The San Francisco Symphony's 2026 Holiday Season Takes Place December 2–23 at Davies Symphony Hall

SAN FRANCISCO, CA—The San Francisco Symphony’s 2026 holiday season, December 2–23, features a festive lineup of programs, including performances of traditional Christmas classical music, family-friendly events, holiday film presentations, and a star-studded lineup of guest artists. 

Throughout December, the lobbies of Davies Symphony Hall are transformed into a cheerful holiday wonderland, complete with wreaths, garlands, and towering trees decorated with handmade ornaments made by children and volunteers from local schools and nonprofit community organizations. Patrons can also purchase holiday-themed drinks and food, like a gingerbread old-fashioned, sparkling wine, hot chocolate, and holiday desserts through the month to get into the festive spirit.

Visit sfsymphony.org/holidays for the full season lineup.  

Pink Martini with the SF Symphony (December 2)
Pink Martini, the wildly popular ensemble known for its globally inspired sound, joins conductor Edwin Outwater and the San Francisco Symphony on December 2 to kick off the holiday season. Blending cabaret, samba, retro pop, jazz, and musical influences from around the world, the group brings its signature style to a joyful and eclectic holiday program. Vocalists Ari Shapiro, Jimmie Herrod, and Edna Vazquez will headline the performance, joined by special guest Gina Belafonte, the acclaimed actress, vocalist, film producer, and civil rights activist.

Handel’s Messiah (December 4–5)
On December 4–5, conductor Ruben Valenzuela leads the San Francisco Symphony and Chorus in performances of George Frideric Handel’s Messiah, featuring soprano Lauren Snouffer, countertenor Reginald Mobley, tenor Zachary Wilder, and bass-baritone Enrico Lagasca. Valenzuela, Mobley, and Lagasca all make their Orchestral Series debuts with this program. Handel’s Messiah was an instant classic soon after its 1742 premiere. The San Francisco Symphony first performed the work in 1925 and has programmed it regularly since. 

Deck the Hall (December 6)
Deck the Hall, a beloved family holiday tradition, brings the festive spirit to Davies Symphony Hall with two kid-friendly matinee performances on December 6 at 11:30am (Signature Fundraiser) and 3:30pm (Family Concert). Conducted by the San Francisco Symphony’s Resident Conductor of Engagement and Education Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, this annual holiday children’s concert and celebration features an array of musical performances from Symphony musicians and special guests. The Deck the Hall program highlights the talented young singers of the San Francisco Boys Chorus and the Young Women’s Choral Projects of San Francisco, and features students from the San Francisco Ballet Training Program in selections from Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. Also joining the Symphony for Deck the Hall is soprano Sofia Gotch, a San Francisco Opera Adler Fellow; the all-female mariachi ensemble Mariachi Bonitas de Dinorah, performing holiday mariachi melodies; and Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir. The concert ends with a holiday sing-along complete with costumed characters.   

For an elevated experience including preconcert lobby activities, a visit from Santa, holiday-themed food and beverage, and festive performances, guests can purchase tickets to the Deck the Hall Signature Fundraiser at 11:30am (reception at 9:30am). The Deck the Hall Signature Fundraiser is chaired by Martine Darwish and planned with the help of the San Francisco Symphony Junior Committee league, led by Junior Committee President Alex Carlson. Proceeds from this event support Deck the Hall Community Day, which takes place this year on December 7 and invites 3,500 children from Bay Area public elementary school classes and local youth community organizations to this holiday concert free of charge, providing many of them with their first opportunity to visit a concert hall and hear a live orchestral performance. Deck the Hall proceeds provide additional support for the Symphony’s many artistic, education, and community programs. 

The Louise M. Davies Foundation is Deck the Hall’s Presenting Partner. Kelsie Costa & Christopher Olson, Martine Darwish & Vlad Kroll, and Hannah & Bianca–The J.C. Kellogg Foundation are Community Impact Partners. In-kind sponsors for Deck the Hall include Global Gourmet Catering and Barnett Vineyards.  

Holiday Brass (December 6)
On December 6, members of the San Francisco Symphony brass, percussion, and timpani sections, conducted by Edwin Outwater, present a festive mix of classical and popular holiday selections in Holiday Brass.  

Holiday films: Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas (December 10–11) and Elf—In Concert (December 18–20)
The holiday season includes screenings of two favorite holiday films, featuring the San Francisco Symphony performing the scores live to picture as the movies are projected onto a large screen above the stage. On December 10–11, conductor Joshua Gersen and the San Francisco Symphony perform James Horner’s score to Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, directed by Ron Howard. Jim Carrey stars as the curmudgeonly Grinch, who plans to ruin Christmas for the citizens of Whoville.  

On December 18–20, the San Francisco Symphony and Chorus perform Elf—In Concert with composer John Debney conducting his score alongside Jon Favreau’s charming film. Will Ferrell stars as Buddy the Elf in this 21st-century holiday classic. 

