Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra: Yuletide Celebration

Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra: Yuletide Celebration at Hilbert Circle Theatre

Tap-dancing Santas, cirque artists and a full orchestra share the bill at the ISO’s 40th Yuletide Celebration. On December 4, 2026, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra brings its 40th-anniversary Yuletide Celebration to Hilbert Circle Theatre, and the night starts at 7:30 PM. Instead of a quiet evening of carols from the back row, you get a full orchestra, vocalists, cirque artists and choreography sharing one stage. That is a very different kind of holiday night.

The variety is the draw. Curtis Bannister hosts, and his background spans Broadway, opera and concert performance. Jack Everly conducts. Returning favorites include ’Twas the Night Before Christmas and tap-dancing Santas, which gives longtime fans something familiar to look forward to and gives first-timers a charming surprise. Then the spectacle widens. Cyr wheel performer Nick Hodge and rolla bolla performer Ermiyas Muluken join the program, so your eyes get as much of a holiday treat as your ears. ISO violinists Kevin Lin and Sherry Hong are also announced in a duet, a nice reminder that the musicians themselves are part of the show.

Think about who you could bring. Parents, grandparents, friends, a date, the cousin who says holiday traditions are overrated. It is a shared outing in downtown Indianapolis, with a 40th-anniversary edition behind it and a December date on the calendar. Skip the scroll-and-sigh evening at home. Pick the night you want to remember, gather your people and secure your seats for Yuletide Celebration at Hilbert Circle Theatre.