Where to See The Nutcracker in Indianapolis (2026)

Last Updated On: October 26, 2026

The Nutcracker is on stage somewhere around Indianapolis from Nov. 28 to Dec. 30, 2026. Indianapolis Ballet dances it at Clowes Memorial Hall with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in the pit, Butler Ballet plays the same hall two weeks earlier with its own orchestra and the Indianapolis Children’s Choir, and studio and youth companies stage it in Carmel, Zionsville, Plainfield, Fortville and downtown. The first list below is full-length productions for kids who can sit through about two hours. The second is one-hour shows, Sugar Plum Fairy parties and free library performances for younger kids. Santa visits, light displays and the rest of the season are in our guide to holiday fun in Indianapolis.

Jump to upcoming Nutcracker performances on our calendar

Nutcracker 2026: Full-Length Productions Around Indianapolis

Indiana Ballet Conservatory, Carmel

When: Nov. 28-29, 2026: Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m., Sunday at 1 and 6 p.m.
Where: Payne & Mencias Palladium, 1 Carter Green, Carmel
Tickets: $15-$75, plus a fee online, through the Center for the Performing Arts

Indiana Ballet Conservatory opens the season on Thanksgiving weekend, with the Carmel Symphony Orchestra playing the score live. Founding artistic director Alyona Yakovleva stages it from Vasily Vainonen’s 1934 choreography. Tickets bought in person at the Palladium’s Fifth Third Bank Box Office have no per-ticket fee.

Dancers in red toy soldier uniforms line up behind a leaping mouse beside a lit Christmas tree in Indiana Ballet Conservatory's The Nutcracker — Photo courtesy Indiana Ballet Conservatory

Butler Ballet, Clowes Memorial Hall

When: Dec. 3-6, 2026: Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., Sunday at noon and 5 p.m.
Where: Clowes Memorial Hall, 4602 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis
Tickets: From $36.10 with fees on Ticketmaster, linked from Butler Arts

Butler University’s dance students perform Butler Ballet’s Nutcracker with the Butler Ballet Orchestra and the Indianapolis Children’s Choir, under the direction of Richard Auldon Clark. Mother Ginger and her Polichinelles are part of the second act. The Clowes box office is open Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Butler Ballet dancers in teal and green tutus pose on a candy-colored set in The Nutcracker at Clowes Memorial Hall — Photo courtesy Butler Ballet

NRG Dance Company, the Athenaeum

When: Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, at 1 and 6 p.m.
Where: Basile Theatre at the Athenaeum, 401 E. Michigan St., Indianapolis
Tickets: Up to $25

NRG Dance Company’s Nutcracker is a two-show Saturday for the Indianapolis dance studio’s dancers. Tickets are sold through the Athenaeum’s box office.

Central Indiana Dance Ensemble, Zionsville

When: Dec. 11-13, 2026: Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m.
Where: STAR Bank Performing Arts Center, Zionsville High School, 1000 Mulberry St., Zionsville
Tickets: $30-$33 for adults, $20-$23 for ages 17 and under, plus a $3.25 fee, on CIDE’s ticket site

Central Indiana Dance Ensemble seats lap children 2 and under free. Both Saturday shows are also sold as a livestream.

Central Indiana Dance Ensemble dancers in white tutus perform the snow scene of The Nutcracker under falling snow and blue light — Photo courtesy Central Indiana Dance Ensemble

Ballet INitiative’s Nutcracker with a Twist, the Athenaeum

When: Dec. 11-13, 2026: Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 4 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m.
Where: Basile Theatre at the Athenaeum, Indianapolis
Tickets: $20-$35 through the Athenaeum box office

Ballet INitiative sets Clara’s Christmas party in the 1920s and pairs Tchaikovsky’s score with Duke Ellington’s jazz version, so tap and jazz share the stage with the ballet. The audience sits at cabaret tables.

NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet, the Murat

When: Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2026, at 7 p.m.
Where: Murat Theatre at Old National Centre, Indianapolis
Tickets: From $48 with fees on Ticketmaster

NUTCRACKER! Magical Christmas Ballet is a touring production, with an international cast, acrobatics and giant puppets. Local children from Premier Academy of Dance join the cast for the Indianapolis stop.

