Seventeen festive dates from 22 November: Messiah on 21 December, The Snowman with live orchestra on the 23rd, the Mayor's carol concert and the Oriel Singers.

Cheltenham’s Christmas concerts for 2026 start on Sunday 22 November with the Gloucestershire Music Winter Showcase at Pittville Pump Room, and end with The Snowman in Concert at the Town Hall on Wednesday 23 December. In between are 15 more dates, from the Cheltenham Bach Choir’s Messiah to the Mayor’s carol concert and the Oriel Singers’ carols at Holy Apostles.

Overview

  • Sunday 22 November: Gloucestershire Music Winter Showcase, Pittville Pump Room, 12.30pm and 6.30pm.
  • Saturday 28 November: Minster Singers’ Advent Carols, 11am.
  • Sunday 29 November: Jay Cee Big Band Christmas Concert, Cheltenham Playhouse, 7.30pm, £20.
  • Thursday 3 December: Royal Marines Christmas Spectacular, Town Hall, 7.30pm.
  • Sunday 20 December: A Christmas Cracker, the Mayor’s carol concert, Town Hall, 3pm, £25, under-14s £10.
  • Monday 21 December: Handel’s Messiah, Town Hall, 7.30pm, £28; the Oriel Singers’ Carols for Christmas, Holy Apostles, 7pm, £18.
  • Wednesday 23 December: The Snowman in Concert, Town Hall, 1.30pm and 4.30pm, £12 to £33.

Gloucestershire Music Winter Showcase, Sunday 22 November

Two concerts by the county’s young musicians (afternoon, evening).

  • When: 12.30pm, with the Gloucestershire Youth Choir, Youth Jazz Orchestra, Youth Jazz Academy and Jazz2Go; 6.30pm, with the county youth wind, string and symphony orchestras. Each runs about two hours.
  • Where: Pittville Pump Room, East Approach Drive.
  • Cost: adults £13, under-18s and students £3.

Minster Singers Advent Carols, Saturday 28 November

The choir’s annual Advent carol concert, with a guest soloist (St Matthew’s and the Minster).

  • When: 11am.
  • Where: the choir is based at Cheltenham Minster (St Mary’s).
  • Good to know: the parish office answers questions on office@stmatthewsandtheminster.org.

The Jay Cee Big Band Christmas Concert, Sunday 29 November

Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s jazz version of the Nutcracker Suite, then a second set of Christmas favourites (Cheltenham Playhouse).

  • When: 7.30pm.
  • Where: Cheltenham Playhouse, 47-53 Bath Road, GL53 7HG.
  • Cost: £20, concessions £16.
  • Good to know: 102 seats were left on 14 November.

Royal Marines Christmas Spectacular, Thursday 3 December

The Band of His Majesty’s Royal Marines, with concert band, big band and the Corps of Drums (Cheltenham Town Hall).

  • When: 7.30pm.
  • Where: Cheltenham Town Hall, Imperial Square.
  • Cost: £31.75 to £34.50.

Jingle Bell Rock, Sunday 6 December

A Christmas pop concert with a cast of West End singers (Cheltenham Town Hall).

  • When: 7.30pm.
  • Where: Cheltenham Town Hall.
  • Cost: £20 to £35.

APOLLO5: Make We Joy Now, Tuesday 8 December

The five-voice ensemble in Christmas music from the medieval to the modern, built around Poulenc’s four Christmas motets, with Byrd, Walton, Warlock and Bob Chilcott (The Cheltenham Trust).

  • When: 7.30pm.
  • Where: Pittville Pump Room.
  • Cost: £24 to £29.

That’ll Be Christmas, Thursday 10 December

The That’ll Be The Day company’s touring Christmas show of singalong hits and comedy (Cheltenham Town Hall).

  • When: 7pm.
  • Where: Cheltenham Town Hall.
  • Cost: £35.

Swing Into Christmas, Sunday 13 December

The 30-piece Down for the Count Swing Orchestra in a Sunday matinee (Cheltenham Town Hall).

