Victoria in December smells like candles and pine, and the city fills its old theatres with music before the rain turns to frost. This year, the lineup of Christmas shows in Victoria, BC brings out the big guns: the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's Nutcracker lands at the Royal Theatre in late November, Daniel Lapp brings his fiddle and his charm downtown in mid-December, and Candlelight: Christmas Carols on Strings turns St Ann's Academy into something out of a postcard. Add the sparkle of ABBA Merry Christmas and you've got a season that refuses to be quiet about the holidays.
These holiday events aren't just background noise for your shopping trips. They're the kind of things to do at Christmas that actually make the season feel earned: a night out, a seat in a beautiful room, a reason to put on a coat and go somewhere. Victoria, BC does this well every year, spreading shows across the Royal Theatre, the McPherson Playhouse, and a handful of heritage venues that feel made for carols and string sections.
A word of advice from someone who watches these calendars fill up fast: the December dates, especially the weekends right before Christmas, go first. If you want a specific night, especially a Friday or Saturday close to the holidays, book now instead of hoping for the best in two weeks. Scroll down, we've got all 8 shows and events lined up below.
St Ann's Academy and Auditorium National Historic Site · Victoria, BC
A Candlelight concert by the glow of hundreds of candles, set in the heritage surroundings of St. Ann's Academy in Victoria. A string quartet performs holiday classics including "O Holy Night," "Carol of the Bells" and…
McPherson Playhouse · Victoria, BC
Holiday show at McPherson Playhouse in Victoria: A Holly Jolly Christmas blends Christmas standards with the biggest rock'n'roll hits of the 1950s and 1960s. Singer and actor Zachary Stevenson, known for playing the…
Royal Theatre · Victoria, BC
Fiddle concert: Daniel Lapp returns to the Royal Theatre in Victoria for his annual Home for Christmas showcase with his students. Begun in 2003 at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, the night brings together the BC…
Royal Theatre · Victoria, BC
ABBA Merry Christmas night at the Royal Theatre in Victoria, a festive tribute to the songs of ABBA. The Royal Theatre is a heritage hall in downtown Victoria, one of two stages run by the Royal & McPherson Theatres.…
Alix Goolden Performance Hall · Victoria, BC
A candlelit Christmas concert: a string quartet plays holiday classics at the Alix Goolden Performance Hall in Victoria. The 800-seat room is a former church sanctuary, keeping its vaulted ceiling, carved wooden pews…
Royal Theatre · Victoria, BC
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet presents The Nutcracker at the Royal Theatre in Victoria. Canada's oldest ballet company brings the holiday classic to life, set to Tchaikovsky's score with its snow scene and Land of Sweets. A…
McPherson Playhouse · Victoria, BC
Holiday music and dance show Yellowpoint Christmas Spectacular at the McPherson Playhouse in Victoria, British Columbia. Now in its 18th season, it strings together singing, dancing, spoken readings and stories, wrapped…
Royal Theatre · Victoria, BC
Nutcracker ballet in Ballet Victoria's own version, The Gift of the Nutcracker, at the Royal Theatre in Victoria. The company's retelling of the holiday classic is danced to Tchaikovsky's score performed live by the…