Indianapolis Ballet and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Clowes Memorial Hall

When: Dec. 17-22, 2026: Thursday at 7:30 p.m. (sensory friendly), Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 1 and 6 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 22, at 2 p.m.
Where: Clowes Memorial Hall, Butler University, Indianapolis
Tickets: From $29.65 with fees on Ticketmaster, linked from Indianapolis Ballet

Andrew Grams conducts the ISO for Indianapolis Ballet’s Nutcracker, which runs about two hours with one intermission. The company recommends it for ages 5 and up. Downstairs, the Krannert Room has pre-show entertainment from the time the lobby doors open. Thursday’s performance uses recorded music; details are in the sensory-friendly section below.

Indianapolis Ballet dancers surround Drosselmeyer and Clara, who holds a nutcracker doll, on a pink party-scene set in The Nutcracker — Photo courtesy Indianapolis Ballet

Metropolitan Youth Ballet of Indiana, Zionsville

When: Dec. 18-20, 2026: Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m.
Where: STAR Bank Performing Arts Center, 1000 Mulberry St., Zionsville (Door 1, south side)
Tickets: $30 for adults; $25 for ages 17 and under, seniors and military; plus a $2.60 fee, through Metropolitan Youth Ballet

Metropolitan Youth Ballet’s Nutcracker runs about two hours, including a 15-minute intermission. After every show the cast meets the audience in the lobby for photos, and the Land of Sweets Shoppe sells most treats for $1. Parking is free on the south side of the school, off Mulberry Street.

A ballerina in a pink tutu and her partner dance a pas de deux in Metropolitan Youth Ballet of Indiana's The Nutcracker — Photo courtesy Metropolitan Youth Ballet of Indiana

The Children’s Ballet and Hendricks Symphony, Plainfield

When: Dec. 18-19, 2026: Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m.
Where: Hendricks Live!, 200 W. Main St., Plainfield
Tickets: $25 for all ages at Hendricks Live!

Hendricks Symphony plays live for The Children’s Ballet’s Nutcracker at Hendricks Live!, and youth dancers from The Children’s Ballet in Danville share the stage with professional dancers from area companies.

Toy soldiers fire a red cannon at a line of mice beside a decorated Christmas tree in the battle scene of The Nutcracker at Hendricks Live! in Plainfield — Photo courtesy Hendricks Live!

Legacy Dance Company, Fortville

When: Saturday, Dec. 19, 2026, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 20, at 2 p.m.
Where: Mt. Vernon High School, 8112 N. 200 W., Fortville
Tickets: $22, plus a $2.20 fee, on Legacy’s ticket site

Legacy Dance Company is the performing company of Dance Creations Academy, an Indianapolis studio on Castlegate Drive, and this is its fifth annual Nutcracker. Lap children 1 and under get in free.

Shorter Nutcracker Shows and Parties for Little Ones

Indianapolis Ballet’s Nutcracker Sweets, Schrott Center

When: Dec. 27-30, 2026: Sunday at 3 p.m.; Monday through Wednesday at noon and 3 p.m.
Where: Schrott Center for the Arts, Butler University, 610 W. 46th St., Indianapolis
Tickets: $36.10-$48.55 with fees on Ticketmaster, linked from Indianapolis Ballet

Nutcracker Sweets is the ballet cut to one hour with no intermission, and Indianapolis Ballet recommends it for ages 3 and up.

Village Dance Studio’s Nutcracker: Short & Suite, Zionsville

When: Sunday, Dec. 6, 2026, at 1 and 4 p.m.
Where: STAR Bank Performing Arts Center, Zionsville
Tickets: $15 for ages 13 and up, $10 for ages 3 to 12, plus a $2.35 fee, through Village Dance Studio

In Nutcracker: Short & Suite, the Zionsville studio’s dancers perform excerpts rather than the full ballet. Lap children 2 and under are free, and it’s about a five-minute walk from Door 1 at the high school to the auditorium.

