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THURSDAY - DECEMBER 11th
After Dark @ MIT Museum @ 6PM Enjoy an adult-only lively evening of entertainment, science, and tinkering.
Dogpark @ Paradise Rock Club @ 7PM With Kids That Fly
The Ladybug @ Deep Cuts @ 7PM With Giant Day & Gold Dust
FRIDAY - DECEMBER 12th
North End Holiday Stroll @ 5PM Explore the festively decorated streets of Little Italy while shopping local independently-owned shops, galleries, and more!
Artful Evenings @ MFA @ 7PM
This special event series include entertaining and quirky tours and art-making activities for adults with rotating themes that connect the Museum’s collections to both pop and niche culture.
Candlelight: The Best of Hans Zimmer @ Temple Ohabei Shalom @ 7PM / 9PM Hear Hans Zimmer’s best soundtracks from ‘Inception,’ ‘The Lion King,’ ‘Interstellar,’ ‘The Dark Knight,’ and more.
The 8-Bit Big Band @ Berklee Performance Center @ 8PM Blending contemporary jazz with bold, imaginative arrangements, the ensemble transforms beloved video game themes into fresh, standalone musical experiences.
Machine Gun Kelly @ TD Garden @ 8PM With Julia Wolf
J.I.D @ MGM Music Hall @ 8PM With Young Nudy
Ghost Hounds @ House of Blues @ 7PM With Dalton & The Sheriffs
PVRIS @ Roadrunner @ 8PM With Dua Saleh
Moon Hooch @ Paradise Rock Club @ 7PM With Octave Cat
Junction 18 @ Brighton Music Hall @ 6PM With Rebuilder, Choke Up, & Unseemlier
Glassjaw + Saves The Day @ The Palladium @ 6:30PM With Piebald, Soul Blind, & All Under Heaven
T.3 @ City Winery @ 7:30PM With Electric Youth
AJ Suede @ Deep Cuts @ 7PM With Phiik & Lungs
Let’s Rock Cancer 2025 Benefit Concert @ Crystal Ballroom @ 6:30PM Featuring Vapors of Morphine, The Chelsea Curve, & more
SATURDAY - DECEMBER 13th
Holiday Drone Show @ Boston Common Celebrate the Magic of the Season at Boston Common with dazzling drone displays, presented by Meet Boston and the City of Boston. Ends 12/20.
Holiday Stroll @ Seaport @ 1PM Enjoy an afternoon of seasonal splendor across the entire Seaport neighborhood. Think twinkling décor, one-of-a-kind shopping, and holiday indulgences.
Holiday Stroll @ MarketStreet in Lynnfield @ 2PM Celebrate the season with an afternoon of holiday shopping, family-friendly activities, and festive surprises throughout the property.
Mix 104’s Deck the Hall Ball @ Agganis Arena @ 7:30PM Enjoy a night of unforgettable music and holiday cheer featuring AJR, Max McNown, and more incredible artists.
Whiskey Myers @ Orpheum Theatre @ 7PM With Bones Owens & Rob Leines
The Happy Fits @ House of Blues @ 7PM With Pom Pom Squad & Double Standard
Saddest Day 2025 Fest @ Roadrunner @ 3:30PM Featuring Converge, Touché Amoré, Coalesce, The Hope Conspiracy, Soul Glo, & more
Will Dailey @ Paradise Rock Club @ 6:30PM With Copilot & Julie Rhodes
Stolen Gin @ The Sinclair @ 8PM With Theo Kandel
MAKUTA @ The Lilypad @ 4:30PM With Keli Nicole Price
SUNDAY - DECEMBER 14th
29th Annual Ciclismo Classico Jingle Ride @ Arlington @ 10AM Join one of the longest-running Boston holiday sporting events and spread holiday cheer on two wheels at this festive bike parade from Arlington to Boston.
East Boston Holiday Bazaar @ ICA @ 1PM Shop local makers, artisans, and fooderies, and enjoy family-friendly music and dance performances.
Teen Makers Holiday Market @ Time Out Market @ 12PM Shop unique, handmade gifts crafted by local teen artisans.
The Vegan Market @ Arts at the Armory @ 11AM Shop small and find vegan food, baked goods, and handmade gifts for the holiday season, all vegan and sustainable!
Kiss 108 Jingle Ball Annual Concert @ TD Garden @ 6PM Featuring Ed Sheeran, Laufey, MOLIY, Myles Smith, Olivia Dean, Ravyn Lenae, Sean Paul, Zara Larsson, & more
Cursive @ Brighton Music Hall @ 7PM With AJJ
TRSH @ The Sinclair @ 7PM With Thoughts on Bowling, Kerosene Heights, & Primrose
ALL WEEKEND
FRIDAY & SATURDAY - Millennium Gospel Choir @ MFA Experience the joy, virtuosity, and power of the Millennium Gospel Choir in a series of concerts that have become a beloved staple of the holiday season at the MFA. Ends 12/20.
