New York City Ballet opens George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker on Friday, November 27, 2026, at 8 p.m. at the David H. Koch Theater, and the run closes January 3, 2027, with a sensory-friendly matinee. Around the performances, the company is running a December slate of family programs and hands-on workshops at Lincoln Center.
Key Takeaways
- The Nutcracker runs November 27, 2026, through January 3, 2027, at the David H. Koch Theater on Lincoln Center Plaza at Columbus Avenue and 63rd Street.
- More than 120 students from the School of American Ballet perform in two alternating casts alongside the company’s full roster of more than 150 dancers and musicians.
- Family Saturdays presents a one-hour Nutcracker program on December 19 at 11 a.m. for ages 5 and up, with tickets starting at $29.
- The sensory-friendly performance on Sunday, January 3, at 1 p.m. adjusts lighting and sound levels, with tickets starting at $59.
- NYCB’s announcement lists December movement workshops for ages 4 through older adults, priced from $8 to $36.
- The production, which premiered February 2, 1954, is seen by more than 100,000 people each year.
The Nutcracker Season Runs November 27 Through January 3
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker returns for a holiday engagement that begins the night after Thanksgiving and runs into the first weekend of 2027. The production premiered on February 2, 1954, and New York City Ballet credits it with helping make The Nutcracker and its Tchaikovsky score fixtures of the American holiday season. More than 100,000 people see it every year.
The spectacle that draws those crowds is well documented: a one-ton Christmas tree that grows from 16 to 41 feet, an onstage snowstorm, a Mother Ginger costume that measures 9 feet wide and weighs 85 pounds, and a grand finale that uses one million watts of lighting, which NYCB says is the most in any of its productions. The ballet shares the holiday calendar with newer arrivals such as the first Broadway staging of It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, which also closes January 3. What sets New York City Ballet’s season apart is how many ways a family can take part beyond buying a seat.
More Than 120 School of American Ballet Students Share the Stage
The children onstage are a defining feature of the production. New York City Ballet fields its entire roster of more than 150 dancers and musicians, joined by more than 120 children from the School of American Ballet, the company’s official school, who perform in two alternating casts.
The path to those roles starts years earlier. The School of American Ballet holds spring auditions for children ages 6 to 13 who live in the New York metropolitan area. Beginning around age 9, students become eligible for New York City Ballet productions with children’s roles, and The Nutcracker is the one that gives the most of them a stage. For many young New Yorkers, the ballet is a first professional performance, built into their training.
Family Saturdays Brings Nutcracker Excerpts to Children Ages 5 and Up
For families not ready for a full evening, Family Saturdays offers a shorter entry point. On Saturday, December 19, from 11 a.m. to noon, company dancers and members of the New York City Ballet Orchestra perform excerpts from The Nutcracker. Principal dancer Unity Phelan hosts the interactive program, which explores the story, choreography, music and costumes for children and adults ages 5 and up.
Tickets start at $29 per person and are required for everyone, including infants. Priority seating for American Sign Language interpretation is available. The late-morning slot leaves the rest of the day open for late-night skating at Bryant Park Winter Village or other Midtown plans.
Movement Workshops Put Families in NYCB’s Rehearsal Studios
New York City Ballet’s announcement also lists a December series of in-person movement workshops held in the company’s rehearsal studios at Lincoln Center, priced from $8 to $36. The lineup spans ages: Children’s Workshops for ages 5 to 7 on December 5, 6 and 19; an In Motion workshop for ages 8 to 12 on December 6; Ballet Essentials sessions for teens and adults on December 5 and 14; and a Ballet Connections workshop for older adults on December 14.
Taken together, the workshops turn a single ballet into a month of programming. A family can watch the production, attend an excerpt program, and then try the movement themselves in the same building where the company rehearses.
Access Workshops and a Sensory-Friendly Matinee Widen the Audience
The closing performance is designed for audiences who may find a standard theater visit difficult. On Sunday, January 3, at 1 p.m., New York City Ballet presents a sensory-friendly performance for audiences with disabilities, including autism. Changes include a relaxed entry and exit policy, adjusted lighting and sound levels, designated break areas, additional staff and pre-visit resources. Tickets start at $59.
NYCB’s announcement adds a Children’s Access Workshop for ages 4 to 12 with physical disabilities on December 12, and Autism-Friendly Access Workshops for ages 4 to 12 on December 6 and 12. Families planning around sensory needs this season can also look at Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights, which sets aside a Sensory Inclusive Night in early December.
FAQs
When Does New York City Ballet’s Nutcracker Open in 2026?
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker opens Friday, November 27, 2026, at 8 p.m. at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center. The run ends Sunday, January 3, 2027.
When Is the Sensory-Friendly Nutcracker Performance?
The sensory-friendly performance is Sunday, January 3, 2027, at 1 p.m. It includes adjusted lighting and sound, a relaxed entry and exit policy and designated break areas, with tickets starting at $59.
Are Children in New York City Ballet’s Nutcracker Students?
Yes. More than 120 students from the School of American Ballet, the company’s official school, perform in two alternating casts. Students become eligible for children’s roles beginning around age 9.
What Is Family Saturdays at New York City Ballet?
Family Saturdays is a one-hour program of Nutcracker excerpts for ages 5 and up on December 19, 2026, at 11 a.m. Tickets start at $29 per person, and ASL priority seating is available.
