Oh, sugarplum! It’s almost Christmas and – of course – we’re going to grab our tickets to see one of the most nostalgic ballets of the year and, who knows, start a new holiday tradition.
On Place des Arts, the kids will be hanging out among the little wooden market houses with hot chocolate made from 60% marshmallows, the downtown lights will be running over the skaters on the ice ring, and the speakers will be playing Christmas carols in every language until we know them all by heart.
In an atmosphere reminiscent of the ribbons and log fires of our childhood, we’ll be going to see the Nutcracker ballet between December 12 and 30, 2025.
The Nutcracker by Les Grands Ballets
Montreal has one of the finest corps de ballet in the world, and every year for the holiday season, Les Grands Ballets stages The Nutcracker. This year, The Nutcracker is choreographed by Fernand Nault.
The story of The Nutcracker is one of the most famous in the world, accompanied by Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s cult music and the intense nostalgia of visits to the ballet (preferably with grandma and in a half-asleep, almost trance-like state) at the holidays.
The Nutcracker is a fairy tale by E.T.A. Hoffman, transformed into a ballet that transports us into a real fairytale world similar to that of Alice in Wonderland. It was first performed in 1892 at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. Today, the ballet is even better known than the tale…
The ballet follows Clara, a sweet young girl who finds herself in the middle of a battle between tin soldiers and ugly rats on Christmas Eve.
Thanks to a magic trick, her nutcracker comes to life to rescue her and take her on an adventure into a fantastic world. She meets the Sugar Plum Fairy, Prince Orgeat, flowers, reindeer, dolls… At the end of the ballet, Clara wakes up asleep under the Christmas tree.
This holiday season, we’ll be going back to see Les Grands Ballets’ Nutcracker – or perhaps seeing it for the first time, and continuing or starting a Christmas tradition…
Practical info
Where? Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Place des Arts, 175 rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest
When? December 12 to December 20, 2025, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
How? Tickets start at $99, and to reserve, click here!
Enjoy your evening with The Nutcracker!