FRIDAY & SATURDAY - Shit-faced Shakespeare: ‘Hamlet’ Play @ The Rockwell Shakespeare’s timeless examination of human nature is reimagined in this raucous, interactive and vibrant theater experience where no show is the same. Ends 2/14/2026.
SATURDAY & SUNDAY - FTC Boston Music Festival @ Big Night Live Featuring Twitching Tongues, Xibalba, Yellow Stitches, Skinhead, Balmora, & more.
SATURDAY & SUNDAY - Computer Science Education Weekend @ MoS Connect with local inventors, computer scientists, roboticists, and others exploring the exciting world of computer science.
All weekend - Frozen Fire Festival @ The Anchor The city’s coolest winter festival is back with dynamic winter-themed entertainment, artisan shopping, ice and fire installations, cirque performances, and exciting food and beverage options.
All weekend - Visit with Santa @ Stone Zoo Experience the wonder of the season with a special visit with Santa at ZooLights! Ends 12/23.
All weekend - Black Business Holiday Marketplace @ One Brattle Square The 4th Annual Black Business Holiday Marketplace invites the community to discover unique, hand-crafted gifts and holiday treasures.
All weekend - Harvard Square Holiday Fair @ Brattle Square One of the area's most beloved holiday markets is back on select weekends this December. Ends 12/21.
All weekend - Drop-In Artmaking @ MFA
Get inspired by artwork in the collection, then use the art materials provided to create a work of your own.
All weekend - ‘’Twas the Night Before’ Cirque Performance @ Wang Theatre Cirque du Soleil’s new festive show brings a flurry of love, Christmas cheer, thrilling acrobatics and hugely lovable characters that will create a new holiday tradition for families to cherish. Ends 12/14.
All weekend - ‘Urban Nutcracker’ Ballet @ Shubert Theatre This classic dance theatrical will showcase winter scenes set in present-day downtown Boston, blending the rhythms of Duke Ellington with the classical music of Tchaikovsky. Ends 12/21.
All weekend - ‘The Nutcracker’ Ballet @ Citizens Bank Opera House Boston Ballet’s annual production of ‘The Nutcracker’ is an exquisite spectacular featuring some of the world’s most challenging choreography and Tchaikovsky’s magical score performed by the Boston Ballet Orchestra. Ends 12/28.
All weekend - ‘The Slutcracker’ Burlesque Show @ Somerville Theatre Come see why people travel from across the globe to witness this homegrown burlesque spectacular. Ends 1/4/2026.
All weekend - Under the Covers Music Festival @ Passim Back for its 22nd year, Under the Covers returns for several shows of wildly unpredictable interpretations of tunes you love from Fleetwood Mac, Paula Abdul, Kenny Loggins, Blondie, and more!
All weekend - Holiday Pops @ Symphony Hall Listen to Christmas classics performed by the Boston Pops orchestra lead by Keith Lockhart at Symphony Hall. Ends 12/24.
All weekend - ‘A Celtic Christmas’ Performance @ Calderwood Pavilion Prepare to be enchanted with some of the world’s finest Irish dancers and musicians bringing the spirit of Christmas to life, in a show that will make you laugh, cry, and sing into the night. Ends 12/14.
All weekend - ‘Wonder’ Musical @ Loeb Drama Center Based on R.J. Palacio’s novel and hit feature film, this uplifting new musical follows the Pullman family as they navigate change, identity, and what it means to belong. Ends 2/8/2026.
All weekend - ‘A Christmas Carol’ Musical @ North Shore Music Theatre Join the more than one million people who have been dazzled by this original, award-winning adaptation based on Charles Dickens’ classic novella. Ends 12/21.
All weekend - ‘A Christmas Carol’ Musical @ Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre Step into the magic of Victorian England and rediscover the heart and soul of the holiday season with Commonwealth Shakespeare Company. Ends 12/23.
All weekend - ‘Black Nativity’ Musical @ Emerson Paramount Center This lively retelling features jubilant gospel music, dramatic dance, black vernacular, and Biblical narrative. Ends 12/21.
All weekend - ‘Fun Home’ Musical @ The Huntington Theatre Winner of five Tony Awards including Best Musical, ‘Fun Home’ is a beloved, groundbreaking, and emotionally rich story of seeing your parents through grown-up eyes. Ends 12/14.
All weekend - ‘The Sound of Music’ Musical @ Company Theatre Revisit the world’s most beloved musicals with The Company Theatre. Ends 12/21.
All weekend - ‘Annie’ Musical @ Wheelock Family Theatre
Beloved family musical about Little Orphan Annie, kicking off its Boston run this weekend. Ends 12/21.
All weekend - ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ Play @ Emerson Colonial Theatre Experience the wizarding world like never before at this record-breaking hit that brings the beloved story to the stage through astonishing theatrical magic. Ends 12/20.
All weekend - ‘A Sherlock Carol’ Play @ Lyric Stage This fresh and charming reimagining of two of the most beloved literary characters is a Dickens of a yuletide detective story that’s as “good as gold.” Ends 12/21.
All weekend - ‘The Tempest’ Play @ BCA Plaza Theatre Queer Artists & Players conjures a glittering queer fantasia of Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’: a whirlwind of high fantasy, campy spectacle, and Dungeons & Dragons–inspired adventure.
