What to do in Milwaukee in December 2026

Tuesday, December 1, 2026

• Visual arts

  until Dec 19

  African Art: Ancient Roots, Enduring Values

  Haggerty Museum of Art · Marquette campus

  • Visual arts

  Free

• Visual arts

  until Dec 19

  Iké Udé: Sartorial Anarchy

  Haggerty Museum of Art · Marquette campus

  • Visual arts

  Free

• Visual arts

  until Dec 19

  Standtune

  Haggerty Museum of Art · Marquette campus

  • Visual arts

  Free

• Visual arts

  until Dec 19

  The Otherworld Is Home

  Haggerty Museum of Art · Marquette campus

  • Visual arts

  Free

• Visual arts

  until Dec 19

  Thresholds

  Haggerty Museum of Art · Marquette campus

  • Visual arts

  Free

• Visual arts

  until Dec 31

  Built to Inspire: The Quadracci Pavilion at 25

  Milwaukee Art Museum · Lakefront

  • Visual arts

• Visual arts

  until Jan 31

  The Shakers: A World in the Making

  Milwaukee Art Museum · Lakefront

  • Visual arts

• Visual arts

  until Jun 30

  Survivors: A Rare WWII-Era Collection

  Harley-Davidson Museum · Menomonee Valley

  • Visual arts

• Music

  until Dec 12

  Music Department Student Recitals

  UWM Peck School of the Arts · East Side

  • Music

• Visual arts

  until Jan 18

  Beneath the Surface: Mining and American Photography

  Milwaukee Art Museum · Lakefront

  • Visual arts

• Music

  until Jan 3

  JP Coletta's Rock 'N' Roll Piano Man

  Milwaukee Repertory Theater · Downtown

  • Music
  • Cabaret
  • Rock

• Music

  until Dec 11

  Crossing Over

  UWM Peck School of the Arts · East Side

  • Music

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• Music

  until Dec 27

  Big - The Musical

  Skylight Music Theatre · Historic Third Ward

  • Music
  • Theatre

• Theatre

  until Dec 20

  Heist

  Milwaukee Repertory Theater · Downtown

  • Theatre

• Theatre

  until Dec 27

  Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

  First Stage · Brewers Hill

  • Theatre

• Theatre

  until Dec 28

  Dr. Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas!

