What to do in Kansas City in December 2026

89 events from Tuesday, December 1 to Thursday, December 31, 2026. Free: 11. Busiest venues: Kansas City Ballet, UMKC Conservatory (White Recital Hall), Folly Theater.

Tuesday, December 1, 2026

Visual arts
until Dec 31

Detoured: The Making of Bruce R. Watkins Drive

Kansas City Public Library - Central Library · Downtown
- Visual arts
Visual arts
until Mar 6

Edra Soto: the place of dwelling

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art · Midtown / Rockhill
- Visual arts
Free
Visual arts
until Feb 28

Farhad Ostovani: Goldberg Variations

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art · Midtown / Rockhill
- Visual arts
Visual arts
until May 2

Reflections of Nature: Monet's Water Lilies and Art Nouveau

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art · Midtown / Rockhill
- Visual arts
Visual arts
until Jan 3

Hell and High Water: The 1951 Kansas City Flood

Kansas City Public Library - Central Library · Downtown
- Visual arts
Visual arts
until Jul 24

Lie. Sit. Stand. Be Still.

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art · Midtown / Rockhill
- Visual arts
Free
Visual arts
until Apr 11

American Prospects and Landscape Photography, 1839 to Today

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art · Midtown / Rockhill
- Visual arts
Visual arts
until Apr 10

Barbara Takenaga: Awestruck

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art · Midtown / Rockhill
- Visual arts
Free
Visual arts
until Jan 17

Free To: Free From: A Mail Art Exhibition Exploring Freedoms

Kansas City Public Library - Central Library · Downtown
- Visual arts
Theatre
until Dec 31

The Pigeon Gets a Big Time Holiday Extravaganza!

The Coterie Theatre · Crown Center
- Theatre
Tickets
Visual arts
until May 16

Form and Flow: Contemporary Shanshui Landscapes

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art · Midtown / Rockhill
- Visual arts
Theatre
until Dec 24

A Christmas Carol

Mark Robbins

Kansas City Repertory Theatre · Midtown (UMKC campus)
- Theatre
Tickets
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Visual arts
until May 9

Personal Best

Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art · Midtown / Rockhill
- Visual arts
Music
until Dec 20

Christmas in Song

Quality Hill Playhouse · Quality Hill
- Music
- Cabaret
Tickets
Dance
until Dec 24

The Nutcracker

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts · Downtown / Crossroads
- Dance
Tickets
Music
7:30 PM

Student Chamber Music Recital #2

UMKC Conservatory (White Recital Hall) · Midtown (UMKC Volker campus)
- Music
- Recital
Free
Music
8 PM

Matisyahu

The Truman · East Crossroads
- Music
Tickets

Wednesday, December 2, 2026

Music
7:30 PM

Conservatory Symphony Orchestra and UMKC Philharmonic Orchestra Concert

UMKC Conservatory (White Recital Hall) · Midtown (UMKC Volker campus)
- Music

Thursday, December 3, 2026

Dance
6 PM

Sensory-Friendly Nutcracker

Kansas City Ballet

Kansas City Ballet · Union Station / Crossroads
- Dance
$25 Tickets
Music
8 PM

Blue October

Midland Theatre · Downtown (Power & Light District)
- Music
Tickets
Music
Time not announced

TRSH, Adjust the Sails, Dear Maryanna, Dear Cincinati

recordBar · Crossroads Arts District
- Music
Tickets

Friday, December 4, 2026

Visual arts
5 PM

Opening Reception: Fall 2026 End of Semester Exhibition & Sale

Kansas City Art Institute · Midtown / Rockhill
- Visual arts
Music
7 PM

Handel's Messiah

Kansas City Symphony · Jane Glover · Kansas City Symphony Chorus

Kansas City Symphony · Downtown (Power & Light)
- Music
Tickets
Comedy
7 PM

Robby Hoffman

The Truman · East Crossroads
- Comedy
Tickets
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Music
7:30 PM

Composers' Guild Concert #4

UMKC Conservatory (White Recital Hall) · Midtown (UMKC Volker campus)
- Music
Free
Music
7:30 PM

Don We Now!

