A Christmas Carol Tickets & PAC NYC 2026 Guide
Jack Thorne and Matthew Warchus’s Tony-winning staging of A Christmas Carol is back in NYC for a second holiday season at the Perelman Performing Arts Center, with Andy Karl as Scrooge. Previews start November 20, and the run closes January 3, 2027.
There are a lot of productions called A Christmas Carol every December. This guide covers one of them: the Old Vic version that won five Tonys on Broadway in 2019 and now returns to Lower Manhattan as a six-week holiday run. It starts with tickets and dates, then covers the 2026 cast, whether it works for kids, and how to plan a night at the World Trade Center.
A play with music, not a musical. Fast, theatrical and stripped down, with lanterns, carols sung by the company and a lot of warmth by the end.
Families with kids 8 and up, couples looking for a holiday night that isn’t the usual Midtown routine, and anyone who missed it on Broadway.
Andy Karl reunites with Warchus, his director on Groundhog Day, to play Scrooge in a five-Tony production.
About six weeks of performances, all in the busiest stretch of the theater year. December weekends go first.
A Christmas Carol Tickets
Every A Christmas Carol ticket on this page is for the 2026 PAC NYC run, November 20, 2026 through January 3, 2027. If you’re shopping for A Christmas Carol NYC tickets this season, this is the production with the Broadway pedigree. It plays a single building downtown for about six weeks and then it’s gone.
Other versions of A Christmas Carol play the New York area every December, including solo shows, concerts and musicals. The one this page covers is Jack Thorne’s adaptation at PAC NYC, 251 Fulton Street. If your confirmation shows a different theater or a different creative team, it’s a different show.
Demand follows the calendar. Thanksgiving week, December weekends, Christmas week and the days between Christmas and New Year’s are when the most people are in town and off work. That means A Christmas Carol New York tickets for those dates get more competitive, and the best-located seats go first. If you’re locked into a specific date or need a group of seats together, buy earlier rather than later.
If you’re flexible, compare a few performances before you commit. Price and seat location can swing a lot from one night to the next on a holiday title, and a midweek date in early December may get you better seats for less than a Saturday in Christmas week. Use the ticket widget below to line up dates side by side.
When Should You Buy A Christmas Carol Tickets?
The run splits into four windows, and each one shops differently.
Previews
The show is in front of an audience before opening night, with the creative team still allowed to make changes. It’s a returning production, so expect it to be in good shape early. Thanksgiving week falls inside this window and is the first real demand spike.
Opening & Early December
Opening night is Thursday, December 3. Reviews land right after, and the holiday calendar fills up from there. Weeknights in this stretch are often the easiest way to find good seats.
The Peak
It’s a Christmas show, so the dates closest to Christmas carry the most demand. If you want one of these, don’t wait for December to buy.
The Final Stretch
School break and holiday visitors keep this week busy, and the closing date is fixed. Once January 3 passes, the next chance to see it is next year at the earliest.
Finding Lower-Priced A Christmas Carol Tickets
- Compare several dates. Weeknights earlier in the run usually give you more choices than weekend dates near Christmas.
- Weigh seat location against price. PAC NYC is a modern, purpose-built room, so a slightly farther seat can still be a good one.
- Watch PAC NYC for official offers. If the venue announces a discount program for this run, it will come from PAC NYC directly.
- Don’t count on TKTS or TDF. As of October 2026, TDF lists no discount for this production.
No rush, lottery or student-ticket program has been announced for the 2026 run. If one is announced, we’ll add it here. Until then, be skeptical of any “promo code” you find for this show.
Is A Christmas Carol on Broadway in 2026?
No. The 2026 production plays PAC NYC, the Perelman Performing Arts Center at the World Trade Center, which is an Off-Broadway venue. It isn’t in a Broadway house and it isn’t in the Theater District.
