducts the NSO, a stellar cast of soloists, and the University of Maryland Concert Choir in this always-daring, beloved classic.

Celebrate the end of 2024 with John Oliver, who shares his warm, witty jokes in a new stand-up set. Oliver is an Emmy® and Writers Guild Award–winning writer and comedian, and is the host and producer of the HBO show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.

Make it an unforgettable evening at D.C.’s hottest New Year’s Eve show! Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Kurt Elling and visionary hybrid guitarist Charlie Hunter reignite their funk, soul, and fusion–inspired partnership in SuperBlue—a fierce collection of new songs and surprising covers. They’re joined by dynamic jazz/R&B/funk drummer Nate Smith and the high-energy Huntertones Horns.

After making history as the first DJ and hip-hop artist to headline the Kennedy Center Opera House in 2022 and launching his three-day Club Quarantine Live Residency in 2023, legendary artist, DJ, photographer, and Kennedy Center Hip Hop Culture Council Member D-Nice brings Club Quarantine Live back for another year—this time in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall!

John Doyle and Mick McAuley have been playing music together on the international stage for over 20 years. As multi-instrumentalist members of Irish American supergroup Solas, they combined to create part of the group’s unmistakable early sound which garnered critical worldwide acclaim.

Join Klezmer clarinetist Michael Winograd and his band of Brooklyn Klezmorim for an evening of Jewish celebration music, new and old!

Founded by Ukrainian professional duo Solomia Gorokhivska and Andrei Pidkivka, musicians of Gerdan bring the fire and the edge of melodic ideas and rhythms that capture the listener. The program Believe in Christmas Miracle offers a rich sampling of Christmas and seasonal music from Ukraine and Eastern Europe.

Join us for a FREE film screening in the Justice Forum at the REACH. After the kingdom of Arendelle is cast into eternal winter by the powerful snow queen Elsa, her sprightly sister Anna teams up with a rough-hewn mountaineer named Kristoff and his trusty reindeer Sven to break the icy spell.

Come sing, dance, and have a gospel-music good time as Washington Performing Art’s Children of the Gospel (COTG) choir leads us in the season’s celebration of good cheer, peace, and love.

For years, the Country Christmas Sing-Along Spectacular has consistently delivered a dazzling display of yuletide cheer. This is a sing-along you don’t want to miss.

This unique holiday show is a musical celebration inspired by the Christmas sing-alongs that Grammy Award® winner Dan Zanes and jazz vocalist/music therapist Claudia Zanes experienced every year while growing up in New Hampshire. The 21st century version of these legendary parties includes Christmas classics and also numbers from a variety of traditions, languages, and locations.

Join us for a FREE film screening in the Justice Forum at the REACH. Frank Cross (Bill Murray) is a cold and cynical TV network president who is visited by ghosts on Christmas Eve. The ghosts give him a chance to change his ways and right his wrongs.

Be part of Washington’s most popular free holiday event, the Kennedy Center’s Messiah Sing-Along. Back by popular demand, the evening concert features conductor Nancia D’Alimonte as she leads members of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, guest soloists, a chorus of 150, and a very enthusiastic audience in Handel’s masterpiece. A family and community tradition since 1971!

Join in our annual All-Star Christmas Eve Jazz Jam, with host and vibraphonist Chuck Redd, drummer Lenny Robinson, pianist Robert Redd, bassist James King, vocalist Sharon Clark, and saxophonist Jacob Chung.

Join us for a Kwanzaa celebration! For more than 30 years, the Dibinga Sisters have been a pillar of support for Boston’s youth. This year marks a significant milestone as their nonprofit, OrigiNation Cultural Arts Center, celebrates three decades. Come celebrate the second principle of Kwanzaa (Kujichagulia - Self-Determination) through African inspired dances and music celebrating 30 years.

Enjoy an amazing family day of music, performances, an African marketplace, authors, and books! Seven authors will present their books focusing on African American History, family, and mental health. We will be graced with a libation ceremony and a dance performance by Nana Malaya Rucker, “The Dancing Diplomat.”

Join us as we celebrate over five decades of handbells at St. Matthew’s UMC in Annandale, VA. Under the direction of Tamara Freeman, the Peace and Carol Ringers will perform Songs of the Season.

Join us for a FREE film screening in the Justice Forum at the REACH. As the holidays approach, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wants to have a perfect family Christmas. However, things go awry quickly.