George Balanchine's The Nutcracker

New York City Ballet dances George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker at the David H. Koch Theater from Friday, November 27, 2026 through January 3, 2027. The last performance is a sensory-friendly matinee at 1 p.m. on January 3.

Audio-described shows are listed for November 29 at 5 p.m. and December 2 at 7 p.m. NYCB recommends ages 5 and up, and every person needs a ticket, including lap kids. Runtime is about two hours with no late seating once the curtain is up.

Pick a specific performance on nycballet.com. The 1 to 66 Street-Lincoln Center drops you at the plaza. This is the sit-down ballet night; Radio City’s Rockettes show is the louder Midtown alternative with a shorter runtime.