Folly Theater · Downtown
- Music
Dance
7:30 PM

The Nutcracker

Kansas City Ballet

Kansas City Ballet · Union Station / Crossroads
- Dance
$39–$154 Tickets
Comedy
8 PM

Gary Owen

Midland Theatre · Downtown (Power & Light District)
- Comedy
Tickets
Visual arts
until Dec 6

Fall 2026 End of Semester Exhibition & Sale

Kansas City Art Institute · Midtown / Rockhill
- Visual arts
Music
until Dec 6

Handel's Messiah

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts · Downtown / Crossroads
- Music
Tickets

Saturday, December 5, 2026

Dance
2 PM

The Nutcracker

Kansas City Ballet

Kansas City Ballet · Union Station / Crossroads
- Dance
$39–$154 Tickets
Other
7 PM

Ari Matti LIVE

Midland Theatre · Downtown (Power & Light District)
Tickets
Comedy
7 PM

Dusty Slay

Uptown Theater · Midtown
- Comedy
Music
7 PM

Handel's Messiah

Kansas City Symphony · Jane Glover · Kansas City Symphony Chorus

Kansas City Symphony · Downtown (Power & Light)
- Music
Tickets
Cabaret
7 PM

Ranch Hands Cowboylesque: A Not So Silent Night

Ranch Hands Cowboylesque

Madrid Theatre · Midtown
- Cabaret
Tickets
Music
7:30 PM

Don We Now!

Folly Theater · Downtown
- Music
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Music
8 PM

AHEE

The Truman · East Crossroads
- Music
Tickets
Music
Time not announced

Sara Swenson with John Flynn and Of a Feather

Sara Swenson · John Flynn · Of a Feather

recordBar · Crossroads Arts District
- Music
$24.73 Tickets

Sunday, December 6, 2026

Dance
1 PM

The Nutcracker

Kansas City Ballet

Kansas City Ballet · Union Station / Crossroads
- Dance
$39–$154 Tickets
Music
2 PM

Handel's Messiah

Kansas City Symphony · Jane Glover · Kansas City Symphony Chorus

Kansas City Symphony · Downtown (Power & Light)
- Music
Tickets
Music
2:30 PM

Savage Piano Studio Recital #1

UMKC Conservatory (White Recital Hall) · Midtown (UMKC Volker campus)
- Music
- Recital
Free
Music
3:30 PM

Don We Now!

Folly Theater · Downtown
- Music
Music
7 PM

Imminence

Uptown Theater · Midtown
- Music
Music
7:30 PM

Savage Piano Studio Recital #2

UMKC Conservatory (White Recital Hall) · Midtown (UMKC Volker campus)
- Music
- Recital
Free
Music
8 PM

Lupita Infante

The Truman · East Crossroads
- Music
Tickets

Monday, December 7, 2026

Music
7:30 PM

UMKC Campus Band and Conservatory Chamber Singers Concert

UMKC Conservatory (White Recital Hall) · Midtown (UMKC Volker campus)
- Music

Tuesday, December 8, 2026

Music
7 PM

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts · Downtown / Crossroads
- Music
Tickets
Music
8 PM

Acoustic Christmas 2026

Midland Theatre · Downtown (Power & Light District)
- Music
Tickets

Wednesday, December 9, 2026

Music
7:30 PM

Conservatory Wind Symphony and Conservatory Wind Ensemble Concert

UMKC Conservatory (White Recital Hall) · Midtown (UMKC Volker campus)
- Music
Theatre
until Dec 27

Anti-Hero: Revenge of the Swifties

Unicorn Theatre · Midtown
- Theatre
Tickets

Thursday, December 10, 2026

Dance
7:30 PM

The Nutcracker

Kansas City Ballet

Kansas City Ballet · Union Station / Crossroads
- Dance
$39–$154 Tickets
Music
8 PM

UMKC Jazz Lab Concert

UMKC Conservatory (White Recital Hall) · Midtown (UMKC Volker campus)
- Music
- Jazz
Free

Friday, December 11, 2026

Music
2:30 PM

Cello Studio Recital

UMKC Conservatory (White Recital Hall) · Midtown (UMKC Volker campus)
- Music
- Recital
Free
Music
5 PM

Saxophone Studio Recital

UMKC Conservatory (White Recital Hall) · Midtown (UMKC Volker campus)
- Music
- Recital
Free
Music
7:30 PM

‘Roo Horns Holiday Concert

UMKC Conservatory (White Recital Hall) · Midtown (UMKC Volker campus)
- Music
Free
Dance
7:30 PM

The Nutcracker

Kansas City Ballet

Kansas City Ballet · Union Station / Crossroads
- Dance
$39–$154 Tickets
Music
8 PM

Christmas with Zuzu

Folly Theater · Downtown
- Music
Music
8 PM

Cody Fry Christmas

Kansas City Symphony · Cody Fry

Kansas City Symphony · Downtown (Power & Light)
- Music
Tickets
Music
8 PM

Cody Fry Christmas

Cody Fry

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts · Downtown / Crossroads
- Music
Tickets

Saturday, December 12, 2026

Dance
2 PM

The Nutcracker

Kansas City Ballet

Kansas City Ballet · Union Station / Crossroads
- Dance
$39–$154 Tickets

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