Where to See The Nutcracker in Orange County 2026
From full-length productions to shorter performances designed for young children, Orange County has many ways to experience The Nutcracker during the 2026 holiday season. Use this guide to find Nutcracker performances in Costa Mesa, Irvine, Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Mission Viejo, San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente, Orange, Aliso Viejo, Newport Beach, Fullerton and other Orange County communities.
Jump to a section ▾
2026 Nutcracker Performances at a Glance
- Ballet Academy & Movement – San Juan Hills: November 14-15, 2026
- Anaheim Ballet – Anaheim: November 27-28, 2026
- Casa Nutcracker – San Clemente: December 3-4, 2026
- Pacific Theatre Ballet – Aliso Viejo: December 4-6, 2026
- The Nutcracker for Kids – Costa Mesa: December 5, 2026
- Festival Ballet Theatre Nutcracker for Kids – Newport Beach Public Library: December 5, 2026
- Festival Ballet Theatre Narrated Nutcracker – Huntington Beach Central Library: December 5 and 11, 2026
- Festival Ballet Theatre – Irvine: December 5-24, 2026
- Ballet Etudes – Huntington Beach: December 5, 6 and 13, 2026
- American Ballet Theatre – Costa Mesa: December 10-24, 2026
- Ballet Repertory Theatre – Huntington Beach: December 11-13, 18-20 and 22-24, 2026
- Tustin Dance Center – Orange: December 18-19, 2026
- Orange County Ballet Theater – Irvine: December 18-20, 2026
- Nouveau Chamber Ballet – Fullerton: December 19-20, 2026
- Laguna Ballet – Mission Viejo: December 20-22, 2026
- Additional Orange County productions: 2026 dates TBA where noted below
For more seasonal performances and celebrations, see our Winter Events in Orange County and Orange County live theater and performing arts guide.
Full-Length Nutcracker Performances in Orange County
American Ballet Theatre at Segerstrom Center for the Arts
Segerstrom Hall | 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
December 10-24, 2026
December 10 and 11 at 7 p.m.; December 12 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; December 13 at 12:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.; December 15-18 at 7 p.m.; December 19 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; December 20 at 12:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.; December 22 at 7 p.m.; December 23 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; December 24 at noon (no performances December 14 or 21)
American Ballet Theatre presents Alexei Ratmansky's The Nutcracker, with music performed by Pacific Symphony. Check Segerstrom Center for casting by date.
Anaheim Ballet at the Grove of Anaheim
Grove of Anaheim | 2200 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim, CA 92806
Friday, November 27, 2026 | 7 p.m.
Saturday, November 28, 2026 | 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Anaheim Ballet presents its full-length holiday production with Clara, the Nutcracker, dancing snowflakes, waltzing flowers and the battle between toy soldiers and mice.
Festival Ballet Theatre at Irvine Barclay Theatre
Irvine Barclay Theatre | 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine, CA 92612
December 5-24, 2026
December 5 at 2 p.m.; December 6 at 1 p.m.; December 12-13 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.; December 19-20 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.; December 21 at 6 p.m.; December 22 at 2 p.m.; December 23 at 2 p.m.; December 24 at 11 a.m.
Festival Ballet Theatre presents a full-length production with guest artists and Southland Ballet Academy students. Check casting by date; a Nutcracker Tea Party is offered before select shows.
Laguna Ballet/Laguna Dance Theatre
Capistrano Valley High School | 26301 Via Escolar, Mission Viejo, CA 92692
Sunday, December 20, 2026 | 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Monday, December 21, 2026 | 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, December 22, 2026 | 6:30 p.m.
Laguna Ballet presents its 41st annual full-length Nutcracker with Laguna Dance Theatre students and professional guest artists. Public ticket sales begin November 19, 2026.
Ballet Academy & Movement at San Juan Hills
San Juan Hills (venue as listed by Ballet Academy & Movement; check its Nutcracker page for the exact address)
Saturday-Sunday, November 14-15, 2026 | 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Ballet Academy & Movement opens the Orange County Nutcracker season with mid-November performances. The studio also performs Casa Nutcracker at Casa Romantica in San Clemente on December 3-4 (see below). Tickets are sold through Etix from the studio's Nutcracker page.
