The Lion King Christmas Eve Show at Hollywood Pantages

Christmas Eve plans in LA tend to fall into two camps: stay home and cook, or get everybody out of the house for a few hours so the cooking can happen in peace. The touring production of Disney's The Lion King gives the second camp a real option. It has a performance at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre on Thursday, December 24, 2026, and Ticketmaster lists a December 23 show too if the 24th fills up or your family schedule doesn't cooperate.

For anyone keeping a list of things to do in Los Angeles during the holidays, a big musical on Hollywood Boulevard is about as festive as it gets without a single reindeer on stage.

What you're seeing

The stage show isn't a cartoon rebuilt in foam. Director Julie Taymor, who also designed the costumes and co-designed the masks, built it around puppetry you're meant to notice. Mufasa's lion mask sits above the actor's head, so you watch his face and the mask at the same time. Birds fly on poles. Grasslands are dancers wearing headdresses of tall grass. Once you get used to the idea, it's hard to stop watching the hands.

The music mixes the Elton John and Tim Rice songs you know with South African choral writing by Lebo M, plus material from the Rhythm of the Pride Lands album. "Circle of Life" opens the show with performers walking down the aisles, so aisle seats get a close look. The Broadway production opened in 1997, won six Tony Awards including Best Musical, and is still running in New York.

Why Christmas Eve works

Kids are out of school, most offices are dark, and out-of-town relatives are looking for something to do besides the mall. A show gives the whole group a fixed plan with a start and an end. It's also a nice change from the usual December run of concerts in Los Angeles: you still get a live band and a huge vocal ensemble, just with giraffes.

The Pantages

The Hollywood Pantages opened in 1930 as a movie palace and it still looks the part, with a gilded Art Deco lobby and ceilings that make people stop and point their phones up. It hosted the Oscars through much of the 1950s. The house is large, so if you're up high in the mezzanine, bring binoculars or accept that the puppets will carry more of the show than the faces.

Practical info

• Date: Thursday, December 24, 2026
• Venue: Hollywood Pantages Theatre
• Tickets: Ticketmaster, linked on this page
• Also listed: December 23, 2026

Ticketmaster didn't return a curtain time or price for us, so check both before you buy, and don't assume an evening start on a holiday. The Metro B Line's Hollywood/Vine station is a short walk from the doors, which is a lot easier than a garage on Christmas Eve. Arrive early for bag checks. If your usual idea of live music in Los Angeles is a club gig, this is the version the grandparents will actually enjoy.

Browse the rest of our concerts listings or see what else is on in Los Angeles.