Christmas 2026 · Miami
Carols and Christmas concerts in Miami, 2026
Christmas in Miami comes with palm trees, but the music is as old as anywhere: an English carol service in a cathedral by the bay, the Nutcracker in the opera house, a gospel choir in the concert hall. Here is what we could confirm on the churches’ and venues’ own pages on 12 November 2026.
Updated October 2026
Nine Lessons and Carols at Trinity Cathedral
Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, at 464 NE 16th Street between the Arsht Center and the bay, keeps Miami’s English carol tradition. Its Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols is on Sunday 13 December 2026 at 4pm. Earlier in Advent, on Sunday 6 December at 12.15pm, the cathedral celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
On ordinary Sundays the cathedral has a Choral Holy Eucharist at 10am and Vox Dei at 6pm; Choral Evensong is sung once a month at 4pm. Its Christmas Eve and Christmas Day times were not yet published when we checked.
Our advice: the Arsht Center is a short walk away; pair the carols with an evening at the ballet.
Trinity Cathedral: special events
Christmas at the Adrienne Arsht Center
Photo Credit
Image courtesy of © JD Lasica from Pleasanton, CA, US · CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia CommonsMiami City Ballet dances George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker in the Ziff Ballet Opera House from Friday 11 to Sunday 27 December 2026, with tickets from $45. It is the city’s great Christmas night out for families.
In the Knight Concert Hall, Sounds of Christmas: A South Florida Gospel Celebration, with Pastor Marc Cooper and Friends and Meachum L. Clarke & Company, is on Saturday 12 December at 7pm; it is pay what you can. Nu Deco Ensemble’s seasonal concert, with Michelle Williams and guests, is on Saturday 19 December at 8pm (from $76), and The Tenors bring their Season of Hope Tour on Sunday 20 December at 7.30pm ($53.82–$112.32, including fees).
Our advice: The Nutcracker sells out on the weekends before Christmas; book the matinées early.
Arsht Center: Miami City Ballet 2026–27 Arsht Center: Sounds of Christmas Arsht Center: The Tenors Nu Deco Ensemble at the Arsht
A Creole Christmas at Faena
On Miami Beach, the Faena Jazz Series brings back the trumpeter Etienne Charles with A Creole Christmas, holiday classics with Caribbean rhythm, in the Faena Theater on Wednesday 9 December, 8pm–9.30pm. Reservations are through Faena’s own page.
Our advice: stay for a drink at the Saxony Bar afterwards.
Christmas Mass at the Cathedral of St Mary
The Cathedral of St Mary, Miami’s Catholic cathedral, at 7525 NW 2nd Avenue, had not yet published its 2026 Christmas Mass times when we checked. Its regular Masses are on Saturday at 5.30pm (vigil, English) and on Sunday at 8am (Kreyòl), 10am (English) and noon (Español). Check its calendar in December.
Cathedral of St Mary: Mass schedule
Getting a seat
Christmas Day 2026 is a Friday, so the concerts cluster on the weekends of 12–13 and 19–20 December. Church services are usually open to all with no ticket; arrive early. For the Arsht Center, buy from the centre’s own box office rather than resale sites.
Our advice: check each church’s and venue’s own page in the week before you go, as times can change.
Questions and answers
Is there a Lessons and Carols service in Miami in 2026?
Yes. Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 464 NE 16th Street, holds A Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols on Sunday 13 December 2026 at 4pm.
When is The Nutcracker in Miami in 2026?
Miami City Ballet dances George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker at the Adrienne Arsht Center from 11 to 27 December 2026, with tickets from $45.
What time is midnight Mass at St Mary Cathedral in Miami?
The Cathedral of St Mary had not published its 2026 Christmas Mass times on 12 November 2026. Check its Mass schedule and calendar in December.
Dates and times from each church’s or venue’s own page (trinitymiami.org, thecathedralofstmary.org, arshtcenter.org, faena.com) and the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau’s miamiandbeaches.com, checked 12 November 2026. Check before you go.