The Nutcracker is at the Polk Theatre Dec. 20; the Lakeland Symphony plays Carols Dec. 19-20, and Cirque Dreams Holidaze is at the RP Funding Center Nov. 19.

The Nutcracker comes to the Polk Theatre at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20, and the Lakeland Symphony Orchestra plays its Carols concerts the same weekend. Lakeland’s holiday stage season starts Nov. 19 with Cirque Dreams Holidaze at the RP Funding Center.

Updated Nov. 7: the orchestra now lists the Carols times itself (7 p.m. Dec. 19, 2 p.m. Dec. 20); Lakeland Community Theatre’s Disney’s Frozen, Dec. 11 to 20, added.

Last checked Nov. 7, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Sources: the Polk Theatre’s box office, the Lakeland Symphony Orchestra, the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority’s calendar and the RP Funding Center’s events page.

The Nutcracker

  • The Nutcracker, presented by the International Ballet of Florida, 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20, Polk Theatre, 121 S. Florida Ave. One performance is listed. Tickets through the Polk Theatre box office or 863-682-7553.
  • RP Funding Center: no Nutcracker was listed on the center’s events page as of Nov. 7. Local dance schools announce their December shows through the fall; we will add any other Lakeland performance here when it is announced.

Holiday concerts

  • Lakeland Symphony Orchestra: Carols, 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20, at Branscomb Auditorium at Florida Southern College, 111 Lake Hollingsworth Drive. The program includes Stanford’s A Christmas Carol Symphony and Anderson’s Christmas Festival, the orchestra says. Tickets $60 reserved and $30 general admission; students free with the code the orchestra lists. Lakeland Symphony Orchestra.
  • Almost Carpenters Christmas Show, 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, Polk Theatre. A Carpenters tribute holiday show. Box office.
  • Magical Motown Christmas, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5, RP Funding Center, the center’s calendar shows.
  • Celtic Angels Christmas, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15, Polk Theatre. Box office.

Holiday stage shows

  • Cirque Dreams Holidaze, Thursday, Nov. 19, RP Funding Center, 701 W. Lime St. A holiday circus show with aerial acts, jugglers, acrobats and live holiday music; one performance only. The date is on the RP Funding Center’s calendar; check its box office for the curtain time.
  • Swan Lake: Symphony of Lights, 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving, Polk Theatre. Box office.
  • Disney’s Frozen, Lakeland Community Theatre, 121 S. Lake Ave., Dec. 11 to 20: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19, and 2 p.m. Dec. 12, 13, 19 and 20. Tickets $24 to $30. Lakeland Community Theatre.

All the dates

Date Show Venue
Thursday, Nov. 19 Cirque Dreams Holidaze RP Funding Center
Friday, Nov. 27, 7 p.m. Swan Lake: Symphony of Lights Polk Theatre
Saturday, Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m. Magical Motown Christmas RP Funding Center
Dec. 11 to 20 Disney’s Frozen Lakeland Community Theatre
Saturday, Dec. 12, 7 p.m. Almost Carpenters Christmas Show Polk Theatre
Tuesday, Dec. 15, 7:30 p.m. Celtic Angels Christmas Polk Theatre
Saturday, Dec. 19, 7 p.m. Lakeland Symphony Orchestra: Carols Branscomb Auditorium
Sunday, Dec. 20, 2 p.m. Lakeland Symphony Orchestra: Carols Branscomb Auditorium
Sunday, Dec. 20, 2 p.m. The Nutcracker Polk Theatre

Parking

  • Polk Theatre: downtown city-owned lots, garages and street spaces are free after 5 p.m. and all day on weekends, the LDDA says. A Sunday matinee needs no meter. See our downtown Lakeland guide.
  • RP Funding Center: see the center’s directions and parking page before a show.
  • Branscomb Auditorium: on the Florida Southern College campus by Lake Hollingsworth.
  • Check road construction and closures before you drive downtown; the Christmas parade is Thursday, Dec. 3.

What this means for you

  • The Nutcracker has one listed Lakeland performance this year, a Sunday matinee, so book early.
  • The symphony’s Sunday Carols concert and The Nutcracker are on the same afternoon, Dec. 20.
  • Running a holiday show, recital or concert in Lakeland? Send it through our contact page.

Related: Christmas parade and tree lighting, holiday lights and Christmas events, Snowfest at Lake Mirror and arts and exhibitions this month.

Frequently asked questions

When is The Nutcracker in Lakeland in 2026?

The International Ballet of Florida performs The Nutcracker at the Polk Theatre, 121 S. Florida Ave., at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20, 2026, according to the theater’s box office.

Is there a Nutcracker at the RP Funding Center this year?

None was listed on the RP Funding Center’s events page as of Oct. 14, 2026. The Lakeland Nutcracker on sale as of Oct. 14 is the Polk Theatre matinee on Dec. 20. We will add any other performance here when it is announced.

When is the Lakeland Symphony Orchestra’s Christmas concert?

Carols, in the orchestra’s Jenkins Memorial Symphony Series, is Saturday, Dec. 19, and Sunday, Dec. 20, at Branscomb Auditorium at Florida Southern College. Tickets are $60 reserved and $30 general admission, and students get in free, the orchestra says.

What holiday shows are at the Polk Theatre?

Swan Lake: Symphony of Lights on Nov. 27, the Almost Carpenters Christmas Show on Dec. 12, Celtic Angels Christmas on Dec. 15 and The Nutcracker on Dec. 20, according to the theater’s box office.