The Glasshouse International Centre for Music has unveiled its Christmas programme for 2026, promising more than a month of festive entertainment, live music and family experiences from Thursday 26th November 2026 to 1st January 2027.
The packed programme brings together an eclectic mix of performers, from television presenter Matt Baker and acclaimed folk singer Kate Rusby to former Spandau Ballet frontman Tony Hadley, The Zutons’ Dave McCabe and North East favourites Hector Gannett. Audiences can also look forward to spectacular dance productions, festive film screenings accompanied by live orchestras and the return of much-loved seasonal concerts.
Among the highlights are the return of Home Alone in Concert and The Snowman in Concert, alongside two new additions for 2026: Home Alone 2: Lost in New York Live in Concert and The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert.
This year’s celebrations also mark the first Christmas season in Sage One following its summer refurbishment, welcoming audiences back to the venue’s flagship concert hall for a festive programme combining established traditions with new experiences.
A festive season packed with live music
The celebrations begin on Thursday 27th November when Tony Hadley brings his Christmas Big Band Tour 2026 to Sage One. The former Spandau Ballet frontman will perform seasonal favourites alongside songs associated with legendary entertainers Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Elvis Presley. His distinctive vocals, charismatic stage presence and big band sound promise a lively opening to the Christmas season.
On the same evening, North East band Hector Gannett return to Sage Two with The Great Shakedown, performing their latest and most expansive record in full. Praised by Sam Fender, MOJO and BBC 6 Music, the band’s ambitious sound incorporates bold brass arrangements, choir and church bells recorded at Christ Church in North Shields.
The following evening, audiences can choose between country music celebration One Night in Nashville in Sage One and a performance by North East folk favourites Bob Fox and Stu Luckley in Sage Two.
The variety continues with the London Symphonic Rock Orchestra on Sunday 29th November, bringing iconic rock anthems to life through orchestral arrangements. December then welcomes Swing Into Christmas on Wednesday 2nd December and the festive singalong Christmas Massaoke on Thursday 3rd December.
That same evening, Dave McCabe of The Zutons performs a solo show in Sage Two, joined by special guest James Jay Lewis. The performance will span McCabe’s career, combining familiar songs with new material. The Wandering Hearts follow on Sunday 6th December with I’m Dreaming of a Wandering Hearts Christmas.
Dance takes centre stage on Monday 7th December with Xmas on the Dancefloor, a new festive spectacular featuring Strictly Come Dancing favourite Gorka Márquez, live singers, world-class dancers and the Xmas Dolls. Blending ballroom, Latin, contemporary and commercial styles with festive favourites and pop anthems, the production promises a high-energy night out.
Grammy Award-winning singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Rhiannon Giddens performs on Tuesday 8th December, while saxophonist Jess Gillam and her ensemble arrive on Thursday 10th December with a genre-spanning mix of classical, folk and contemporary music.
Later in the month, A Jazzy Christmas celebrates its tenth anniversary at The Glasshouse on Satur 19 December. Pianist Paul Edis, vocalist Jo Harrop and a nine-piece band will reinterpret seasonal favourites through swinging big band arrangements, sambas and other jazz styles. North East favourite Jez Lowe and the Bad Pennies round off the festive nights-out programme with Defrosted! on 20 December.
Christmas traditions return across the region
Beyond the main venue, Royal Northern Sinfonia will take festive music into communities across the North East and Cumbria through its annual Winter Tour, running from 26 November to 3 December.
The tour will visit Alnwick, Redcar, Hexham, Richmond, Heaton, Kendal, Sunderland, Hartlepool, Berwick, Pickering, Rothbury, Carlisle and Cullercoats, bringing live orchestral performances to audiences across the region.
Alongside the main tour, the Brass and Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia will perform at Newcastle Cathedral, Durham Cathedral and St George’s, Jesmond, from 26 to 28 November. Led by chorus director Tim Burke, the performances will journey through five centuries of festive music, combining traditional carols and classical favourites with The Christmas Song.
Back at The Glasshouse, one of Britain’s best-loved folk singers, Kate Rusby, returns on 14 December with her acclaimed Christmas show, continuing a seasonal tradition for many audiences.
The Scottish Christmas Songbook follows on 15 December, with Sinfonia of London presenting A Christmas Songbook on 16 December.
On 17 December, television presenter Matt Baker returns for Christmas at The Glasshouse. He will join Royal Northern Sinfonia, Associate Conductor Ellie Slorach, Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia and Voices of the Rivers’ Edge for an evening of seasonal music, stories and celebration.
The programme concludes on New Year’s Day, 1 January, with the traditional Viennese New Year’s Day Concert, welcoming audiences into 2027.
Festive films brought to life by live orchestras
Film lovers and families can enjoy some of Christmas cinema’s most enduring favourites in Sage One, accompanied by live orchestral performances.
Home Alone in Concert returns on 5 and 6 December, with Royal Northern Sinfonia performing John Williams’ much-loved score alongside the film. Families can also enjoy Christmas at the Musicals on 9 December, celebrating songs from some of the West End’s best-loved productions, followed by the Big Family Festive Gig on 12 and 13 December.
Two new concert experiences make their Glasshouse debuts this year. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York Live in Concert arrives on 20 December, followed by The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert on 22 December.
Raymond Briggs’ timeless festive classic The Snowman in Concert returns on 23 and 24 December, accompanied by Royal Northern Sinfonia and a young North East soloist performing the iconic Walking in the Air.
Between Christmas and New Year, 007 in Concert takes audiences through more than six decades of James Bond music in a spectacular orchestral celebration on 30 December.
Jo Thornson, Director of Contemporary Music at The Glasshouse, said Christmas remained one of the venue’s most special times of year, bringing together returning audiences and first-time visitors.
She said the programme combined much-loved favourites with exciting new experiences, from introducing children to The Snowman to sharing a festive night out with friends or enjoying world-class live music together.
The Christmas programme runs from 26 November 2026 to 1 January 2027, with tickets for all performances on sale now at theglasshouseicm.org.