Pryntsev Ballet Academy
Mission Viejo area
2026 performance date: TBA
Pryntsev Ballet Academy traditionally presents an annual Nutcracker production featuring academy dancers. The 2026 performance date has not yet been posted publicly.
Nouveau Chamber Ballet at Fullerton College
Fullerton College Campus Theatre | 321 E. Chapman Avenue, Fullerton, CA 92832
Saturday-Sunday, December 19-20, 2026
Nouveau Chamber Ballet returns to Fullerton College for its December Nutcracker performances. SparkOC, a third-party listing, shows 2 p.m. performances both days, a 90-minute abridged production and tickets of about $30-$50, with an onstage meet-and-greet afterward; those details are unverified, so check Nouveau Chamber Ballet's site for times and prices.
Coast City Ballet at Huntington Beach High School Historic Theater
1905 Main Street, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
December 2026 | Exact dates TBA
Coast City Ballet has confirmed its full-length 2026 Nutcracker will return to the Huntington Beach High School Historic Theater. Exact December performance dates have not yet been posted.
Ballet Repertory Theatre at Golden West College
Golden West College Mainstage Theater | 15751 Gothard St., Huntington Beach, CA 92647
December 11-13, 18-20 and 22-24, 2026
$30 general admission; $25 for children under 12, seniors and ASB/GWC students
Ballet Repertory Theatre celebrates its 50th consecutive production of The Nutcracker in 2026, featuring company dancers and students from Dance Academy of Southern California. For showtimes and tickets, visit gwctickets.com or call 714-895-8150, option 1.
Ballet Etudes at Huntington Beach High School
Huntington Beach High School Historic Theater | 1905 Main Street, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
Saturday, December 5, 2026 | 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Sunday, December 6, 2026 | 2 p.m.
Sunday, December 13, 2026 | 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Ballet Etudes celebrates its 30th year of The Nutcracker in 2026 with its approximately two-hour full-length production, billed as the Official Nutcracker of Huntington Beach. An educational presentation begins 30 minutes before the 2 p.m. shows. Early-bird tickets bought by October 31 are $40 orchestra and $30 balcony; regular prices are $45 and $35.
Pacific Theatre Ballet at Coast Hills Community Church
Coast Hills Community Church | 5 Pursuit, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
December 4-6, 2026 | Showtimes TBA
Pacific Theatre Ballet, the performing company of Aliso Viejo's Pacific Ballet Conservatory, presents The Nutcracker December 4-6. Showtimes have not yet been posted on its website; call 949-837-0095 for details.
Tustin Dance Center at Memorial Hall, Chapman University
Memorial Hall, Chapman University | 321 N. Glassell St., Orange, CA 92866
Friday, December 18, 2026 | 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 19, 2026 | 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Tustin Dance Center's Dance! To Your Heart's Delight presents its 22nd annual Nutcracker, staged this year at historic Memorial Hall at Chapman University near the Orange Circle. Professional dancers perform the principal roles alongside Tustin Dance Center students.
Orange County Ballet Theater at Northwood High School Theater
Northwood High School Theater | 4515 Portola Parkway, Irvine, CA 92620
Friday, December 18, 2026 | 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 19, 2026 | 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 20, 2026 | 6 p.m.
Per OCBT, the company lists these 2026 dates for its Irvine Nutcracker, a traditional production with students from R&K Classical Ballet Academy, directed by Alina Krasovskaya and Alexander Romanchikov. The company said tickets are $53.50 and $48.25 and are sold through Etix. As of Nov. 11, 2026, the OCBT site still showed a 2025 Nutcracker listing, and we couldn't find a live Etix page, so confirm times and tickets at rkcba.com/ocbt before you go.
Nutcracker Performances for Kids & Families
The Nutcracker for Kids at Segerstrom Concert Hall
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall | 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Saturday, December 5, 2026 | 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Pacific Symphony presents a narrated adaptation of Tchaikovsky's ballet featuring dancers from the American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School. The program is designed for young audiences, with themed lobby activities before and after the concerts.
Festival Ballet Theatre Nutcracker for Kids at Newport Beach Public Library
Witte Lecture Hall | 998 Avocado Avenue, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Saturday, December 5, 2026 | 10-10:30 a.m.
