20+ theatre shows in and near Cardiff for Christmas 2026

Whether you’re looking for a classic festive panto, a big musical, a fresh take on a classic tale, or a cosy show for the youngest of theatregoers, you are spoiled for choice this festive season. I’ve rounded up more than 20 productions taking place in Cardiff and surrounding areas over the Christmas period, and a couple of shows not to miss taking place in the run-up to the festive season.

Lots of these are selling fast, with some popular dates already sold out, so do book as soon as you can to avoid disappointment.

Let me know anything I’ve missed in the comments on any of my social media channels and please remember all events are subject to change and cancellation so do check ahead with organisers.

I share lots of days out ideas here on my blog as well as on my social media channels. Do give me a follow and let me help you take the stress out of finding ideas for local days out.

For more ideas of family days out in and around Cardiff, follow Cardiff Mummy Says on Instagram, on Facebook, or on TikTok

20+ theatre shows in and near Cardiff for Christmas 2026

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Owain & Henry

Wales Millennium Centre

Thursday 5-Saturday 28 November

Age guidance 14+, no under 2s

From £17

Okay, not strictly Christmas, but definitely unmissable! The iconic Michael Sheen and Welsh National Theatre present the story of Owain Glyndŵr in this historical epic. Declared an outlaw by King Henry IV, Owain refuses to surrender, instead rising in rebellion. As Henry struggles to keep the throne, the two men find themselves on opposite sides of history, one fighting for survival, the other for control. Very limited availability.

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Pinocchio

Sherman Theatre, Cardiff

Previews 6-7 November; Monday 23 November-Saturday 2 January

Standard tickets £10, pay what you want previews £3, £6, £9

Age guidance 3-6 year olds

This joyful new retelling of Pinocchio is packed with music, laughter, and a host of much-loved characters, brought to life by an actor-musician cast. With an informal setting and seating on mats, benches and chairs, Pinocchio is the perfect introduction to the wonder of live theatre for children aged 3–6 and their families. The Sherman’s annual show for younger children and their families will be performed in Welsh and English at separate performances.

Also touring during November, more info here.

9-10 Nov, Soar Centre, Penygraig

11-12 Nov, Drill Hall, Chepstow

17 Nov, Blackwood Miners’ Institute

19 Nov, The Welfare, Ystradgynlais

21 Nov, Maesteg Town Hall

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Cyw Christmas Show

Riverfront, Newport

Tuesday 10 November, 9.45am, 11.15am and 1.30pm (45 mins)

Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff

Thursday 19-Saturday 22 November

Adults £15, children £7

Cyw’s annual Christmas show is a magical adventure for the whole family. Presenters and lovable characters from Cyw’s World, along with Santa embark on an exciting journey filled with Christmas magic. Welsh language performance for younger children.

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The Merry Adventures of Maid Marion

Sherman Theatre, Cardiff

Friday 27 November-Saturday 2 January

£18-£38, concessions £2 off

Pay what you want previews 27 & 28 Nov, £5, £10, £15, £20 or £25

Age guidance 7+

Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre continues its annual tradition of presenting exceptional festive entertainment that’s that little bit different. The Merry Adventures of Maid Marian is a new take on the famous tale of Robin Hood, set in South Wales, and with the legendary characters brought to life by a cast of actor-musicians. The cast includes Sherman Christmas favourites Keiron Self, Elin Phillips and Owen Alun, alongside several up and coming new performers, with the show written by Paul Dodgson, music and lyrics by Lucy Rivers, directed by Theatr Iolo’s Artistic Director Lee Lyford and produced in association with Theatr Iolo.

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The Abominable Snowman

Weston Studio, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff

Thursday 26-Saturday 28 November, 7pm plus Saturday matinee 3pm

From £12, concessions and under 16s £8

Age guidance 5+

The Abominable Snowman combines the adventure and heart of Raymond Brigg’s The Snowman with the humour and anarchy of award-winning music theatre makers Gagglebabble. Set in the historical big freeze of 1962/3, and starting in Tiger Bay, young Sid and Gef, his talking mongoose companion, travel as far north as they can to try to thaw the heart of the Abominable Snowman and end the Endless Winter.  With puppetry, original music and a Cryptid Trail to before the show, the show is performed by Hijinx Odyssey, an inclusive community theatre group featuring a mixture of actors with learning disabilities and/or autism, and neurotypical actors who perform together as equal partners.

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Cinderella

Riverfront Arts Centre, Newport

Friday 27 November-Thursday 31 December

From £31.75 adults, £29.75 children, family £113

Christmas Cracker Shows: Fri 27 Nov 7pm, Sat 28 Nov 5.30pm, Fri 4 Dec 7pm, Thur 31 Dec 1.30pm & 5.30pm tickets are £18 with no further discounts.

