What to do in Louisville in December 2026

73 events from Tuesday, December 1 to Thursday, December 31, 2026. Free: 3. Busiest venues: Mercury Ballroom, The Burl, Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts.

Tuesday, December 1, 2026

Visual arts
until Jul 4

Louisville to Liberty: The Blackburns' Journey

Frazier History Museum · Downtown
- Visual arts
Visual arts
until Jul 4

I Too Am a Kentuckian

Frazier History Museum · Downtown
- Visual arts
Visual arts
until Jul 4

Pursuit of Happiness

Frazier History Museum · Downtown
- Visual arts
Visual arts
until Dec 19

Clarissa Tossin: When Two Places Look Alike

University of Kentucky Art Museum · University of Kentucky campus, Lexington
- Visual arts
Free Tickets
Visual arts
until Dec 19

Museum of Natural History and Artificial Curiosities

University of Kentucky Art Museum · University of Kentucky campus, Lexington
- Visual arts
Free Tickets
Visual arts
until Apr 18

The Wit and Wisdom of Saul Steinberg

Speed Art Museum · Belknap
- Visual arts
Comedy
until Dec 29

New Talent Tuesday

Louisville Comedy Club · Downtown
- Comedy
Tickets
Visual arts
until Feb 27

In These Mountains: Traditional Appalachian Art Today

KMAC Contemporary Art Museum · Downtown (Museum Row)
- Visual arts
Music
until Dec 31

A Christmas Story The Musical

Derby Dinner Playhouse · Clarksville, Indiana
- Music
- Theatre
Tickets
Visual arts
until Feb 21

Brandon Ndife: Drop Pin

Speed Art Museum · Belknap
- Visual arts
Theatre
until Dec 19

Christmas in Candyland

Derby Dinner Playhouse · Clarksville, Indiana
- Theatre
Tickets
Visual arts
until Jan 3

Lights on Main 2026

Frazier History Museum · Downtown
- Visual arts
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Theatre
until Dec 20

A Christmas Carol

Actors Theatre of Louisville · Downtown
- Theatre
Tickets
Music
7 PM

GRIP

Zanzabar · Germantown
- Music
Tickets

Wednesday, December 2, 2026

Music
Time not announced

Jackyl

Mercury Ballroom · Downtown
- Music
Tickets
Music
Time not announced

Tyler Nance

The Burl · Distillery District, Lexington
- Music
Tickets

Thursday, December 3, 2026

Music
until Dec 5

Handel's Messiah

Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts · Downtown
- Music
Tickets
Music
until Dec 5

Handel's Messiah

Louisville Orchestra · Downtown
- Music
Tickets

Friday, December 4, 2026

Music
8 PM

Levi Bloom

Headliners Music Hall · Clifton
- Music
Tickets
Music
Time not announced

Noise Pollution

Mercury Ballroom · Downtown
- Music
- Experimental
Tickets

Saturday, December 5, 2026

Literature
2 PM

Amy Boyles presents The Magical Spice Tea Shop

Amy Boyles

Carmichael's Bookstore · Crescent Hill
- Literature
Free Tickets
Music
8 PM

Same As It Ever Was: A Talking Heads Tribute

The Whirling Tiger · Butchertown
- Music
$24.90–$29.90 Tickets
Comedy
8 PM

The Unauthorized Hallmark(ish) Parody Musical

The Brown Theatre · Downtown
- Comedy
- Theatre
Tickets
Theatre
until Dec 20

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts · Downtown
- Theatre
Tickets
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Sunday, December 6, 2026

Music
7 PM

Matisyahu

Old Forester's Paristown Hall · Paristown
- Music
Tickets
Music
8 PM

Bobby Nsenga: A Bobby Nsenga Experience

Headliners Music Hall · Clifton
- Music
Tickets

Monday, December 7, 2026

Music
8 PM

She's Green

The Whirling Tiger · Butchertown
- Music
$18.90–$24.90 Tickets
Music
Time not announced

King Tuff

The Burl · Distillery District, Lexington
- Music
Tickets

Tuesday, December 8, 2026

Literature
6 PM

Kara Swisher with Scott Turow

Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts · Downtown
- Literature
Tickets
Literature
6 PM

