Guides Prices checked November 5, 2026
George Balanchine's The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center in 2026: dates, showtimes, and what to know before you buy
48 performances between November 27 and January 2, about two hours each. Here is the calendar, the days the theater goes dark, and the rules that catch families out.
The short answer
New York City Ballet performs George Balanchine's The Nutcracker 48 times from Friday, November 27, 2026 to Saturday, January 2, 2027, at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center, per NYCB. It runs about two hours: Act I is 49 minutes, Act II 41. There is a 2 p.m. show on Christmas Eve and none on Christmas Day. Checked November 2026.
Free. One email each morning. One-click unsubscribe. Never sold.
- Run Nov 27, 2026 to Jan 2, 2027
- Performances 48, plus a sensory-friendly show Jan 3
- Length About 2 hours; acts of 49 and 41 minutes
- Recommended age 5 and up; every child needs a ticket
- Subway 1 to 66 St-Lincoln Center
The run, the length, the rules
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Dates | Friday, November 27, 2026 to Saturday, January 2, 2027 |
| Performances | 48 on the calendar, plus a sensory-friendly performance on Sunday, January 3, at 1 p.m. |
| Running time | About two hours in all; Act I runs 49 minutes and Act II 41 |
| Theater | David H. Koch Theater, 20 Lincoln Center Plaza, between West 62nd and 65th Streets and Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues |
| Age | Recommended for 5 and up. Everyone needs a ticket, including small children sitting on a lap |
| Latecomers | No late seating and no re-entry; missed performances are not refunded or replaced |
| Refunds | None. All sales are final, and fees apply to phone, internet and box office sales |
| Big orders | More than 19 tickets go through NYCB Group Sales |
NYCB does not print a price list for the Nutcracker. Prices sit in the seat map for each performance and change from date to date, so compare a few before you settle. The company's $30 for 30 rush program, which sells $30 seats to anyone 13 to 30 during the repertory seasons, is not offered for the Nutcracker (checked November 2026). The production itself has been an annual run since its premiere on February 2, 1954, with more than 150 dancers and musicians and more than 120 children from the School of American Ballet in two alternating casts.
When it plays, and when the theater is dark
| Day | Showtimes |
|---|---|
| Tuesday to Thursday evenings | 7 p.m. |
| Friday and Saturday evenings | 8 p.m. |
| Saturday matinee | 2 p.m. |
| Sunday | 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. |
| Midweek matinees | 2 p.m. on Wednesday, December 9, 16, 23 and 30, and on Monday, December 28 and Tuesday, December 29 |
| Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24 | 2 p.m. only |
| Christmas Day and New Year's Day | No performances |
| New Year's Eve, Thursday, December 31 | 2 p.m. only |
| Mondays | Dark, except Monday, December 21 at 7 p.m. and Monday, December 28 at 2 p.m. |
| Last performances | Saturday, January 2, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. |
The opening weekend after Thanksgiving runs five shows in three days. The 7 p.m. show on December 2 overlaps the tree lighting, so do not plan both for the same night. A Christmas Eve matinee lets out in time for dinner; on New Year's Eve the 2 p.m. show is the only one, which keeps the evening free for whatever midnight you have planned.
The sensory-friendly and audio-described shows
| Format | Date and time |
|---|---|
| Audio description | Sunday, November 29, 5 p.m.; Wednesday, December 2, 7 p.m. |
| Sensory-friendly | Sunday, January 3, 2027, 1 p.m. |
The sensory-friendly performance relaxes the rule on coming and going, lowers the lighting and sound, sets up break areas around the theater, adds staff, and sends a social narrative ahead of the visit. It is one afternoon, the day after the regular run ends, and it is ticketed separately. For the audio-described shows, receivers and headsets are free at the Orchestra-level coat check, house left, against an ID or a credit card; Lincoln Center takes reservations at Access@LincolnCenter.org.
Getting there and the box office
Take the 1 train to 66 St-Lincoln Center. The M5, M7, M10, M11, M66 and M104 buses all stop within a block. The box office is in the theater lobby and is open seven days: Monday 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. It is closed Saturday, November 7. Tickets held for pickup can be collected on the day of the performance only. The Columbus Circle holiday market is a few blocks south, open December 1 to 31.
-
Buy from NYCB
The company's own site shows every performance and the live seat map, so you can compare a matinee with an evening and a weekday with a weekend before you pay.
-
The box office at Lincoln Center
Useful if you are nearby and want to talk through seats for a group or a child's first visit.
-
The sensory-friendly matinee
The one performance built for audiences with autism or sensory needs, with a relaxed entry and exit policy and quieter light and sound.
The questions people actually ask
When does The Nutcracker start at Lincoln Center in 2026?
Friday, November 27, 2026, at 8 p.m. New York City Ballet runs it through Saturday, January 2, 2027, with 48 performances on its calendar (checked November 2026).
How long is New York City Ballet's Nutcracker?
About two hours in all, per NYCB. Act I runs 49 minutes and Act II 41.
Is The Nutcracker playing on Christmas Day?
No. NYCB's 2026 calendar has a 2 p.m. matinee on Christmas Eve and nothing on December 25. The next performances are Saturday, December 26, at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Do babies need a ticket for The Nutcracker?
Yes. NYCB requires a ticket for every patron, including small children sitting on a lap, and recommends the ballet for ages 5 and up.
Can I use $30 for 30 for The Nutcracker?
No. NYCB's $30 rush program for ages 13 to 30 excludes the Nutcracker (checked November 2026).
The sources
Where the prices and rules above come from. Check them yourself:
- New York City Ballet: George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, 2026 — run dates, every performance and showtime, running time, age and ticket policy, audio-described shows, Sweet Seats
- New York City Ballet: Sensory-friendly performance — January 3, 2027, 1 p.m., and the modifications
- New York City Ballet: The Nutcracker repertory page — act lengths and the 1954 premiere
- New York City Ballet: $30 for 30 + Under — the rush program and its Nutcracker exclusion
- New York City Ballet: Getting here and box office — subway and bus access; box office hours from nycballet.com/your-visit/box-office
Get an email if NYCB adds Nutcracker performances or changes the schedule.
Updates to this guide arrive in the free New York Explained morning brief, along with the day's city news and things to do.
Free. One email each morning. One-click unsubscribe. Never sold.