Village Dance Studio dancers in white tutus and tiaras pose in front of a lit Christmas tree in Nutcracker: Short & Suite in Zionsville — Photo courtesy The Village Dance Studio

Sugar Plum Fairy Teas and Nutcracker Parties

Five companies host a party with dancers in costume. Each is a separate ticket from the show.

Tea & Sweets with the Sugar Plum Fairy, Indiana Ballet Conservatory: Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, 2 to 4 p.m., at the conservatory’s studios, 849 W. Carmel Dr., Carmel. Kids learn ballet with the Sugar Plum Fairy and have refreshments. It’s $25 per child plus a fee online, and a parent or guardian needs a free ticket and stays for the party.

Sugar Plum Fairy’s Sweet Celebration, Metropolitan Youth Ballet: Sunday, Nov. 22, 2026, 1 to 3 p.m., at the company’s studio on Technology Center Drive in Indianapolis. It’s for Girl Scout Daisies, Brownies and Juniors, who learn a dance, make a craft and earn a badge. The cost is $30 per scout and $2 per adult, and each scout gets a free child ticket to the December show.

Sugar Plum Fairy’s Tea Party, Legacy Dance Company: Sunday, Dec. 6, 2026, at 1 and 3:30 p.m., at Dance Creations Academy, 9257 Castlegate Dr., Indianapolis. A short performance of Nutcracker excerpts comes first, then crafts, treats and a meet-and-greet with the Sugar Plum Fairy. Tickets are $12, plus a fee.

Nutcracker Sweets party, Village Dance Studio: Sunday, Dec. 6, 2026, 2 to 4 p.m., between the studio’s two shows, in the high school commons outside the auditorium doors. It’s for ages 3 to 12, with crafts, treats, photos, an autographed poster and a dance party. It’s $15 per child as an add-on to show tickets, and the adult with them is free.

Sugar Plum Fairy Dessert Party, Central Indiana Dance Ensemble: Saturday, Dec. 12, and Sunday, Dec. 13, 2026, at 12:30 p.m. at Zionsville High School, before the 2 p.m. matinees. Tickets are $12, plus a $2.20 fee.

Nutcracker Performances at Area Libraries

Local ballet companies dance scenes from The Nutcracker at a few area libraries. The Carmel and Indianapolis shows are free.

Carmel Clay Public Library, Main Library: Indiana Ballet Conservatory on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 10:30 a.m.; Ballet INitiative on Wednesday, Nov. 25, at 10:30 a.m.; and on Monday, Dec. 7, 2026, Central Indiana Dance Ensemble at 10 a.m. and Metropolitan Youth Ballet at 6:30 p.m. Free, no registration or tickets.
Westfield Washington Public Library: Story Time with Ballet INitiative, Monday, Nov. 16, 2026, 10:30 a.m., for ages 3 to 11. Register through the library.
IndyPL Nora Branch: Nutcracker Ballet Storytime with Dance Creations Academy, Friday, Dec. 11, 2026, 4:30 p.m., for kids up to age 6. Space is limited to the first 50 people, so come early.
IndyPL Central Library: Nutcracker Sweets with the Indianapolis School of Ballet, Saturday, Dec. 12, 2026, at noon, with a mini ballet lesson after the scenes. Free with registration.

Kids can come in costume to the Carmel shows and get photos with the characters afterward. The library shows aren’t the only free holiday outings; our list of free holiday festivals in Indianapolis has parades, tree lightings and markets across the metro.

Sensory-Friendly and Relaxed Nutcracker Performances

Indianapolis Ballet’s Thursday, Dec. 17, 2026, performance at Clowes is sensory friendly, with recorded music in place of the ISO and an ASL interpreter. House lights stay low, strobes and some loud moments are cut, and walking the aisles, talking and coming and going are all fine. The Krannert Room becomes a quiet room with a livestream of the stage, and iPads, headphones and fidgets are welcome. Accommodation requests go to [email protected].

Central Indiana Dance Ensemble’s 2 p.m. matinees on Dec. 12 and 13 are relaxed performances, so kids can talk quietly and leave their seats when they need a break. IRT’s A Christmas Carol and the ISO’s Yuletide Celebration also have sensory-friendly or ASL performances, listed with the rest of the season’s holiday shows in Indianapolis.