This shortened, narrated Festival Ballet Theatre presentation is designed for children ages 6-11. Registration is required (it opened October 8) and children must be accompanied by an adult.
Ballet Etudes Nutcracker for Kids at Huntington Beach Central Library
Huntington Beach Central Library Theater
December 2026 | Dates TBA
Ballet Etudes says it will again present four library performances in December. These shorter performances are a good introduction to ballet for children; exact 2026 dates have not yet been announced. Last year's library show was a one-hour version with a photo opportunity with the dancers afterward, and $10 tickets were sold through the Friends of the Children's Library.
Festival Ballet Theatre Narrated Nutcracker at Huntington Beach Central Library
Huntington Beach Central Library Theater | 7111 Talbert Ave., Huntington Beach, CA 92648
Saturday, December 5, 2026 | 6 p.m.
Friday, December 11, 2026 | 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.
Festival Ballet Theatre's 30-minute narrated version of The Nutcracker is designed to introduce young children to classical ballet and music. Tickets are sold through Eventbrite.
Nutcracker-Themed Holiday Events
Casa Nutcracker at Casa Romantica
Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens | 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, CA 92672
Thursday, December 3, and Friday, December 4, 2026 | 7-9 p.m. | $60
Ballet Academy & Movement performs The Nutcracker in a version tailored to Casa Romantica's Main Salon, an intimate setting for this annual holiday tradition.
Anaheim Ballet at the Anaheim Tree Lighting Ceremony
Anaheim City Hall, Anaheim
Sunday, December 6, 2026 | 6-6:30 p.m.
Anaheim Ballet's events calendar lists a short performance at the city's Tree Lighting Ceremony in front of Anaheim City Hall.
Ballet Etudes Nutcracker at Bella Terra
Bella Terra | 7777 Edinger Ave., Huntington Beach, CA 92647
2026 date: TBA
This community appearance has featured excerpts and holiday dances rather than the full ballet. A 2026 date has not yet been confirmed.
Nutcracker for Kids + Ballet at Pacific City
Pacific City | 21010 Pacific Coast Highway, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
2026 date: TBA
Past events have combined Nutcracker storytime, a brief ballet demonstration, a mini ballet class and a holiday craft. No 2026 event has been confirmed yet.
A Nutcracker Sweet Christmas at the Nixon Library
Richard Nixon Presidential Library | 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda, CA 92886
2026: No Nutcracker-themed event announced
This has been a broader Christmas event rather than a full Nutcracker ballet, with past programs including Nutcracker music along with Santa, reindeer, crafts, carolers and other holiday activities. The Nixon Library has not announced a Nutcracker-themed event for 2026; its 2026 holiday celebration is A Revolutionary Christmas on Tuesday, December 8, 5-9 p.m., with a tree lighting, Santa, reindeer, carolers and live music.
About The Nutcracker Ballet
The Nutcracker is based on E.T.A. Hoffmann's story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, later adapted by Alexandre Dumas. Set to music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the ballet follows Clara and her Nutcracker Prince through a magical Christmas Eve adventure featuring the Mouse King, dancing snowflakes and the Sugar Plum Fairy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is The Nutcracker ballet?
Full-length productions generally run about 1.5 to 2.5 hours including intermission. Children's and abridged performances are usually considerably shorter.
Which Nutcracker performances are best for young children?
Shorter narrated programs such as Pacific Symphony's Nutcracker for Kids and children's library performances can be easier introductions for younger audiences than a full-length ballet.
Are there abbreviated Nutcracker performances in Orange County?
Yes. Orange County typically has narrated concerts, library programs and other abbreviated Nutcracker performances in addition to traditional full-length productions.
Where can I see The Nutcracker in Orange County in 2026?
Confirmed 2026 productions are scheduled in Costa Mesa, Irvine, Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Fullerton, Mission Viejo, San Juan Capistrano, San Clemente, Orange, Aliso Viejo and Newport Beach, with additional Orange County schedules still being announced.
Who wrote The Nutcracker?
E.T.A. Hoffmann wrote The Nutcracker and the Mouse King in 1816. Alexandre Dumas later adapted the story, and Tchaikovsky composed the score for the ballet, which premiered in 1892.
How many acts are in The Nutcracker?
The traditional full-length Nutcracker ballet has two acts.
