There's a packed calendar of Christmas concerts across the UK this year. Here's our guide to a typically busy festive programme of concerts, carol services and family music events across the country. Yes, it's the BBC Music Magazine guide to the UK best Christmas concerts in 2023. Reach for that diary and get some dates booked in!
The best Christmas concerts near me in the UK
Here is our handpicked selection of some of the best Christmas concerts around the country this Christmas.
Best Christmas concerts: Scotland
RSNO Christmas Concert featuring The Snowman
Aberdeen Music Hall, 21 December / Caird Hall, Dundee, 20 December / Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 23 December / Usher Hall, Edinburgh, 22 December
Join the RSNO this December for a special feast of Christmas cheer! This family-friendly concert is packed full of your favourite sing along carols and favourite festive melodies. Plus, don’t miss the magical film The Snowman shown on the big screen, accompanied by the Orchestra and narrated by a special guest. It’s the perfect start to your Christmas.
SCO Chorus Christmas Concert: Snow on Snow
Greyfriar's Kirk, Edinburgh, 19-20 December
The simple beauty of unaccompanied voices – what better way to celebrate the coming festive season?
The SCO Chorus’s annual Christmas concert has become a firm fixture in Scotland’s musical calendar: experience the singers’ radiant tones under expert director Gregory Batsleer in music to warm your heart and lift your spirit.
In Quatre motets pour le temps de Noël Poulenc provides four exquisite miniature scenes from the nativity story, while revered choral composer and conductor Eric Whitacre’s Lux Aurumque is a shimmering contemplation of the season, and SCO Associate Composer Jay Capperauld unveils a brand new-choral piece, a setting of Niall Campbell's poem The Night Watch.
City of Glasgow Chorus: Christmas Cracker
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 17 December
The City of Glasgow Chorus returns with the Orchestra of Scottish Opera for its annual festive celebration, with Christmas favourites including O Holy Night, Carol of the Bells, Sleigh Ride, White Christmas and many more.
Best Christmas concerts: Wales
Christmas with the Treorchy Male Voice Choir
St David's Hall, Cardiff, 4 December
Bringing you that festive feeling, Treorchy Male Choir (whom we named one of the world's best choirs) return to St David’s Hall to raise funds for Tŷ Hafan children’s hospice.
The Snowman including Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers
St David's Hall, Cardiff, 7 December
Festive screening of two of the UK’s best-loved and iconic animated films, The Snowman and Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers, with live accompaniment from a professional orchestra.
Presented by Carrot Productions – the world's leading performers of The Snowman film with orchestra, currently celebrating their 10th anniversary – their award-winning show is brought to life in spectacular fashion by the UK's finest musicians.
Alongside The Snowman film, a whistle-stop Christmas guide to the orchestra and a visit from the Snowman himself, join everyone’s favourite cheese-loving inventor, Wallace and his trusty companion, Gromit in Aardman’s multi award-winning film, The Wrong Trousers.
After the performance, everyone is welcome to come down to meet the musicians, see their instruments and admire their amazing costumes.
The Sixteen at Christmas
St David's Hall, Cardiff, 3 December
The wonderful choir The Sixteen present their 2023 Christmas programme, a beautiful collection of music from the Middle Ages right up to the present day. Their 2023 programme takes its inspiration from the story at the heart of the season: the nativity.
Traditional and modern arrangements of festive favourites, including A Boy was Born in Bethlehem, and There is no rose, mix with the medieval sounds of Hildegard of Bingen and the familiar Renaissance voices of Sheppard, Lobo and Byrd.
Best Christmas concerts: Northern Ireland
Ulster Orchestra: The Snowman Family Concert
Waterfront Hall, Belfast, 2 December
Journey through the classic tale of The Snowman with the Ulster Orchestra.
Experience the timeless tale of a boy and his magical Snowman, shown on a big screen and accompanied by the Orchestra and young guest soloists.
Ulster Orchestra: Handel's Messiah
Waterfront Hall, Belfast, 9 December
The Ulster Orchestra bring that great English-language Christmas oratorio, Handel's Messiah, to the Waterfront Hall. Also featuring the Belfast Philharmonic Choir and guest soloists.
Ulster Orchestra: The Magic of Christmas
Waterfront Hall, Belfast, 21 December
Ulster Orchestra returns for another evening of festive cheer. An entertaining night for the whole family, featuring an enchanting programme of Christmas and movie classics including White Christmas, O Holy Night, All I want for Christmas and more.
Best Christmas concerts: England (North)
York Early Music Christmas Festival
York, 2-9 December
The York Early Music Christmas Festival was created in 1997 to introduce audiences to the extraordinary wealth of music associated with Advent, Christmas and Epiphany, from the Medieval to the Baroque, intertwined with the sagas, stories and tales of the north.
The 2023 Festival features performances from the Gesualdo Six and Fretwork presenting their ‘Secret Byrd’ (see clip below), and closes with Yorkshire Baroque Soloists performing Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. Other guests include Fiddlesticks with violinists Kati Debretzeni, Huw Daniels and Debbie Diamond, harpsichordist Steven Devine and Kinga Gaborjani cello; the Marian Consort directed by Rory McCleery; The Harmonious Society of Tickle-Fiddle Gentlemen directed by Robert Rawson; Ceruleo; and Flutes & Frets.
