PNB’s ‘Nutcracker:’ 2026 Guide for Families

The mice are getting ready to march. The Sugar Plum Fairy is preparing to dance. And somewhere backstage at Seattle Center, a Christmas tree that grows to 40 feet tall is waiting for its moment.

Yes, George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker will be back on stage at McGraw Hall this holiday season, continuing the ballet company’s 32-year string of annual presentations of popular Christmas story.

Tickets for the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s 2026 show, which runs Nov. 27 through Dec. 27, go fast and are on sale now. This year, families can choose from 35 performances, including afternoon shows, a sensory-friendly relaxed performance and several dates with extra activities before the curtain rises.

Never attended a ballet? The Nutcracker is a particularly inviting introduction. There’s a story children can follow, a battle between toy soldiers and mice, a trip through a snowy forest and a second act filled with dancing sweets. There’s also Tchaikovsky’s familiar music, performed live by the PNB Orchestra.

To get a feel for what to expect, check out our 2025 review: “PNB’s ‘Nutcracker’: A Parent Review for Seattle families.”

Attend every year without fail? PNB add news details and ways to expand enjoyment of your day or night at the ballet, and the 2026 is no exception.

A little magic before the ballet begins

The Nutcracker experience starts well before the dancers take the stage.

During opening weekend, Nov. 27–29, McCaw Hall’s lobby will become an enchanted gathering place, with photo opportunities alongside characters dressed as Snowflakes and Mice, pop-up magic shows and Almond Roca treats from Tacoma’s Brown & Haley.

Throughout the run, more than 30 school and community choirs from across the Pacific Northwest will perform for arriving audiences, beginning about 30 minutes before showtime. Among them are choirs from Robert Eagle Staff Middle School, Bishop Blanchet High School, Nathan Hale High School and Ingraham High School.

Singers from the Seattle Girls Choir, which this year celebrates 45 years performing, will also make an appearance in the lobby, but will also join the PNB Orchestra from the pit during the Snow scene at seven performances:

• November 27 and December 4 at 7:30 p.m
• November 29, December 13 and December 20 at 5:30 p.m.
• December 22 at 2 p.m.

Families should plan to arrive early enough to enjoy the lobby. Two enormous statues — a mouse and Mother Ginger — make popular photo backdrops. Both were created by Mukilteo-based Dillon Works using designs by Ian Falconer, the late children’s book illustrator best known for his Olivia series.

A performance where kids can be themselves

One of the most important dates for families is Friday, Dec. 11. At 2 p.m., PNB will present a relaxed performance of The Nutcracker, designed for audience members who benefit from a less restrictive theater environment.

Lighting and sound levels will be modified. Children and adults can move, vocalize, use fidget items and leave or reenter the auditorium as needed. Quiet and activity spaces will also be available.

The performance is designed for neurodivergent audience members, people with sensory processing differences and anyone who would feel more comfortable in a flexible setting — including young children attending their first ballet.

PNB will also offer audio-described performances for blind and visually impaired audience members on Dec. 4, 5, 11 and 12. Tickets for patrons using the audio-description service are $20, with the same subsidized price available for one companion. Accessibility information is available through PNB.

Pajamas, ugly sweaters and hockey jerseys welcome

There are several ways to make this year’s visit a little different.

On Dec. 18, families are invited to wear their most gloriously unattractive holiday sweaters for Ugly Sweater Day.

On Dec. 22, hockey-loving families can combine two Seattle Center outings. PNB’s 2 p.m. NutKraken performance comes ahead of the Seattle Kraken’s scheduled evening game against the San Jose Sharks. Hockey jerseys are encouraged at the ballet.

And on Dec. 27, families can trade fancy holiday clothes for pajamas. Both the 12:30 and 5:30 p.m. performances are designated Pajama Day shows. PNB is also partnering with TeenTix to offer $5 tickets to TeenTix members for those performances, without the usual companion-ticket option.

Other themed evenings include a Dec. 10 pre-show social gathering with hot chocolate and a Dec. 16 Beer & Ballet event aimed at adult audiences.

What kids might not know about ‘The Nutcracker’

The production is a feast for the eyes, but some of its most remarkable details are easy to miss. you might want to share these behind-the-scene tidbits with kids before your head to a show:

• The enormous Christmas tree on stage took 400 hours to build, stands 40 feet tall when fully grown and contains 450 lights.
• There is a snowstorm that closes Act I: About 30 cubic feet of artificial snow falls during that scene in each performance.
• The star that appears in the snow scene is renowned Pacific Northwest glass artists Dale Chihuly’s Winter Star.
• Mother Ginger, whose enormous skirt conceals a small army of dancing children, wears a costume that measures 10 feet across and weighs 60 pounds. It takes three dressers and two stage crew members to help the performer get into and out of it. Check out the video above.
• The mice are equally impressive. The production includes eight adult mice, eight young mice and a seven-headed Mouse King. Their costumes and puppets required 98 yards of artificial fur and a combined 230 whiskers.
• Look closely at the Mouse King: He has one gold tooth.
• And here’s another detail for observant young theatergoers: A small figure of Olivia the Pig, a nod to designer Ian Falconer’s beloved books, has watched hundreds of performances from a box overlooking the stage. Invite your kids to look around and see if they can find her.

The production’s costumes and scenery were created almost entirely by Pacific Northwest craftspeople. More than 50 costume makers helped construct the elaborate wardrobe, which includes 154 distinct costume designs, not counting duplicates.

A holiday tradition with a Seattle history

PNB has presented The Nutcracker in different forms for more than half a century.

For 32 seasons, audiences watched the version choreographed by Kent Stowell, with sets and costumes designed by Maurice Sendak, creator of Where the Wild Things Are.

In 2015, the company introduced George Balanchine’s version, with new scenic and costume designs by Falconer. The production retains Balanchine’s choreography, originally created for New York City Ballet in 1954.

That means today’s Seattle children are watching a ballet with roots stretching back generations, even as the sets, costumes and performers give it a distinctive Pacific Northwest character.

What families need to know before buying tickets

When: Nov. 27–Dec. 27, 2026. There are 35 performances, with afternoon and evening options. No performance is scheduled for Christmas Day.

Where: Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer St., Seattle Center.

Tickets: Prices start at $41, including fees. Discounts are available for children 14 and younger. Every audience member needs a ticket, including infants.

Running time: PNB’s current website lists approximately two hours and three minutes, including a 25-minute intermission.

Watching from home: Families who can’t make it to McCaw Hall can stream the production Dec. 18–27. Digital access costs $66.33.

Special experiences: Families can reserve a Nutcracker Intermission Suite for $52 per person, in addition to performance tickets. The suites offer snacks, sweets and beverages away from the busiest parts of the lobby. Family suites are available for performances through Dec. 24.

Buying tickets: Purchase through PNB’s official ticketing website or call the box office at 206-441-2424. PNB cautions families against buying from unauthorized ticket resellers, which may charge inflated prices or sell invalid tickets.