  Marcus Performing Arts Center · Downtown

  • Theatre

• Cinema

  until Dec 2

  Experimental Tuesdays: The World and Works of Portia Cobb

  UWM Peck School of the Arts · East Side

  • Cinema

Wednesday, December 2, 2026

• Visual arts

  7 PM

  Artists Now! Guest Lecture Series: Tyler Evans

  UWM Peck School of the Arts · East Side

  • Visual arts

• Music

  8 PM

  Jared James Nichols

  Shank Hall · East Side

  • Music

  $20 Tickets ↗

• Theatre

  until Dec 24

  A Christmas Carol

  Milwaukee Repertory Theater · Downtown

  • Theatre

• Music

  —Time not announced

  Celebrating the Season in Song

  Florentine Opera Company · Riverwest

  • Music

• Visual arts

  until Dec 16

  Drawing for Print & Lithography Exhibition

  UWM Peck School of the Arts · East Side

  • Visual arts

• Theatre

  until Dec 16

  No Man's Land

  UWM Peck School of the Arts · East Side

  • Theatre

• Theatre

  until Dec 20

  The Boys from Baraboo

  Next Act Theatre · Historic Third Ward

  • Theatre

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Thursday, December 3, 2026

• Music

  7 PM

  Arlen • Abby Webster

  Cactus Club · Bay View

  • Music

  $15–$20 Tickets ↗

• Music

  7:30 PM

  Jazz Ensembles

  UWM Peck School of the Arts · East Side

  • Music
  • Jazz

• Theatre

  until Dec 5

  An Improv Show

  UWM Peck School of the Arts · East Side

  • Theatre

• Music

  —Time not announced

  Carved 10:30pm

  Bremen Cafe · Riverwest

  • Music

• Music

  —Time not announced

  Tara Tara 10pm

  Bremen Cafe · Riverwest

  • Music

• Music

  —Time not announced

  Wax Cherubs 11pm

  Bremen Cafe · Riverwest

  • Music

Friday, December 4, 2026

• Music

  6:30 PM

  Colin Bracewell • Floryence

  Cactus Club · Bay View

  • Music

  $10–$15 Tickets ↗

• Music

  7 PM

  NGHTMRE

  The Rave / Eagles Club · Near West Side

  • Music

  Tickets ↗

• Music

  7:30 PM

  UWM Symphony Orchestra

  UWM Peck School of the Arts · East Side

  • Music

• Theatre

  until Dec 13

  Everybody

  First Stage · Brewers Hill

  • Theatre

Saturday, December 5, 2026

• Comedy

  3 PM

  Sister's Christmas Catechism

  Marcus Performing Arts Center · Downtown

  • Comedy
  • Theatre

• Music

  8 PM

  Willy Porter & The Humans In A Room Quartet

  Vivarium · East Side

  • Music

  Tickets ↗

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• Cinema

  —Time not announced

  Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in Concert

  The Riverside Theater · Downtown

  • Cinema

• Music

  —Time not announced

  Radio Radio Krampus Dance Party with DJ Paul H

  The Cooperage · Walker's Point

  • Music
  • Nights out
  • Dance

• Dance

  until Dec 27

  The Nutcracker

  Marcus Performing Arts Center · Downtown

  • Dance

• Dance

  until Dec 26

  The Nutcracker

  Milwaukee Ballet · Downtown

  • Dance

Sunday, December 6, 2026

• Music

  12 PM

  Suzuki & Pre-College Guitar Concert

  UWM Peck School of the Arts · East Side

  • Music

• Music

  3 PM

  Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis

  Mannheim Steamroller

  Miller High Life Theatre · Downtown

  • Music

  Tickets ↗

• Cinema

  —Time not announced

  Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in Concert

  The Riverside Theater · Downtown

  • Cinema

• Music

  —Time not announced

  Packers Noon

  Bremen Cafe · Riverwest

  • Music

Monday, December 7, 2026

• Music

  7 PM

  JEFF the Brotherhood

  Cactus Club · Bay View

  • Music
  • Punk

  $20–$25 Tickets ↗

• Music

  7:30 PM

  New Music Ensemble Fall Concert

  UWM Peck School of the Arts · East Side

  • Music

Tuesday, December 8, 2026

• Cinema

  7 PM

  Collaborative Film Screening

  UWM Peck School of the Arts · East Side

  • Cinema

• Cinema

  7 PM

  Experimental Tuesdays: Expand/Contract - Performances for the Cinema

  UWM Peck School of the Arts · East Side

  • Cinema

• Music

  7 PM

  Rap J & Friends: Rap J • Riz • DJ Dscribe • Darrin Alston

  Rap J · Riz · DJ Dscribe · Darrin Alston

  Cactus Club · Bay View

  • Music
  • Hip-hop

  $10 Tickets ↗

• Music

  7 PM

  Stand Atlantic

  The Rave / Eagles Club · Near West Side

  • Music

  Tickets ↗

• Music

  7:30 PM

  UWM Pop Ensemble

  UWM Peck School of the Arts · East Side

  • Music
  • Pop

• Music

  8 PM

  Brett Eldredge: Glow 10 Year Anniversary Tour

  Brett Eldredge

  Miller High Life Theatre · Downtown

  • Music

  Tickets ↗

Wednesday, December 9, 2026

• Visual arts

  7 PM

  Artists Now! Guest Lecture Series: Mich Dillon

  UWM Peck School of the Arts · East Side

  • Visual arts

• Music

  7 PM

  Love Actually In Concert

  The Riverside Theater · Downtown

  • Music
  • Cinema

  Tickets ↗

Thursday, December 10, 2026

• Music

  8 PM

  65 North Pickers

  Shank Hall · East Side

  • Music

  $15–$20 Tickets ↗

• Music

  until Dec 14

  11th Annual Black Nativity

  Marcus Performing Arts Center · Downtown

  • Music
  • Theatre

• Music

  —Time not announced

  Carols & Classics

  Florentine Opera Company · Riverwest

  • Music

Friday, December 11, 2026

• Music

  5 PM

  Design & Visual Communication Showcase

  UWM Peck School of the Arts · East Side

  • Music

• Music

  6 PM

  Earlybirds Club - 90s Night

  Vivarium · East Side

  • Music
  • Nights out

  Tickets ↗

• Music

  7:30 PM

  UW-MESS Interactive Electronic Music Showcase

  UWM Peck School of the Arts · East Side

  • Music
  • Electronic

Everything on in Milwaukee