Hallé Carol Concert
Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, 16 & 17 December
Stephen Bell conducts and presents the Hallé’s annual traditional celebration of Christmas. There will be carols for choir and audience, as well as a stockingful of the most beautiful and magical music performed by the Hallé in seasonal mood.
Carols to be performed include The First Nowell, Carol of the Bells, Star Carol, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Away in a Manger, The Holly and The Ivy, O Come All Ye Faithful, the Hallé Children’s Choir performing We Need a Little Christmas and more.
Best Christmas concerts: England (Midlands)
A CBSO Choral Christmas with Anna Lapwood
Symphony Hall,Birmingham, 19 & 20 DecemberJoin the full CBSO family, including the massed choirs and full orchestra, alongside conductor Simon Halsey and the brilliant organist, choir director, presenter and TikTok classical sensation Anna Lapwood for an evening full of Christmas cheer.The packed festive programme will include Ding Dong! Merrily on High, Ave Maria, Hark! the Herald Angels Sing, Sleigh Ride, The Night Before Christmas, Like it's Christmas, We Wish You A Merry Christmas and more.
Ex Cathedra: Christmas Music by Candlelight
St Chad's Shrewsbury, 1 December / St James the Greater, Leicester, 2 December / St John's Church, Hagley, 5 December / Hereford Cathedral, 6 December / Lichfield Cathedral, 7 December / St Peter's Collegiate Church, Wolverhampton, 9 December / St Martin-in-the-Fields, London, 12 December / Coventry Cathedral, 14 December / St Paul's Church, Birmingham, 15-16 & 18-20 December
Jeffrey Skidmore’s choir presents another exquisitely performed sequence of seasonal favourites, little-known gems and inspiring new music – with readings to make you smile and reflect. All performed by candlelight, creating a magical atmosphere at this most wonderful time of the year.
The Sixteen at Christmas
Uppingham School, 2 December
See Wales above.
Best Christmas concerts: England (South)
Christmas Spectacular
St George's Bristol, 16 & 18 December
Bristol Ensemble are joined by the 90-strong City of Bristol Choir (16 December) and accomplished chamber choir Exultate Singers (18 December) for an entertaining and uplifting evening of Christmas music and readings, conducted by David Ogden.
Handel's Messiah by Candlelight
St George's Bristol, 21 December
Bristol Ensemble and the Choir of Royal Holloway return to St George’s Bristol in another collaboration as they bring to life Handel’s masterpiece Messiah in a semi-staged performance.
Talented young soloists drawn from the choir will perform the work’s arias from positions around the hall, bringing a freshness and vitality to this astonishing and compelling work.
Christmas Day Sung Eucharist
Westminster Abbey, 25 December
Celebrate Christmas Day at Westminster Abbey. This Eucharist includes the singing of Christmas Carols, music from the Abbey Choir, a sermon and Holy Communion, lasting about 90 minutes.
Carols at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall, 16-17 & 21-24 December
Carol concerts at the Royal Albert Hall have become a festive favourite over the years and 2023 is no exception.
Performers at this year's carol concerts include the Royal Choral Society, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, National Youth Choirs of Great Britain, presenters Jess Gillam and Greg Beardsell, soloists Cleopatra Rey and Zara McFarlane, and conductor Richard Cooke.
Christmas by Candlelight
Exeter Cathedral, 16 December
Join Exeter Chamber Choir for a magical evening of favourite carols and Christmas songs in close harmony, plus a colourful band of instruments supporting seasonal classics by Bach, Berlioz, Corelli and Elgar.
Including: Silent Night, Away in a Manger, Ding Dong! Merrily on High, In Dulci Jubilo, The Shepherds’ Farewell, The Snow, parts of the Corelli Christmas Concerto, Bach Christmas Oratorio and much more!
The Sixteen at Christmas
Anvil, Basingstoke, 29 November / St John the Evangelist, Oxford 9 December / Cadogan Hall, London, 14 & 15 December
See Wales above.
Glyndebourne Christmas Concert 2023
Lewes, 9-10 & 16-17 December
From favourite carols to orchestral showpieces, Glyndebourne's popular Christmas Concerts shine a spotlight on the talents of the Glyndebourne Chorus and the Glyndebourne Sinfonia, and provide a festive finale to the year.
The concert starts with opera highlights – rousing tunes that will stay in your head long after the curtain comes down. This is followed by yuletide classics and carols for all.
St John’s Smith Square Christmas Festival
St John’s Smith Square, London, 7-23 December
The 38th instalment of St John’s perennially popular Christmas Festival includes visits from the Tallis Scholars, Polyphony, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Southbank Sinfonia, the Gesualdo Six, the London Concert Choir and the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge.
A hugely tempting array of festive fare, across a wide range of eras, styles and performance approaches.
Messiah
Snape Maltings, 21 December
Ring in the Christmas season in spectacular style in the Snape Maltings Concert Hall with a festive performance of Handel’s Messiah.
With soloists drawn from alumni of the international Britten Pears Young Artist Programme, the players of the Suffolk Ensemble (world-class musicians who have chosen to make Suffolk their home), and resident chamber choir Aldeburgh Voices.