Kentucky Author Forum presents Kara Swisher with Scott Turow

Kara Swisher · Scott Turow

Carmichael's Bookstore · Crescent Hill
- Literature
Tickets
Music
7:30 PM

Acoustic Jam 2026 @ Lexington Opera House

Lexington Opera House · Downtown Lexington
- Music
- House
- Opera
Tickets
Music
Time not announced

Acoustic Jam 2026

Lexington Opera House · Downtown Lexington
- Music
Tickets

Wednesday, December 9, 2026

Music
Time not announced

Acoustic Jam 2026 presented by 97.5 WAMZ

Louisville Palace · Downtown
- Music
Tickets

Friday, December 11, 2026

Music
6 PM

School of Rock MainStage (Friday)

The Whirling Tiger · Butchertown
- Music
- Rock
$6.65–$13.40 Tickets
Music
7 PM

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol

Zanzabar · Germantown
- Music
Tickets
Music
8 PM

Greylan James

Headliners Music Hall · Clifton
- Music
Tickets
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Music
8 PM

Jeremy McComb's "Honky-Tonk Circus" Tour

Mercury Ballroom · Downtown
- Music
Music
until Dec 13

LexPhil Holiday Brass Tour

Lexington Philharmonic · Downtown Lexington
- Music
Tickets
Music
until Dec 21

The Brown-Forman Nutcracker

Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts · Downtown
- Music
- Dance
Tickets
Music
until Dec 21

The Brown-Forman Nutcracker (live music by the Louisville Orchestra)

Louisville Ballet · Downtown
- Music
- Dance
Tickets

Saturday, December 12, 2026

Music
12 PM

School of Rock MainStage (Saturday)

The Whirling Tiger · Butchertown
- Music
- Rock
$6.65–$13.40 Tickets
Music
8 PM

Dax: The Anger Management Tour w/ Thunderstorm Artis

Headliners Music Hall · Clifton
- Music
Tickets
Music
8 PM

Dexter and The Moonrocks

Old Forester's Paristown Hall · Paristown
- Music
Tickets
Music
8 PM

Dizgo

Mercury Ballroom · Downtown
- Music
Music
8 PM

Seven Circle Sunrise presents Nirvana Grunge Night

Manchester Music Hall · Distillery District, Lexington
- Music
- Grunge
Tickets
Music
Time not announced

Tyler Nance

The Burl · Distillery District, Lexington
- Music
Tickets

Sunday, December 13, 2026

Music
12 PM

School of Rock MainStage (Sunday)

The Whirling Tiger · Butchertown
- Music
- Rock
$6.65–$13.40 Tickets
Music
3 PM

Jim Brickman @ Singletary Center for the Arts, University of Kentucky

Jim Brickman

Singletary Center for the Arts · University of Kentucky campus, Lexington
- Music
Tickets
Music
6:30 PM

A Charlie Brown Christmas

The Brown Theatre · Downtown
- Music
- Theatre
Tickets
Music
8 PM

Girl Named Tom

Mercury Ballroom · Downtown
- Music
Music
Time not announced

Jim Brickman

Singletary Center for the Arts · University of Kentucky campus, Lexington
- Music
Tickets
Music
Time not announced

KP & The WLGs

Magnolia Bar · Old Louisville
- Music
Tickets

Monday, December 14, 2026

Music
7 PM

Meow Meow: Feline Festive

Old Forester's Paristown Hall · Paristown
- Music
Tickets
Music
7:30 PM

Mark O'Connor's An Appalachian Christmas

Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts · Downtown
- Music
Tickets

Tuesday, December 15, 2026

Music
6 PM

Filth

Magnolia Bar · Old Louisville
- Music
Music
6 PM

Guilt Trip @ Portal

Guilt Trip · Mauled

Portal · Portland
- Music
- Hardcore
- Punk
Tickets
Music
8 PM

Narcotic Wasteland @ Mag Bar

Narcotic Wasteland

Mag Bar · Old Louisville
- Music
Tickets
Music
Time not announced

Guilt Trip, Mauled

Portal · Portland
- Music
- Hardcore
- Punk
Tickets

Thursday, December 17, 2026

Circus
7:30 PM

Cirque Dreams Holidaze

The Brown Theatre · Downtown
- Circus
Tickets

Friday, December 18, 2026

Music
8 PM

Cathedral Christmas

Lexington Philharmonic · Downtown Lexington
- Music
$30 Tickets

Everything on in Louisville