Cinderella dreams of a brighter life far from the clutches of her outrageous stepsisters in this sparkling pantomime adventure. Packed with dazzling costumes, spectacular scenery, cheeky villains, and heaps of audience participation, The Riverfront’s annual pantomime is a perfect festive family treat.

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Basil and the Ice Witch

Cardiff Christmas Festival, Sophia Gardens

Thursday 3-Thursday 24 December

From £20

Age guidance 3+, 90 mins

The beautiful Spiegeltent is back for its fifth year, with a host of seasonal shows for all ages, including this magical family show, Basil and the Ice Witch. As the people of Tickledom prepare for Christmas, the wicked Ice Witch Fluella casts a powerful spell that steals the joy from the land. With Christmas in danger, Basil and the Prince set out with their courageous friends Violet and Marigold to break the spell and restore what has been lost. Along the way, they meet a host of magical characters who offer clues, courage and a little unexpected help.

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Robin Hood (Penarth Opera and Dramatic Society)

Paget Rooms, Penarth

Thursday 3-Sunday 6 December

£14-£18

Join Marian, Robin, and the gang for an adventure with magical potions gone wrong, sing-a-long songs, silly panto jokes, and (of course!) an archery competition. Our hero Robin Hood has returned to Sherwood Forest on a mission to find a secret scroll containing secrets that could overturn the Sheriff of Nottingham’s power. Can he, Marian and their band of brave villagers end the injustice in Sherwood Forest for once and for all?

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Charlotte’s Web

Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff

Friday 4-Thursday 10 December, 7pm plus Tuesday 2pm

£8-£16

E.B. White’s much-loved timeless tale of true friendship is adapted for the stage. Wilbur the pig is sold to a neighbouring farm where he meets a host of enchanting new animals, including the extraordinarily clever spider, Charlotte. She devises an ingenious plan to save the young pig from the dinner plate, using scraps of paper to weave a ‘miracle’ web of words that make Wilbur quite the local celebrity.

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Aladdin

Blackwood Miners’ Institute

Friday 4-Wednesday 30 December

From £24

Rainbow Valley Productions promise laughs a-plenty as they present their annual panto. The classic tale of Aladdin gets the panto treatment with jokes and japes, witty wordplay and silly slapstick alongside singing, dancing, romance, magic and mystery to entertain all ages.

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Beauty and the Beast

New Theatre, Cardiff

Saturday 5 December-Sunday 3 January

From £23.50

TV favourites Gethin Jones and Steve Speirs head the cast in the New Theatre’s annual panto, joined by Cardiff’s favourite panto dame Mike Doyle, comedian Jack Ryan, Tik Tok sensation and Cardiff’s own Jo Osmond, West End performer Jade Davies as Belle and South Wales’s Harri Lloyd-Morgan as The Beast. This family-friendly fairy tale will see jokes, audience participation, and plenty of festive sparkle as the classic story of a proud prince forced to live as a fearsome beast and a bookloving girl who dreams of adventure is reimagined with a panto twist.

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A Christmas Carol

Cardiff Christmas Festival, Sophia Gardens

Tuesday 8-Thursday 10 December, 8pm

From £19.50

The highly acclaimed Dickens Theatre Company arrives in Cardiff, bringing Charles Dickens’ timeless festive classic tale to the Spiegeltent. With the rest of the acting cast stuck on a train, the great Charles Dickens himself, aided by his faithful tour manager George Dolby, takes on the daunting challenge of portraying not just Ebenezer Scrooge, but over 30 other characters in this classic festive tale. Surely it can’t be done? What follows is a fast-paced, imaginative and beautifully faithful retelling of one of the most beloved Christmas stories ever written. From ghostly encounters to moments of warmth and redemption, this production captures all the magic, mystery and meaning of the original tale.

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Scrooge: an abridgment of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol

Insole Court, Cardiff

Tuesday 8-Saturday 12 December

£12

Experience the magic of Charles Dickens’ beloved Christmas classic in the atmospheric surroundings of Insole Court’s historic Victorian Library. This is a festive performance of Scrooge, a special abridgment of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol by John Prior Morris. Follow Ebenezer Scrooge as he encounters the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come, and embarks on a journey to discover the true spirit of Christmas.

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Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay

Wednesday 9 December-Sunday 17 January

From £23

Age guidance 6+, no under 2s

Celebrating 15 years on stage, and following performances in 100 cities across 17 countries worldwide, Matilda returns to Wales Millennium Centre. Inspired by the beloved book by Roald Dahl, the musical tells the story of an extraordinary little girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny. With book by Dennis Kelly, music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and directed by Matthew Warchus, the multi-award winning musical from the Royal Shakespeare Company has now delighted more than 12 million theatregoers worldwide.

