The BSO's Messiah is 16 December, Christmas Proms the 19th, The Snowman the 22nd and carols the 23rd, from £19. The Pavilion's carol concert on 17th is free.

The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra’s Christmas run at Lighthouse, Poole is the biggest set of Christmas concerts in the area: Handel’s Messiah on Wednesday 16 December, the Last Night of the Christmas Proms on Saturday 19 December, The Snowman on Tuesday 22 December and a carol sing-along on Wednesday 23 December. Evening tickets are £19 to £52 on every one of those pages, and the morning Snowman for families is £12 to £17.

The free one is the Christmas Cracker Carol Concert at Bournemouth Pavilion on Thursday 17 December at 2.30pm, a sing-along at the theatre’s Compton organ. Christchurch Priory has the rest: Messiah sung by Bournemouth Bach Choir on 5 December, community carols on the 19th and four showings of The Snowman on the 23rd.

Every date below is from the orchestra’s, the venue’s or the Priory’s own page, read on 31 October 2026. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services are not on the Priory’s listing yet, and this page will be updated when they are.

The BSO at Lighthouse, Poole

All five are at Lighthouse, 21 Kingland Road, Poole BH15 1UG, and are booked through the orchestra. Its box office is open Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm, on 01202 669925.

Date Concert Time Price Length
Wed 16 Dec Messiah 7pm £19 to £52 3 hours
Sat 19 Dec Last Night of the Christmas Proms 7.30pm £19 to £52 2 hours
Tue 22 Dec The Snowman family matinee 11am £12 to £17 30 minutes
Tue 22 Dec The Snowman and BSO Voices 7pm £19 to £52 2 hours
Wed 23 Dec Celebration of Christmas Carols 7pm £19 to £52 2 hours, with interval

Messiah opens the run. Paul McCreesh conducts the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus, with soprano Anna Dennis, mezzo Anna Harvey, tenor Tom Walker and bass-baritone Matthew Brook. At three hours it is the longest night of the five.

The Last Night of the Christmas Proms brings back the pianist and singer Joe Stilgoe, with Michal Oren conducting. The orchestra describes a first half of “classic jazzy treats” and then Christmas favourites.

The Snowman is on twice on the same day, and they are different shows. The 11am family matinee is the 26-minute film on the big screen with Howard Blake’s score played live, and that is all, so it suits small children. The 7pm concert adds a long second half with BSO Voices: Disney medleys, Home Alone, A Muppet Christmas Carol and Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree. Teresa Barlow conducts both.

Celebration of Christmas Carols on the 23rd is the one where the audience sings. Gavin Carr conducts, with the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus and Children’s Choir.

After Christmas, the New Year’s Day Viennese Gala is on Friday 1 January at 3pm, £19 to £52: Strauss waltzes and polkas ending with The Blue Danube, with soprano Claudia Boyle. Our New Year’s Eve page covers the night before.

The free carol concert at the Pavilion

The Christmas Cracker Carol Concert is on Thursday 17 December at 2.30pm, Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre BH1 2BU, with free entry. Michael Wooldridge and Ian Carter play the Compton organ, with members of the Bournemouth and Boscombe Light Opera Company choir, and the audience sings the carols.

One thing to know: the event’s heading gives 17 December 2026, but the text under it still reads “Thursday 18 December 2025”, last year’s date. The heading and booking details are the current ones. We will update this page if the Pavilion corrects it.

Before that, the Pavilion has two ticketed Christmas concerts in November:

  • Bournemouth Schools Music Association Carol Festival, Tuesday 24 and Wednesday 25 November, from £15. Its 79th year, with around 300 young singers from local primary and secondary schools each night, conducted by Lin Marsh, and some carols for the audience. The page gives no start time.
  • Royal Marines Christmas Spectacular, Thursday 26 November, 7.30pm, from £36.50. The Band of His Majesty’s Royal Marines with festive music, marches and big band numbers. Over 60s, under 16s and students get £1 off band A and B seats.

Christmas at Christchurch Priory

The Priory’s events listing has these dated so far. It does not give prices on the listing; the ticketed ones are marked as such.

  • Mediaeval Baebes: 30th Anniversary Concert, Wednesday 2 December, doors 7pm, concert 7.30pm, ticketed through the group’s ticket page.
  • Messiah sung by Bournemouth Bach Choir, Saturday 5 December, 7.30pm, ticketed.
  • Christchurch Music Centre Christmas concert, Saturday 12 December, 7pm.
  • Carols for Kids, Saturday 19 December, 10.30am.
  • Christchurch Community Carols, Saturday 19 December, 7.30pm, listed as a service.
  • The Snowman, Wednesday 23 December, four showings at 1.30pm, 3pm, 5pm and 6.30pm, ticketed.

The Priory’s Advent service, From Darkness to Light, is on Sunday 29 November at 6.30pm, with no booking needed. The Parish Christmas Fayre and Craft Market is the day before, Saturday 28 November, the same day as the Christchurch lights switch-on.

The big Christmas shows at the BIC

These are entertainment shows rather than concerts, both in the Windsor Hall, BH2 5BH:

  • That’ll Be Christmas, Sunday 20 December, 7pm, from £32.25. A touring Christmas singalong show. Under 16s from £17.50; over 65s and students get £1.50 off.
  • Anton Du Beke: Anton At Christmas, Monday 21 December, 7.30pm, from £44.50, with singer Lance Ellington, a band and a troupe of dancers.

The pantomimes are on our Bournemouth panto page, and the candlelit Christmas evening at the Russell-Cotes on 17 December is on our Russell-Cotes Christmas page.

Still to be confirmed

  • Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services at the Priory, including any midnight service: not on its listing on 31 October
  • Prices for the Bach Choir Messiah, the Mediaeval Baebes and the Priory’s Snowman: the Priory listing does not show them
  • Start time of the schools carol festival at the Pavilion

Getting there

Lighthouse is in Poole town centre, and the Pavilion and the BIC are both a short walk from Bournemouth Pier. For the Bournemouth venues, the tariffs for every town centre car park are on our Bournemouth parking page; the Pavilion’s own car park is run by BCP Council, not the theatre. December evenings are busy around the Square while the Christmas market is open, so check roadworks and travel before you set off.

Sources