SF Symphony Youth Orchestra performs Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf (December 13)
On December 13, the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and Wattis Foundation Music Director Radu Paponiu present their annual performance of Sergei Prokofiev’s timeless musical fable Peter and the Wolf. Mychal Threets joins the SFSYO as guest narrator. A Bay Area librarian, Threets is also the resident librarian for PBS and PBS Kids, as well as the host of Reading Rainbow. The concert also includes selections from Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite and additional programming to be announced. At the end of the program, Paponiu and the Youth Orchestra invite the audience to join them in a joyful sing-along of popular holiday carols. The Youth Orchestra’s performance of Peter and the Wolf is an annual holiday favorite and has been a regular part of their season since 1985. Past narrators have included Richard Dreyfuss, Tom Kenny, John Lithgow, Bobby McFerrin, Rita Moreno, Kathy Najimy, Linda Ronstadt, Sharon Stone, W. Kamau Bell, Joshua Dela Cruz, Michael Tilson Thomas, Leonard Nimoy, and Robin Williams, among many other lauded actors, comedians, musicians, and public figures.   

Prior to the public performance on December 13, the San Francisco Symphony and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco partner for the third time to welcome recently discharged pediatric patients and their families to a free holiday open rehearsal with the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra. The open rehearsal will feature the SFSYO, led by Radu Paponiu, in Peter and the Wolf, with Mychal Threets as guest narrator. The event also includes a festive audience sing-along featuring popular holiday carols. This private rehearsal offers UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco patients and their families a safe, welcoming space to gather and enjoy festive holiday memories this December. Inside the concert hall, families will be accommodated according to their children’s unique needs, with designated areas for immunocompromised attendees to enjoy the performance at a comfortable distance from other guests. Spanish-language interpreters will also be available.  

A Merry-Achi Christmas (December 13)
On December 13, Mariachi Sol de México® de José Hernández returns to Davies Symphony Hall for their annual musical tribute to Mexico’s Christmas traditions, performing Mexican and American holiday favorites in A Merry-Achi Christmas. The San Francisco Symphony does not appear in this performance. 

Home for the Holidays (December 14)
In Home for the Holidays (December 14), renowned R&B group All-4-One and vocalists Sheena Easton, Ruben Studdard, and Lindsey Webster honor the memory of legendary singer Peabo Bryson—a beloved presence at the SF Symphony’s holiday concerts for nearly 30 years—by performing some of Bryson’s signature hits, as well as holiday classics. The San Francisco Symphony does not appear in this performance.

Please note that Home for the Holidays has been rescheduled from December 9 to December 14. Patrons who already purchased tickets for Home for the Holidays do not need to do anything; tickets and seat location will be honored. 

Holidays with Bernadette Peters and the San Francisco Symphony (December 15)
On December 15, Bernadette Peters—a three-time Tony Award honoree known for her illustrious career on Broadway, television, and film—joins the San Francisco Symphony and conductor Tedd Firth for a glamorous evening of festive tunes, Broadway favorites, and music from her acclaimed albums.

Holiday Gaiety (December 17)
On December 17, the SF Symphony is joined by trailblazing country music artist and multi-hyphenate Orville Peck for Holiday Gaiety, the Symphony’s annual irreverent holiday variety show. Co-emceed by conductor Edwin Outwater and San Francisco drag icon Peaches Christ, the evening brings together orchestral music, festive holiday favorites, drag, burlesque, and comedy. 

Joining Peck, Outwater, and Peaches Christ are burlesque performer Frankie Fictitious, drag entertainer and operatic tenor Creatine Price (Drag Race France and France’s Got Talent), drag entertainer and vocalist Katya Smirnoff-Skyy, Sister Roma from The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.   

Now in its ninth year, Holiday Gaiety has been co-emceed by Outwater and Peaches Christ since its inception. Past guests have included drag entertainers Bob the Drag Queen, Sapphira Cristál, Adore Delano, Bianca del Rio, Monét X Change, and Thorgy Thor; actors and vocalists Cheyenne Jackson, Jane Lynch, Dylan Mulvaney, and Alex Newell; and vocalist and aerialist Nikola Printz, among others.  

Please be advised this show contains mature content. 

Holidays with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (December 22) 
On December 22, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, led by music director Jeff Bush, takes the Davies Symphony Hall stage for a night of swinging holiday favorites featuring vocalist Hayden Grove. Founded in 1935, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra holds an enduring place in big band history as one of the finest all-around dance bands of the swing era. The San Francisco Symphony does not appear in this performance.

Holly Jolly Pops with the San Francisco Symphony (December 23)
On December 23, conductor Enrico Lopez-Yañez joins the San Francisco Symphony and Chorus for Holly Jolly Pops, a festive program of holiday favorites old and new, brought to life with the full richness of orchestra and chorus. Vocalists Ashley Brown and Christian Dante White also join the Orchestra and Chorus for the program, which includes holiday tunes like “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” “Deck the Halls,” “The Christmas Song,” “Toyland,” and more, along with a special visit from Santa Claus. 

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