ONGOING
Ongoing - Holiday Shopping Market @ Boston Public Market This holiday season, shop from 30+ small businesses selling unique handmade gifts, organic and homemade products, and more for your holiday needs. Ends 12/21.
Ongoing - SoWa Winter Festival @ SoWa Power Station The annual festival brings 125+ of the region's best small businesses selling everything from specialty food, art, crafts, and other goods. Ends 12/28.
Ongoing - Snowport @ Seaport Find gifts, treats, and plenty of family-friendly activities and surprises in this one-stop wonderland you can enjoy all christmas season. Ends 12/28.
Ongoing - WinterFest @ The Yard at Charlestown Prepare to be dazzled by stunning light displays, thrilling amusements, and a fantastic winter market brimming with artisanal vendors. Ends 12/30.
Ongoing - Holiday Shoppes @ Tuscan Village Tuscan Village is bringing back its open-air holiday market featuring 50+ small businesses and artisans. Ends 12/24.
Ongoing - Zoo Lights @ Stone Zoo Enter a winter wonderland of tree-lined paths lit by thousands of twinkling lights spanning Stone Zoo's 26 acres. Ends 1/4/2026.
Ongoing - Night Lights: Dazzling Gardens @ New England Botanic Garden Celebrate the season at the Botanic Garden with a winter light display like no other in the region! Ends 1/4/2026.
Ongoing - Gardens Aglow @ Heritage Museums & Gardens
This treasured holiday experience features beautiful light displays throughout the gardens, festive seasonal décor, and fun activities for all. Ends 12/27.
Ongoing - Edaville Festival of Lights @ Carver Experience one of New England’s oldest Christmas traditions featuring steam trains, Christmas lights, vintage amusement rides, Santa, and more! Ends 12/28.
Ongoing - Winterlights Winterlights returns to three special locations around Massachusetts with dazzling light displays, festive music, seasonal treats, and more. Ends 1/3/2026.
Ongoing - Historic Holiday Stroll @ Freedom Trail
Guided Dickens-inspired walk along the Freedom Trail highlighting Boston’s holiday traditions and lights. Ends 12/27.
Ongoing - Somerville Winter Farmers Market @ Arts at the Armory @ 9:30AM Saturdays* - This weekly winter market features 70+ local food vendors with the best locally grown and regionally produced foods.
Ongoing - ‘Monsters of the Deep: Between Imagination and Science’ Exhibition @ MIT Museum Using historical prints, this exhibit traces the scientific process of observing, measuring, and describing that turned whales from monsters into mammals. Ends 1/2026.
Ongoing - ‘Martin Puryear: Nexus’ Exhibition @ MFA The exhibition brings together sculptor Martin Puryear’s diverse artworks, highlighting his elaborate craftsmanship and sophisticated sources of inspiration—from global cultures, social history, and the natural world. Ends 2/8/2026.
Ongoing - ‘Of Light and Air: Winslow Homer in Watercolor’ Exhibition @ MFA Follow the major chapters in seminal American artist Winslow Homer’s career and learn about the various environments—ecological, artistic, social, and economic—that shaped his enduring work in watercolor. Ends 1/19/2026.
Ongoing - ‘Rituals for Remembering’ Exhibition @ MFA This exhibition brings together works by influential Cuban artists María Magdalena Campos-Pons and Ana Mendieta whose art explores the notions of displacement, exile, and nature as transformative tool. Ends 2/15/2026.
Ongoing - Fall 2025 Exhibitions @ ISG Museum Paying homage to a seminal African American artist and lifelong Bostonian Allan Rohan, these series of exhibitions raise questions of whose legacy is preserved and what stories a metropolis reveals. Ends 1/19/2026.
Ongoing - ‘Portia Zvavahera: Hidden Battles / Hondo dzakavanzika’ Exhibition @ ICA Inspired by Indigenous Shona and African Pentecostal faith traditions, Zimbabwean artist Portia Zvavahera’s exhibition centers around wild animals, where bulls, snakes, rats, and owls represent mysterious forces and potential threats. Ends 1/19/2026.
Ongoing - ‘Sketch, Shade, Smudge: Drawing from Gray to Black’ Exhibition @ Harvard Art Museums This exhibition celebrates the act of drawing using familiar tools—charcoal, chalk, crayon, and graphite, showcasing how simple tools can be powerful vehicles for artistic expression. Ends 1/18/2026.
Ongoing - ‘Jung Yeondoo: Building Dreams’ Exhibition @ Peabody Essex Museum Photographing ordinary families and individuals, Artist Jung Yeondoo’s work invites viewers to take a closer look at those strangers we don’t notice and imagine their dreams. Ends 1/25/2026.
Ongoing - ‘Draw Me Ishmael: The Book Arts of Moby Dick’ Exhibition @ Peabody Essex Museum ‘Draw Me Ishmael’ is the first exhibition focused on the book arts of the hundreds of editions of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick - the most persistently pictured of all American novels. Ends 3/29/2026.
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