The Las Vegas Philharmonic is bringing back its two signature holiday shows this year, with Handel's Messiah set for Nov. 21 and A Very Vegas Christmas scheduled for Dec. 5 and 6, both at Reynolds Hall inside The Smith Center. Doors for Messiah open at 6 p.m., followed by a pre-concert lecture at 6:30 p.m. and the performance itself starting at 7:30 p.m.
Both productions mark the first time incoming Music Director Rei Hotoda will lead the Philharmonic's holiday performances, according to news3lv.com. As FOX5 Las Vegas reports, both holiday performances will take place at 361 Symphony Park Ave. in Las Vegas.
Handel's Messiah Lineup Features Guest Vocalists and UNLV Choir
Messiah features Hotoda as music director and conductor alongside Dr. Stephanie Council, director of the UNLV Community Chorus, per the Philharmonic's season listing. The vocal lineup includes baritone Tim LeFebvre, soprano Cecilia Violetta López, tenor Norman Shankle and mezzo-soprano Laurel Semerdjian, according to the Philharmonic's event page on lvphil.org.
A separate listing on artelize.com also identifies Handel's Messiah as being staged at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas this year, underscoring the concert's place as a long-running holiday fixture in the city.
A Very Vegas Christmas Adds Ballet and a Homeschool Choir
A Very Vegas Christmas runs Saturday, Dec. 5, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 6, at 2 p.m., with doors for the Saturday show opening at 6:30 p.m. The Philharmonic's event page describes the program as an all-new edition of the city's holiday musical tradition, presented in a holiday-decorated Reynolds Hall with seasonal classics, favorites and surprise guests.
The Christmas program's vocal lineup includes Travis Cloer, Michelle Johnson, Jonathan Karrant, Naomi Mauro and Ellie Smith, joined by the Southern Nevada Homeschool Performing Arts Choir, the Philharmonic's season page notes. Nevada Ballet Theatre will also perform an excerpt from The Nutcracker's Waltz of the Flowers, featuring company artists Rebecca Haftl, Selena Knowlton, Jessica Ousterhout and Mackenna Pieper, staged by Krista Baker.
A separate Philharmonic event page notes that A Very Vegas Christmas was originally produced and created by George Daugherty and David Ka Lik Wong.
New Era for the Philharmonic's Holiday Programming
The holiday concerts arrive as Hotoda steps into her first full season as the Philharmonic's music director, part of a 2026-2027 lineup that also includes Studio Ghibli concerts, Beethoven classics and Holst's The Planets, according to iwantvegas.com. Having the same conductor lead both Messiah and A Very Vegas Christmas for the first time gives the holiday season a more unified identity heading into her tenure.
Ticket availability for the two shows is described inconsistently across sources. The Philharmonic's season page states that single tickets for all the listed shows, including the holiday concerts, are currently on sale, while a listing on iwantvegas.com says season subscriptions are available now but single tickets are still coming soon. FOX5 Las Vegas reported that tickets for both holiday shows are on sale now, so prospective concertgoers may want to check directly with the Philharmonic for the latest status before planning their visit.
