NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet comes to Ovens Auditorium in Charlotte on Friday, December 18, 2026 at 7:00 PM. Billed as the largest Nutcracker production in North America, this touring spectacle brings Tchaikovsky’s beloved holiday score to life with world-class dancers, acrobatics and larger-than-life stagecraft. Looking for more festive plans? See our guide to events this weekend in Charlotte and across the Carolinas.
Event Details
- Date: Friday, December 18, 2026
- Time: 7:00 PM
- Venue: Ovens Auditorium
- Address: 2700 East Independence Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28205
- Tickets: Ticketmaster or via the BOplex event page (tickets are required for everyone age two and older)
What to Expect
This grand production goes far beyond a traditional staging of The Nutcracker. A cast of world-class international dancers performs to Tchaikovsky’s timeless score, joined by gravity-defying acrobatics, magnificent hand-painted sets and towering puppets. It is a larger-than-life take on Clara’s Christmas Eve adventure, designed for a big stage and a big holiday crowd.
The one-night-only Charlotte stop is part of the production’s annual North American tour, which has become a Christmas tradition for families across the country. Expect sumptuous costumes, inventive choreography and all the scenes audiences love, from the battle with the Mouse King to the Land of Sweets.
Getting There
Ovens Auditorium is part of the Bojangles Entertainment Complex at 2700 East Independence Blvd in Charlotte, next door to Bojangles Coliseum. The box office is open Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and two hours prior to events. Plan to arrive early for parking and to find your seats before the 7:00 PM curtain.
Tickets
Tickets for NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet at Ovens Auditorium are available through Ticketmaster. Also at Ovens Auditorium this holiday season: Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas in Concert on November 27-28, 2026.