The Joffrey Ballet: The Nutcracker
Through Dec 27Dec 4 – Dec 27 · 2:00 PM – 9:30 PM · Dec 4 – Dec 27, 2026; 27 total performances with weekend matinees at 2:00 PM and evening performances at 7:00 PM. Sensory-friendly performance scheduled for select date.
Lyric Opera House20 N Upper Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606 · 0.5 mi approx. from ChicagoDirections
Ages 4+ (children under 4 not admitted into standard performances; booster seats available)
From $58Tickets start at $58 to $78 for upper balcony seating and scale to $195+ for prime main floor seating. Group discounts and student rush tickets available on select dates.
About this adventure
Christopher Wheeldon's Tony Award-winning choreography reimagines The Nutcracker as an uniquely Chicago holiday fairy tale set during the construction of the historic 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Staged inside the majestic Lyric Opera House, the story follows young Marie, the daughter of a Polish immigrant sculptress, who receives a mystical nutcracker from the Great Impresario on Christmas Eve and embarks on a dreamlike adventure through a winter landscape and into the wondrous White City filled with international pavilions, dancing snowflakes, and fantastical creatures. Featuring 27 performances accompanied by Tchaikovsky's immortal score played live by the full Lyric Opera Orchestra, this visually stunning masterpiece blends world-class classical ballet with puppetry, grand stagecraft, and Chicago history. The venue offers booster seats for young children and a special sensory-friendly performance with adjusted lighting and sound. Children must be at least 4 years old to attend standard performances.
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