What's On in Manila: December 2026

The holidays to plan around

The government's list of 2026 holidays, Proclamation No. 1006, sets the shape of the month:

• Tuesday 8 December, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception: special non-working day.
• Thursday 24 December, Christmas Eve: additional special non-working day.
• Friday 25 December, Christmas Day: regular holiday.
• Wednesday 30 December, Rizal Day: regular holiday.
• Thursday 31 December, the last day of the year: special non-working day.

New Year's Day, Friday 1 January 2027, is a regular holiday every year under Republic Act No. 9492.

For most offices that means a four-day weekend from Christmas Eve to Sunday 27 December, then a short, broken week before another long weekend from New Year's Day. Restaurants, cars and anything ticketed get harder to book the closer you get to the 24th, so sort the big nights early.

First weekend: Cup of Joe, Dan and Phil, LE SSERAFIM

Cup of Joe: Symphony puts the Baguio band in the Big Dome with the Orchestra of the Filipino Youth. Ticketnet says a second night was added "due to overwhelming demand", so there are now two.

Thursday 3 and Friday 4 December, 8pm. Smart Araneta Coliseum, Cubao, Quezon City. ₱1,888 (General Admission) to ₱8,888 (VIP Seated) on Ticketnet. No age limit, but minors are asked to sit with a ticket-holding parent or guardian.

Dan and Phil: Hard Launch World Tour is the YouTube pair's new stage show, and Ticketnet says they are "finally back on the Manila stage" after their 2018 show.

Friday 4 December, 7:30pm. New Frontier Theater, Cubao. ₱2,000 (Balcony B) to ₱14,175 (VIP Gold) on Ticketnet. Ages 15 and up only, and ID is checked at the door.

LE SSERAFIM: PUREFLOW ends the K-pop group's 2026 tour in Manila, with two nights at the arena from PULP Live World.

Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December. SM Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay. ₱4,240 (Box Regular) to ₱16,430 (Royalty), including standard ticket charges, on SM Tickets. Good to know: for online orders, your SM Tickets account, credit card and government ID must all carry the same name, and only the cardholder can claim the tickets.

Earlier that week, the ACWP Charity Bazaar takes over Function Rooms 1 and 2 at SMX Convention Center Aura in BGC on Tuesday 1 December, 10am to 5pm. It is a weekday, so it suits anyone shopping for gifts on a long lunch.

Second week: OPM nights and the first Nutcracker

Star of the New Gen: Jillian Ward falls on the 8 December holiday, so it is an easy weeknight.

Tuesday 8 December, 8pm. New Frontier Theater, Cubao. ₱854 (Balcony) to ₱4,269 (Platinum) on Ticketnet.

Jose Mari Chan Christmas Concert is the singer's own Christmas show, and Newport World Resorts now lists two nights.

Friday 11 and Saturday 12 December, 8pm. Newport Performing Arts Theater, Newport World Resorts, Pasay. Tickets through the Buy Tickets link on the Newport World Resorts event page.

The Nutcracker by Ballet Philippines is part of the company's 57th season, which it describes as "a timeless tradition, reawakened with precision, grandeur, and heart."

11 to 13 December. The Theatre at Solaire, Entertainment City, Parañaque. Tickets through ballet.ph; prices were not published when we checked.

Third week: a second Nutcracker, Adie and Home Alone

The Nutcracker by the Saint Petersburg National Ballet Theatre brings the Russian company's production to Manila for the first time, with about 40 dancers and only three performances. The show runs about two hours, and the organiser suggests the Saturday matinee for young children.

Friday 18 December, 8pm; Saturday 19 December, 2pm and 7pm. Newport Performing Arts Theater, Pasay. Tickets on Megatix. Getting there: there is no train station at Newport, so the organiser suggests taking the LRT-1 or MRT-3 to EDSA and then a short Grab or taxi ride, rather than walking.

Adie: Himig ng Tadhana is the singer's first solo concert, presented by VAA Live and Viva Records, and the ticket tiers are named after his songs "Paraluman", "Tahanan" and "Mahika".

Friday 18 December, 8pm. New Frontier Theater, Cubao. ₱1,500 (Balcony) to ₱5,800 (SVIP) on Ticketnet.

Home Alone in Concert shows the film on a big screen while the 85-member Filharmonika Orchestra, conducted by Gerard Salonga, plays John Williams' score live, for the film's 35th anniversary. It is the easiest pick of the month for three generations at once.

Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 December, 3pm. The Theatre at Solaire, Parañaque. ₱2,574 (Marv) to ₱7,724 (Kevin), including the 3% TicketWorld service charge, on ticketworld.com.ph.

Christmas, Simbang Gabi and New Year

We keep separate, updated guides for the seasonal things, so we will not repeat them here:

• Christmas lights: which displays have a 2026 date and how to see them on a quiet weeknight, in Christmas Lights in Metro Manila 2026.
• Bazaars: every confirmed date in order, including the December legs, in Christmas Bazaars in Manila 2026.
• Simbang Gabi: the nine dawn Masses before Christmas, with the churches worth going to, in Simbang Gabi 2026 in Manila.
• New Year's Eve: countdowns, fireworks and getting home, in New Year's Eve in Manila 2026.

All month: a museum afternoon in Makati

If you want a quiet afternoon between the parties, the Ayala Museum in Greenbelt has two shows running right through the season. Turning Tides: Maritime Encounters and Exchanges of Power is on until 14 February 2027, and Reuniting the Surigao Treasure, gold from the collections of the Ayala Museum and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, is on until 30 May 2027.

Ayala Museum, Makati Avenue corner De La Rosa Street, Greenbelt Park, Makati.

For more December shows on stage, see Musicals and Theatre in Manila, October to December 2026.

Questions people ask

Is 24 December 2026 a holiday in the Philippines? Yes. Christmas Eve, Thursday 24 December, is an additional special non-working day under Proclamation No. 1006. Christmas Day, Friday 25 December, is a regular holiday.

What concerts are on in Manila in December 2026? Confirmed so far: Cup of Joe (3 and 4 December, Araneta), Dan and Phil (4 December, New Frontier), LE SSERAFIM (5 and 6 December, MOA Arena), Jillian Ward (8 December, New Frontier), Jose Mari Chan (11 and 12 December, Newport) and Adie (18 December, New Frontier).

Where can I watch The Nutcracker in Manila this Christmas? Ballet Philippines dances it at The Theatre at Solaire from 11 to 13 December, and the Saint Petersburg National Ballet Theatre plays Newport Performing Arts Theater on 18 and 19 December.

Is there a Christmas show for the whole family? Home Alone in Concert at Solaire on 19 and 20 December, both at 3pm. The Saturday 2pm Nutcracker at Newport on 19 December is the other easy one with small children.

Is 30 December a holiday? Yes. Rizal Day, Wednesday 30 December, is a regular holiday, and Thursday 31 December is a special non-working day.

How we chose: everything here has a date confirmed by the organiser, the venue or the ticket seller as of 17 October 2026. December dates are still being announced, so we will add more as they are confirmed.