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Jack and The Beanstalk

Yma, Pontypridd

Thursday 10-Sunday 20 December From adults £16.26, children £13.01, family £54.20
Join Jack as he sets off on a thrilling journey from his humble village to the top of the beanstalk and beyond. Along the way, audiences will encounter larger-than-life characters, comic chaos, magical surprises and a fearsome giant guarding treasures high above the clouds. With all the sparkle of a festive family favourite, Jack and the Beanstalk is a timeless tale reimagined for today’s young audiences, packed with fun, excitement and themes of courage, kindness and determination.

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Clara & The Nutcracker Immersive Experience

Cult VR, Cardiff

Saturday 12 December-Saturday 9 January

Adults from £23, concessions from £20.50

Age guidance 6+, 45 mins

Clara & The Nutcracker Immersive Experience blends tradition with innovation, warmth and wonder, bringing the beloved Christmas story to life in a whole new way. In this full dome immersive, captivating 360º footage of Northern Ballet’s world-class dancers and behind the scenes footage captured by 4Pi Productions, alongside richly animated fantasy scenes and Tchaikovsky’s iconic score, performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra and delivered in surround sound. Discover the magic of Clara’s journey from the inside out and explore dance in a whole new way, up close, all around you, and beyond the stage.

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Peter Pan

ICC Wales, Newport

Saturday 12 December-Saturday 2 January

From £26

Age guidance 4+

A nostalgic Christmas adventure filled with magic, mischief and a touch of festive wonder as Peter Pan takes flight at ICC Wales. Packed with spectacular stunts, laugh-out-loud moments and festive joy, expect acrobatics, circus skills,  high‑energy fun and comedy-magic, as Peter, Tinker Bell and the spirited Lost battle Captain Hook and his pirate crew.

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Cinderella

Cowbridge Town Hall

Saturday 12-Sunday 27 December

From £14.79

The Cowbridge panto is back for its fourth year, featuring hilarious celebrity voice overs from Welsh rugby legend Gareth Thomas, Ian H Watkins of pop band Steps and Welsh performer Caryl Parry Jones. Expect outrageous laughs for adults and children alike, chart-topping songs, incredible dance routines, beautiful costumes as Cinderella captures the heart of the prince with a little help from her Fairy Godmother (Connie Orff), a touch of magic and a race against the clock.

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Barrylesque

Weston Studio, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff

Wednesday 16 December-Saturday 2 January

From £20, age guidance 18+

Strictly for the grown-ups this festive season, Barrylesque is a drag cabaret spectacular that takes the beloved world of Gavin & Stacey and gives it the full Barry Island treatment. The parody show features all your favourite characters, reimagined as larger-than-life drag and burlesque performers for a night of live vocals, lip sync, comedy and chaos. Expect iconic catchphrases, outrageous characters, and a singalong finale that’ll have the whole house on its feet. Tidy. Age 18+.

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Alice in Wonderland (Billboard Ensemble)

Memo Arts Centre, Barry

Thursday 17-Sunday 20 December

Adults from £16, children from £14, family (2+2) from £56

Barry’s Billboard Ensemble celebrate 30 years of entertaining local audiences with their new pantomime adventure, Alice in Wonderland. Join Alice as she falls down the rabbit hole and joins the White Rabbit and the Mad Hatter in a quest to save all Wonderland from the evil Knave of Hearts. This new production is full of songs, dance, colourful costumes and pantomime humour.

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Brecon Festival Ballet: The Nutcracker

Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon

Friday 18-Sunday 20 December

£25.20-£34.20

Brecon Festival Ballet’s critically acclaimed production of Tchaikovsky’s famous story is a truly magical treat for all the family, featuring more than 80 dancers onstage and accompanied live by the Brecon Festival Ballet orchestra.

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Snow White (Kinetic School of Performing Arts)

Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff

Saturday 19-Tuesday 22 December, 2pm and 7pm

£14.75-£16.75         

Local young people from Kinetic’s Musical Theatre Company present this family-friendly panto, promising festive fun for all ages. This new production is packed with comedy, song and dance, dazzling costumes and plenty of audience participation. Follow Snow White as she battles the wicked Queen, befriends a lovable band of characters and discovers that kindness, courage and friendship can overcome even the darkest magic.

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Only Men Aloud

Memo Arts Centre, Barry

Monday 21 December, 7.30pm

£34

Classical BRIT Award-winning Only Men Aloud return to the stage this festive season with their brand new show, Christmas With Only Men Aloud. Formed in 2000, Only Men Aloud set out to breathe new life into the traditional Welsh male voice choir, and over the past two decades have built a reputation for powerful vocals and an ambitious, wide-ranging repertoire. Their concerts seamlessly blend Welsh hymns, festive favourites and folk songs with opera, musical theatre, a cappella arrangements and contemporary pop, creating a rich and dynamic live experience.

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I share lots of days out ideas here on my blog as well as on my social media channels. Do give me a follow and let me help you take the stress out of finding ideas for local days out.

For more ideas of family days out in and around Cardiff, follow Cardiff Mummy Says on Instagram, on Facebook, or on TikTok