Indy Ballet & Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra: The Nutcracker

Indy Ballet & Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra: The Nutcracker at Clowes Memorial Hall

Live orchestra and live ballet meet in one room as Clara's Christmas Eve grows into an enchanted adventure. On December 20, 2026, at 6:00 PM, Indy Ballet & Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra: The Nutcracker gives your season a real night out instead of another evening on the couch. See the Clowes Memorial Hall venue guide for location and visitor information.

The big draw is simple: ballet and orchestra share the same performance. The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra performs the music while Indianapolis Ballet tells the story, so what you hear and what you see move together in the moment. That is a different feeling from a recording. It is the sound of an orchestra rising as Clara steps out of her familiar Christmas world and into the Land of the Sweets. The contrast is the fun. Cozy holiday warmth gives way to snowflakes, flowers and the Sugar Plum Fairy, a visual world built for wide eyes at any age.

It also matters that this is a local company's own tradition. Indianapolis Ballet traces its Nutcracker to 2007, and this production is the full collaboration at Clowes, not the one-hour Nutcracker Sweets. Bring family, bring a friend, or make it the night you finally treat yourself to something grand. You will leave with a story you actually watched unfold and a holiday memory that belongs to your own city. Don't let December slip by without it. Secure your seats for The Nutcracker at Clowes Memorial Hall and make this year's celebration one worth remembering.