The confusion is understandable. This is the same Jack Thorne and Matthew Warchus production that played Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre in 2019 and won five Tony Awards. So if you’re looking for A Christmas Carol Broadway tickets, the Broadway Christmas Carol people remember is now downtown at PAC NYC. Same show, different address. If the Broadway versus Off-Broadway label matters to you, our Broadway vs Off-Broadway guide explains what it actually means for price, room size and experience.
Want a holiday show that’s actually on Broadway this year? That’s It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at the Broadhurst on West 44th Street, November 4 through January 3, with Andrew Rannells and Megan Hilty in a live 1940s radio broadcast of the Capra classic. Some families do both: Scrooge downtown one night, George Bailey in the Theater District the next.
A Christmas Carol Performance Dates
The schedule changes around the holidays, so treat Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s as dates to confirm, not assume. Evening curtains are listed at 7:30 PM, but check the exact curtain time and whether there’s a matinee on the day you want before you plan dinner around it. The widget below shows every performance with live availability.
How Long Is A Christmas Carol?
The PAC NYC production runs about 2 hours, including one 15-minute intermission. A 7:30 PM curtain gets you out around 9:30, early enough for a late dinner downtown or an easy trip home to the suburbs.
That number is for this production only. Other stage versions, the movies and the 2019 Broadway run all have different running times, so don’t plan around a number you found for a different version.
A Christmas Carol 2026 Cast
Andy Karl
Karl is a Broadway leading man best known for Groundhog Day, Rocky and Pretty Woman. Groundhog Day was directed by Matthew Warchus, and it was also a story about a cynic forced to relive his life until he gets it right. Karl takes over Scrooge from Michael Cerveris, who played the role in the 2025 PAC NYC run.
Tiny Tim is shared between two young actors, so you won’t know in advance which one you’ll see. Cast is current as of the October 2026 announcement. Understudies and swings can go on at any performance.
Is A Christmas Carol Good for Kids?
For most kids 8 and up, yes. The production’s age recommendation is 8+, and it’s billed as a show for all ages. It’s still a ghost story, though, and the ghosts aren’t played for laughs. Before you buy for a younger or more sensitive child, here’s what to know:
Ghosts & death
Marley’s visit and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come deal directly with death and regret. That’s the point of the story.
Haze & loud moments
The production uses smoke, theatrical haze, lighting effects and loud noises. Kids who are sensitive to sudden sounds should know ahead of time.
A warm payoff
The second act is joyful. Most kids leave with the feast, the music and Tiny Tim, not the scary parts.
Two hours
With an intermission at the halfway point, it’s a manageable length for most 8-year-olds. An early-evening curtain helps with bedtime.
Planning a bigger family trip around it? Our guides to Broadway with kids, the best Broadway shows for kids and NYC with kids help you fill out the rest of the weekend.
Which Version of A Christmas Carol Is Playing at PAC NYC?
This one
- Jack Thorne’s adaptation
- Conceived and directed by Matthew Warchus
- Premiered at London’s Old Vic in 2017
- Played Broadway’s Lyceum in 2019, won five Tonys
- A play with music and carols
Not this one
- The Patrick Stewart solo version
- The Jefferson Mays solo version
- The old Madison Square Garden musical
- The Muppet Christmas Carol
- The Jim Carrey film, or Scrooged
What Is A Christmas Carol About?
Ebenezer Scrooge is a rich, miserable London moneylender who hates Christmas and has shut out everyone who ever loved him. On Christmas Eve, his dead business partner Jacob Marley warns him that three spirits are coming. Over one night, the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come show him who he was, who he’s hurting now and how his life will end if he doesn’t change. He wakes up on Christmas morning with one more chance.
Thorne’s version spends real time on why Scrooge turned out the way he did, especially his father and his sister Fan. That’s a big reason the ending hits harder than you’d expect from a story you already know.
