The weather outside may be frightful, but the music will be so delightful this holiday season, as acts of all musical stripes are embarking on Christmas tours sure to bring cheer. Whether you like your yuletide mixed with a little country, R&B, jazz or rock, there is sure to be a tour or two or three that jingles your bells.
After Thanksgiving used to be the traditional kick off time for Christmas tours — and it still is for most — but a handful of outings deliver visions of sugar plum fairies dancing in people’s heads even before that first slice of turkey and dollop of stuffing have been served. Similarly, several tours keep the festivities going after the last present has been unwrapped on Dec. 25.
From acts like Trans-Siberian Orchestra, who are synonymous with Christmas now, to ‘90s rockers who blend their chart-topping pop hits with seasonal favorites, divas accompanied by lush orchestras and veteran R&B singers who lend their sumptuous harmonies to holiday standards, there’s something here for every musical taste.
The tours have proven very popular for many artists for good reason: first off, it’s fun to spread cheer in a crowd-pleasing way that isn’t dependent upon a new album. Also, the outings often yield returns that are definitely nicer than naughty: Mariah Carey’s 15-date 2023 run grossed $29.6 million and sold 214,000 tickets, according to numbers reported to Billboard Boxscore. Last year’s Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s outing earned $48.2 million, selling more than 560,000 tickets, and topping all tours of any genre in December, according to Boxscore.
Below is a sample of some of the Yuletide offerings touring the U.S. this holiday season.
All the queen of Christmas wants is for you to attend her Christmastime in Las Vegas residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM, which celebrates the 31st anniversary of her 1994 holiday album, Merry Christmas — including her massive hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” which has become an obvious holiday all-timer. After previously taking the holiday show on the road, this year Carey is staying put in Las Vegas for the 10-date residency, which runs Nov. 28-Dec. 13.
Founder Paul O’Neill died in 2017, but his legacy lives on in TSO’s wildly popular holiday show. How popular? There are two different groups, the TSO East and TSO West bands, to help meet demand for their arena-rock brand of holiday cheer. Their popularity is so great, they sometimes play both a matinee and evening performance. The Ghost of Christmas Eve: The Best of TSO started Nov. 13 and will wrap 106 shows later in Fargo, N.D. and Washington, D.C.
The a cappella group has ruled the holidays ever since they began releasing holiday albums more than a dozen years ago and especially since That’s Christmas to Me, which was the fourth best-selling album of 2014 among all releases. The Christmas in the City North American tour kicked off already — starting Nov. 8 — and will stop at 26 arenas across North America before concluding Dec. 22.
Grammy-nominated smooth jazz saxophonist Koz heads out for his 28thannual Dave Koz & Friends Christmas tour on Black Friday at Atlanta’s Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. The “friends” change every year, and this year will be guitarist/vocalist Jonathan Butler, vocalist Haley Reinhart, bass player/vocalist Casey Abrams and keyboardist Kayla Waters. The good vibes run through Dec. 23 at Santa Rosa, Calif.
The Grammy-winning country trio is headed out on its first holiday tour in support of its second Christmas album, On This Winter’s Night Vol. 2, which came out in September. This Winter’s Night outing will bring the Grammy winners to 12 cities starting Dec. 5 at Atlanta’s Atlanta Symphony Hall at The Woodruff Arts Center before ending in their hometown with three nights at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, Dec. 21-23. Expect holiday classics, as well as some originals from the new set and its predecessor, 2020’s On This Winter’s Night.
The golden-throated country singer will kick off her Christmastime with Trisha Yearwood: 12 Days of Christmas tour at Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville on Dec. 2 and conclude not 12, but 18 days later on Dec. 20 at the Louisville Palace Theater with several stops at symphony halls and performing arts centers in-between. Expect classics and highlights from her new Don Was-produced holiday set, Christmastime, which came out Nov. 7, as she performs with local symphony orchestras.
Nothing says Christmas like a banjo… if that banjo is in the hands of musician extraordinaire Béla Fleck. The group recently put out “The First Noel/Joy to the World” as part of a remastered, re-released version of it 2009 Grammy-winning Jingle All the Way holiday album and will hit the road starting Nov. 26 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium for a three-week theater tour that will bring innovative interpretations of familiar classics.
The British chanteuse brings her holiday extravaganza to the U.S., starting today (Nov. 26) in Niagara Falls, N.Y. A Winter Symphony features the soprano, well-known for her roles in The Phantom of the Opera and Sunset Boulevard accompanied by an orchestra, choir and special guests. The performing arts center outing wraps up Dec. 21 at Dallas’ AT&T Performing Arts Center.
What could be better than classic Motown acts spreading holiday cheer? The outing, which kicked of Nov. 13, includes members of The Miracles and the Contours lending their glorious harmonies to holiday classics — and, we must imagine, some iconic Motown tunes and smooth dance moves, as well. The theater tour ends Dec. 15 in Greensburg, Penn.
Country singer Eldredge has established a whole second career as a holiday crooner par excellence via his three Christmas albums, including the third, 2024’s Merry Christmas (Welcome to the Family), released on his own Warm and Cozy Records. He’ll be in a tux, so dress accordingly for the Glow North American tour, which starts Nov. 28 in Nashville and ends Dec. 20 in Boston. To help keep the mood festive, comedian Steven Rogers will serve as the opening act.
Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath, Better Than Ezra’s Kevin Griffin and Tonic’s Emerson Hart hit the road Nov. 20 for their first holiday tour, dubbed Never Ending ‘90s Presents: Ezra Ray Hart 90s Hits & Xmas Riffs. The three frontmen, will, as the title suggests, mix their hits: think Sugar Ray’s “Every Morning,” Better than Ezra’s “Good” and Tonic’s “If You Could Only See,” with classic seasonal tunes. The tour lasts through Dec. 20, concluding in Anaheim, Calif.
You’ll want to be in the room where it happens for the Hamilton alum’s Christmas tour, which runs from Noc. 28 to Dec. 21, including stops in theaters and performing arts centers in Baltimore, Atlanta, New Orleans and Dallas. Don’t be surprised when Odom throws in a few songs from the popular musical along with holiday classics and originals.
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