Kansas City Symphony: Christmas Festival

Kansas City Symphony: Christmas Festival at Helzberg Hall - Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

December calls for music that feels like home, and the Kansas City Symphony delivers exactly that. At Helzberg Hall in Kansas City on the afternoon of December 20, 2026, the Symphony brings orchestra and chorus together for its Christmas Festival. Conductor Daniel Wiley leads a program that balances tradition with fresh arrangements, giving familiar carols new personality while honoring the melodies everyone knows by heart.

Vocalist Jim Hogan joins the Symphony alongside the Symphony Chorus, directed by Betsy Burleigh. With orchestra, chorus and a featured vocalist, the concert has room for both the scale of Christmas classics and the pleasures of a newly arranged carol. These aren't background carols. They're performances designed to pull you into the season's warmth.

Santa makes an appearance, adding a playful note alongside the orchestra and chorus. It's a holiday outing with something for families drawn to the festival fun and listeners eager for fresh arrangements of favorite carols. It's the kind of touch that makes the event feel celebratory rather than formal, accessible without sacrificing quality.

The Christmas classics provide the anchor; the new arrangements offer a reason to listen differently. It's a satisfying pairing for anyone who loves a familiar carol but still wants to be surprised by it. And with Santa part of the program, the musical celebration has a playful side, too.

Spend December 20 with fresh holiday arrangements, a chorus and Santa; get tickets for Kansas City Symphony's afternoon Christmas Festival.