Jack Thorne and Matthew Warchus’s Production
Jack Thorne is the writer behind Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. His adaptation keeps Dickens’s shape but runs fast, and the ensemble shares the narration between them. Matthew Warchus, who conceived the staging and directs it, led London’s Old Vic when it premiered there in 2017. It has come back to the Old Vic every holiday season since.
The staging is simple on purpose. Lanterns hang over the audience, the company plays and sings carols, handbells ring through the house, and the audience is drawn into Scrooge’s Christmas morning rather than just watching it. It feels closer to a holiday gathering than a big theme-park spectacle.
The production has partnered with a hunger nonprofit since it premiered, after the reasons Dickens wrote the book. This year it’s collecting donations for Hunger Free America throughout the run.
From Broadway to PAC NYC
Premieres at the Old Vic in London
Broadway run at the Lyceum Theatre with Campbell Scott as Scrooge. It later won five Tonys: Best Original Score plus Scenic, Costume, Lighting and Sound Design of a Play
First PAC NYC season, with Michael Cerveris as Scrooge
Returns to PAC NYC with Andy Karl, Nov 20 – Jan 3
Those Tonys belong to the 2019 Broadway production. The 2026 PAC NYC run is the same staging with a new company in a new room, so judge it on its own reviews when they come in.
A Christmas Carol 2026 Reviews
Reviews for the 2026 PAC NYC season aren’t out yet. Critics usually publish around opening night on December 3. We’ll summarize the New York consensus here once they do.
We won’t pass off 2019 Broadway reviews or last season’s write-ups as reviews of this run. The staging is the same, but the cast, the Scrooge and the theater are different, and that’s what reviewers will be judging.
Where Is A Christmas Carol Playing in NYC?
A Christmas Carol plays at PAC NYC, the Perelman Performing Arts Center, at 251 Fulton Street, on the corner of Greenwich Street on the World Trade Center campus. It’s the marble cube across from the 9/11 Memorial. It’s not in Times Square, so leave a little extra time if you’re used to Midtown theaters.
Thirteen lines stop within a few blocks. The 1 at WTC Cortlandt is closest. The E ends at World Trade Center, the R/W stop at Cortlandt St, and Fulton Center has the 2/3/4/5, A/C and J/Z.
The World Trade Center PATH station is next door, which makes this an easy trip from Jersey City and Hoboken. NJ ferries and the Staten Island Ferry are nearby.
Drop-offs can use the front door. Cars enter the WTC campus at 17 West Broadway, where NYPD runs a quick vehicle check. Rideshare pickup works best on West, Barclay or Church Street.
For more transit help, see our subway tips for shows and events and NYC parking guide. For accessibility questions, check PAC NYC’s own visitor information before your visit.
Planning Your Night Around A Christmas Carol
One World Observatory
It’s right next door. Go up at sunset, then walk across the plaza to the show.
Tribeca
A short walk north, with much better pre-theater dining than the WTC food halls.
Christmas in NYC
Windows, markets and lights, so the rest of the holiday trip comes together around the show.
Family-Friendly Hotels
Hotels that work for a holiday trip with kids.
A downtown theater night is easy to combine with sightseeing. The Statue of Liberty ferries and the Brooklyn Bridge are close enough for an afternoon before a 7:30 curtain. Our pre-theater restaurant guide and late-night ride-home guide cover dinner and getting home.
A Christmas Carol PAC NYC: Your Questions Answered
Where is A Christmas Carol playing in NYC in 2026?
A Christmas Carol plays at PAC NYC, the Perelman Performing Arts Center, at 251 Fulton Street on the World Trade Center campus in Lower Manhattan.
Is A Christmas Carol on Broadway in 2026?
No. The 2026 production plays PAC NYC, an Off-Broadway venue. It is the same Jack Thorne and Matthew Warchus production that played Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre in 2019 and won five Tony Awards.
Is there a Christmas show on Broadway in 2026?
Yes. Broadway’s holiday engagement is It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at the Broadhurst Theatre, from November 4, 2026 through January 3, 2027. A Christmas Carol is the Off-Broadway holiday option, at PAC NYC downtown.
