There are still tickets available to many of the Bay Area’s Holiday shows. And, here is a list of our staff’s recommendations to help get you in the spirit of the holiday.

The Nightmare Before Christmas—Feature Film with the SF Symphony
November 30, December 1, & 6 in San Francisco

Watch Jack Skellington plot to take over Christmas in Tim Burton’s fantastical tale The Nightmare Before Christmas. This “instant classic for both kids and grownups” (WOR Radio) comes to life like never before as the SF Symphony performs Danny Elfman’s delightfully quirky score live with the film on the big screen.

California Revels
December 8-16 in Oakland
Each mid-winter, the Revels brings to life a grand celebration of traditions and cultures from around the world. They create joy with the songs, dances, and stories—present in every culture—that mark the turning of the year in all its forms. Experience community and connection through this unique theatrical production, connecting audience and performers and reminding us that, within our diversity and across generations, there is a beautiful continuity of human experience. The 2018 Revels story is set in 1600 in that part of Spain called Andalusia.

Oakland Symphony Swing and Soul – Let Us Break Bread Together
Sunday, December 16 at 4 PM in Oakland
Michael Morgan’s “inspired, multifarious, musical bash” takes its inspiration this year from the peerless soul of Nina Simone and the boogie-woogie of Fats Domino. Special guests abound in this annual rollicking holiday party. The concert features Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, Mt. Eden High School Concert Choir, Oakland Symphony Chorus, and more.

American Conservatory Theater A Christmas Carol
December 6–29, 2018 in San Francisco
Featuring a lively cast of dozens, delightful music, gorgeous costumes, and deliciously spooky ghosts, this version of A Christmas Carol, adapted by Carey Perloff and Paul Walsh, stays true to the heart of Dickens’s timeless story of redemption and brings a playful sensibility to his rich language.

Now in its 42nd year, A Christmas Carol is a cornerstone of the A.C.T. repertory and has become a holiday tradition for families around the Bay Area.

Great Dickens Christmas Fair
November 17-December 23 in San Francisco
Visit London…at the historic Cow Palace Exhibition Halls! Enter the winding lanes of Victorian London and immerse yourself in a world of music halls, theatres, pubs, dance parties, and charming shops overflowing with hand-made holiday treasures. Enticing aromas of roasted chestnuts and hearty foods fill the air. Discover holiday revelry in this lamp-lit city brimming with over 800 lively and colorful characters from the imagination of Charles Dickens, the pages of history, and the sometimes saucy world of the Victorian stage.

Handel’s Messiah
December 12-14 in San Francisco
Handel’s timeless masterpiece will be presented for the 21st consecutive year in the awe-inspiring majesty of Grace Cathedral. Perennially a sold-out event, audience members from far and wide attend this Bay Area favorite that features the superb American Bach Choir and the period-instrument specialists of ABS in one of their largest configurations, under the direction of Jeffrey Thomas. With soprano Mary Wilson, countertenor Eric Jurenas, tenor Aaron Sheehan, and bass Jesse Blumberg.