  • When: 3pm.
  • Where: Cheltenham Town Hall.
  • Cost: £28 to £45.

The Best of Buble: Home for Christmas, Wednesday 16 December

Josh Hindle and his band, in the show formerly called Buble by Candlelight (Cheltenham Town Hall).

  • When: 7.30pm.
  • Where: Cheltenham Town Hall.
  • Cost: £32.50.

Johnny Coppin: All on a Winter’s Night, Friday 18 December

Johnny Coppin’s winter concert of seasonal songs, old and new (The Bacon Theatre).

  • When: 7.30pm.
  • Where: Bacon Theatre, Dean Close School, Hatherley Road, GL51 6EP.
  • Cost: £25, plus a £2 booking fee.

A Christmas Cracker: the Mayor’s carol concert, Sunday 20 December

The Mayor of Cheltenham’s fundraising concert for the Mayoral Charities, with the Gloucestershire Symphony Orchestra, local choirs, a dance school and “much-loved carols” to join in (Cheltenham Town Hall).

  • When: 3pm.
  • Where: Cheltenham Town Hall.
  • Cost: £25 for ages 14 and over, £10 for under-14s, under-5s free.
  • Good to know: a VIP ticket adds a meeting with Santa before the concert or with the orchestra after, and a free drink.

Christmas with The Flowers Band, Monday 21 December

The brass band’s Christmas concert (The Bacon Theatre).

  • When: 7.30pm.
  • Where: Bacon Theatre, Dean Close School.
  • Cost: £19, concessions £17, under-16s £8, plus a £2 booking fee.
  • Access: wheelchair spaces are at the back of the stalls; book through the box office.

Messiah, Monday 21 December

Handel’s Messiah sung by the Cheltenham Bach Choir, with four soloists and an orchestra (Cheltenham Town Hall).

  • When: 7.30pm.
  • Where: Cheltenham Town Hall.
  • Cost: £28, with reduced seats for under-18s and students.
  • Good to know: the Trust warns that tickets sell quickly.

The Oriel Singers: Carols for Christmas, Monday 21 December

Seasonal music and readings in Holy Apostles Church (The Oriel Singers).

  • When: 7pm, about an hour and 15 minutes with no interval.
  • Where: Holy Apostles Church, London Road, GL52 6HW.
  • Cost: £18, under-18s and students £2, with seasonal refreshments included.
  • Good to know: the choir says the concert can sell out. Online sales close at 2pm on the day, and any seats left are sold on the door. The church has a little off-street parking, and on-street parking on London Road is free.

Step Into Christmas, Tuesday 22 December

A Christmas singalong concert (Cheltenham Town Hall).

  • When: 7.30pm.
  • Where: Cheltenham Town Hall.
  • Cost: £29 to £37.

The Snowman in Concert, Wednesday 23 December

The Mozart Symphony Orchestra plays the score live while the film is shown on the big screen, with soprano Alice Mackenzie singing Walking in the Air, and adds Paddington Bear’s First Concert with a narrator (Cheltenham Town Hall).

  • When: 1.30pm and 4.30pm, about 90 minutes with an interval.
  • Where: Cheltenham Town Hall.
  • Cost: £12 to £33.
  • Good to know: babes in arms up to the age of two can share an adult’s seat; everyone else needs a ticket.

Booking at the Town Hall and Pump Room

Prices at Cheltenham Town Hall and Pittville Pump Room include a £3 ticket commission, and some online bookings add a one-off £2.50 transaction fee. Carer tickets are booked by phone on 01242 528 764, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Getting there and parking

The Town Hall is on Imperial Square, a short walk from the Promenade, and Pittville Pump Room is at the top of Pittville Park. Council car parks and their evening charges are on our parking in Cheltenham page, closures are on Cheltenham roadworks and travel, and rail and bus times over the holiday are on Christmas trains and buses.

Last checked 14 November 2026.