When does A Christmas Carol start at PAC NYC?
Previews begin Friday, November 20, 2026, and opening night is Thursday, December 3, 2026.
When does A Christmas Carol close?
The final performance is Sunday, January 3, 2027.
How long is the play A Christmas Carol at PAC NYC?
The PAC NYC production runs about 2 hours, including one 15-minute intermission.
Who is in the A Christmas Carol 2026 cast?
Andy Karl plays Ebenezer Scrooge. The company also includes Jesse Aaronson as Bob Cratchit, Anne L. Nathan as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Tamika Lawrence as the Ghost of Christmas Present, Chris Hoch as Father and Marley, and Joe Joseph as Fred.
Who adapted and directs this A Christmas Carol?
Jack Thorne wrote the adaptation of Charles Dickens’s story. Matthew Warchus conceived the production and directs it.
Is A Christmas Carol a musical?
No. It is a play with music. The company sings carols and plays music throughout, and the score won the Tony for Best Original Score, but it is not a book musical.
Is A Christmas Carol good for kids?
The production recommends ages 8 and up. It is a ghost story with darker moments, plus haze, lighting effects and loud noises, so sensitive younger children may find parts of it intense.
How much are A Christmas Carol tickets?
Prices vary by date and seat. As of October 2026, PAC NYC’s listed face-value range was roughly $48 to $168 before fees, with holiday dates generally pricing higher.
Are there discount A Christmas Carol tickets?
No rush, lottery or student program has been announced for the 2026 run, and TDF does not list a discount for it. Comparing weeknight dates earlier in the run is the most reliable way to pay less.
What is A Christmas Carol about?
Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly London moneylender, is visited on Christmas Eve by the ghost of his partner Jacob Marley and then by three spirits who show him his past, present and future, giving him one last chance to change.
Is there more than one A Christmas Carol in New York this year?
Yes. Several versions play the New York area each holiday season. This guide covers Jack Thorne’s adaptation, directed by Matthew Warchus, at PAC NYC.
Get Your A Christmas Carol Tickets
If you’re weighing A Christmas Carol tickets in NYC this year, keep three things in mind. The run is about six weeks, December is the busiest month on the theater calendar, and this is the version that won five Tonys. Pick your date, compare a few performances, and book the seats you want.
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More Broadway Planning Guides
Tickets for A Christmas Carol are just one part of the night. These guides cover the rest of a holiday theater trip, from what else is playing to dinner, hotels and getting home.
Off-Broadway Shows
Every Off-Broadway guide we’ve built, including this season’s limited runs.
Browse shows →Christmas in NYC
Windows, markets, lights and holiday shows across the city.
Plan the holidays →Tickets & Theater Basics
Buy smarterBroadway Hub
Start here for shows, theaters and planning.
→Broadway Shows
Every show page, from long-runners to new arrivals.
→Broadway vs Off-Broadway
What the label means for price, size and feel.
→First-Timer’s Guide
Everything to know before your first show.
→Last-Minute Tickets
How to find good seats close to curtain.
→When to Buy Tickets
How timing affects price and seat choice.
→Dinner, Hotels & Getting There
The rest of the nightRestaurants Near Broadway
Where to eat around the Theater District.
→Pre-Show Dining
Dinner timed so you make curtain.
→Theater District
The blocks around the Broadway houses.
→Hotels Near Broadway
Hotels that keep you close to the theaters.
→Getting to a Show
Subway, cab or car, without the stress.
→Parking Near Broadway
Garages, timing and what to expect.
→Holiday & Family Trips
December in NYCBroadway with Kids
Ages, seats and timing for young theatergoers.
→It’s a Wonderful Life
Broadway’s holiday show: a live 1940s radio play at the Broadhurst, Nov 4 – Jan 3.
→New Year’s Eve in NYC
Plan the last night of the year.
→