Christmas Concerts Singapore 2026: SSO, Messiah and Free Shows

SSO Christmas Concert, 11 and 12 December

When: Friday 11 and Saturday 12 December 2026, 7.30pm. About 1 hour 45 minutes with a 20-minute interval.
Where: Esplanade Concert Hall (Esplanade or City Hall MRT).
Tickets: six categories, $228, $168, $108, $88, $68 and $48. Seniors 55+, NSFs, persons with disabilities and full-time students get 25% off Categories 5 and 6. SG Culture Pass credits can be used. Ages 5 and up; no infants in arms.

Programme: selections from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker including the full Act 2, John Rutter's Gloria (the SSO's first time playing it), Thomas Hewitt Jones's A Christmas Cracker, Rutter's Angels' Carol, then traditional carols with a Christmas medley singalong. Nathanael Iselin conducts the Singapore Symphony Choruses, with Mediacorp's Denise Tan narrating.

Can't get a seat? The SSO says the concert streams live on its YouTube channel and on meWatch.

Handel's Messiah by Bach Collegium Japan, 26 and 27 December

The Japanese period-instrument orchestra and choir brings Handel's Messiah to the Esplanade Concert Hall on Saturday 26 December, 7.30pm, and Sunday 27 December, 4pm. Masato Suzuki conducts, with soprano Miku Yasukawa, mezzo-soprano Roxana Constantinescu, tenor Seil Kim and bass-baritone Yasushi Hirano.

Both dates fall on the Christmas long weekend. Tickets are on SISTIC; prices were not on the orchestra's own page when we checked, so look there before you plan around it. The Sunday 4pm show is the easy one with kids or older parents.

Free Christmas music in December 2026

The Great Christmas Eve Street Party, Orchard Road: Thursday 24 December, 8pm to 12.15am, on the stretch from Paterson junction (ION Orchard) to Bideford junction (Ngee Ann City). The road closes from 6pm to 2am. *SCAPE runs "Sleigh the Street!" with street dance, graffiti and circus acts. Free.

Music In The Air, Orchard Road: Christmas music piped along the ION Orchard, Ngee Ann City, Mandarin Gallery, Paragon and Shaw House walkways, 1 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, 10am to 6.59pm daily. Free, and mostly something you walk through.

Christmas Together, Sands Expo Hall F: 27 to 29 November, 10am to 9pm. The organiser lists 50 live performances. Free with registration.

WEAVE, Resorts World Sentosa: RWS says its Season of Joy stage (27 November to 3 January) has pop performances, weekend jazz and Christmas carols, next to an eight-metre Christmas tree. It has not posted set times yet.

Esplanade's free December programme was not up as of 30 October 2026. Last year it ran free music performances throughout December as part of the Marina Bay countdown programme, so watch its free programmes page in November.

FAQs

When is the SSO Christmas Concert 2026?

The SSO Christmas Concert is on Friday 11 and Saturday 12 December 2026 at 7.30pm at the Esplanade Concert Hall. It runs about 1 hour 45 minutes including a 20-minute interval.

How much are SSO Christmas Concert 2026 tickets?

Tickets are $228, $168, $108, $88, $68 and $48 across six categories. Seniors, NSFs, persons with disabilities and full-time students get 25% off Categories 5 and 6.

When is Messiah by Bach Collegium Japan in Singapore?

Bach Collegium Japan performs Handel's Messiah at the Esplanade Concert Hall on Saturday 26 December 2026 at 7.30pm and Sunday 27 December 2026 at 4pm, conducted by Masato Suzuki. Tickets are on SISTIC.

Are there free Christmas concerts in Singapore in 2026?

Yes. The Great Christmas Eve Street Party on Orchard Road on 24 December (8pm to 12.15am) is free, Christmas Together at Sands Expo (27 to 29 November) has 50 free performances with registration, and RWS lists Christmas carols at WEAVE during Season of Joy.