The Nutcracker tickets

612 upcoming dates · from $39

The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet set to Tchaikovsky, staged every winter by companies all over the world. Listings here cover productions from many different companies and venues, each with its own staging, orchestra and cast.

Next: Sat, Sep 12, 2026143 venues across 132 cities

About The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker is not one show. It is a score and a story that hundreds of companies stage in their own way, which is why the same title appears on this page attached to very different evenings out. A large classical company will bring a full orchestra, a corps of dancers and elaborate sets. A regional company or a ballet school may perform to a recording with a smaller cast. Neither is a lesser evening, but they are not interchangeable, and the company named on the listing is what tells you which one you are buying.

The shape of the piece is consistent almost everywhere. The first act is a Christmas party that turns strange after midnight, the second act is a sequence of shorter dances built around guests from different places, and the whole thing runs about two hours with an interval. Most of the music people recognise sits in the second half.

It is one of the few ballets that works for an audience with no ballet habit, children included, because the story is told through spectacle rather than through convention you need to know in advance. Companies often say the same thing about age: old enough to sit through two hours in the dark is the real requirement, not a number.

Where you sit matters more here than at a play. Ballet is read through whole bodies and through patterns made by groups of dancers, and both flatten out if you are too close and too low. Seats a little further back and slightly elevated give you the geometry of the corps, which is a large part of what the second act is doing. Front rows put you near the dancers but leave you looking up at a steep angle.

Productions in the run-up to Christmas sell through faster than the calendar suggests, and matinees fill first because of family audiences. PickStub is an independent marketplace and is not affiliated with any of the companies, theatres or orchestras staging this ballet.

Frequently asked questions

Are all productions of The Nutcracker the same?

No. Each company stages its own version, with its own choreography, sets and cast, and some perform with a live orchestra while others use a recording. Check the company and venue named on the listing, since that is what determines the production you are seeing.

How long is it?

About two hours including an interval, split into two acts. Most of the best known music comes in the second act.

Is it suitable for children?

It is one of the most family-friendly things in the ballet repertoire and the story is told visually rather than through convention. The practical question is whether a child will sit through two hours in a dark theatre; venues often set their own minimum age, so check the venue policy.

Where is the best place to sit for ballet?

Slightly back and slightly elevated. Ballet is built on the patterns groups of dancers make across the stage, and those patterns are hard to read from the front rows, where you are close but looking up at a steep angle.

Is PickStub affiliated with the companies performing this?

No. PickStub is an independent marketplace with no affiliation to the ballet companies, theatres or orchestras involved. Orders are covered by the PickStub buyer guarantee.