NYC Travel Guide 2026: Things to Do, Eat, Events & More
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17 events, Masquerade NYC is an immersive theater production in New York City that reimagines Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera as a walk-through, multi-floor experience rather than a traditional seated musical. “Masquerade NYC” is not a club night or one-off party; it’s a long-running, ticketed immersive show that lets audiences live inside a re-staged Phantom of the Opera in Midtown Manhattan. $195 Free ice-skating (own skates), 190 holiday shops, The Lodge bar. This beloved event features festive holiday shops, seasonal food vendors, and the city’s only free-admission ice skating rink, open daily from early morning to late evening. The holiday market runs through January 3, 2027, while the ice skating rink stays open into early March, offering […] Free Free entry BYO skates; rentals $20. Curling lanes + igloo bar. Free Skate under skyline + Central Park views. Rent skates $15. image credit regina-geoghan $25 Lightscape at Brooklyn Botanic Garden 2026 November 2026 – January 2027 Each winter, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden transforms after dark into a spectacular trail of light, color, and music. Lightscape returns to Brooklyn for the 2026 holiday season, turning the Garden into a completely different nighttime experience. Along a winding illuminated trail, visitors can discover […] $38 The Rockettes, Radio City’s legendary dance company, starring in the Christmas Spectacular and New York City. It begins when you walk through the doors of the storied Radio City Music Hall. Buy Radio City Christmas Spectacular Tickets on StubHub Featured Featuring the iconic Rockettes, this show runs from November 6 to January 5, with multiple performances daily. It's a holiday tradition that showcases stunning choreography and festive cheer Buy Radio City Christmas Spectacular Tickets on StubHub The Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes returns to New York City in 2026 for another season of one of the city's most iconic holiday traditions. $76 Indoor holiday market in Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Terminal — crafts, gifts, and a warm Midtown stop between trains.2026 dates: November 9–December 24 (closed Thanksgiving Day). Free to browse; vendors set their own prices. Open during terminal hours; check the official Grand Central calendar for daily times.Easy add-on after a Fifth Avenue windows walk […] Free Union Square Holiday Market 2026 is a festive must-visit in New York City The Union Square Holiday Market 2026 is a festive must-visit in New York City, opening November 12 and running through December 24 with no admission fee. Located in Union Square Park between 14th and 17th Streets, the market features over 150 vendors […] Free Adults-only immersive North Pole: burlesque elves, jacked lumberjack, ornament cocktails. Buy Santa’s Secret Tickets on StubHub $75 Featured The Saks Fifth Avenue Holiday Light Show is one of New York City's most famous holiday spectacles. Each holiday season, the historic Saks Fifth Avenue flagship across from Rockefeller Center can transform its facade into a dazzling display of lights synchronized with festive music. Free One of New York’s most magical holiday traditions is back! The Holiday Train Show® at the New York Botanical Garden transforms the Haupt Conservatory into a miniature winter wonderland, with model trains traveling through an incredible display of more than 200 iconic New York buildings made from natural materials. From the Empire State Building to […] Free Season of the iconic Midtown Christmas window displays — Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, and neighboring Fifth Avenue storefronts, with Macy’s Herald Square a short subway ride south. Windows typically unveil in mid-November 2026 and stay lit through early January 2027. Free, outdoors, best after dusk on weeknights. Full walking route and tips: Best Christmas […] Free George Balanchine's The Nutcracker classic. George Balanchine's The Nutcracker performed by the New York City Ballet runs from Friday, November 27, 2025, through Saturday, January 3, 2026. Performances take place at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York. Kids under 5 not admitted. Buy The Nutcracker Tickest on StubHub $75 Experience one of New York City's most spectacular holiday traditions in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. Every Christmas season, residents transform their homes and front yards into dazzling displays filled with thousands of lights, giant ornaments, inflatable characters, animatronics, and elaborate Christmas decorations. The displays are spread across several residential blocks, particularly around 11th to 13th Avenues […] Free |
18 events,Outdoor holiday market at the southwest corner of Central Park — gifts, food, and evening lights with easy subway access (1/A/C/B/D).Planned dates for 2026: December 1–31. Typical hours: Mon–Thu 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Fri–Sun 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Free to enter; shopping and food cost extra. Confirm hours on the organizer site before you go.Combine with a […] Free |
19 events, Featured The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony for 2026 will take place on Wednesday, December 2nd, starting at 7 PM in Midtown Manhattan. This annual event marks the official start of the holiday season in New York City and attracts thousands of visitors who come to see the iconic tree, decorated with over 50,000 multicolored LED […] Free |
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19 events,Handel’s Messiah – NY Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic performs Handel's "Messiah" annually as a popular holiday tradition at David Geffen Hall (Lincoln Center). These performances typically take place in December and feature guest conductors and choruses. Performance Details Venue: (Wu Tsai Theater), 10 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY Dates: Conductor: Chorus: Soloists: Jeanine […] $55 |
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20 events, Featured Participants dress as Santa or holiday figures for a fun-filled pub crawl across the city. It's free to join and promises a lively atmosphere. A SantaCon is simply a gathering of people dressed as Santa and if it's open to the public. Expect holiday cheer, unconventional gifts, naughty carols and general mayhem. Free |
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18 events,December 31, 2026 – January 1, 2027 Times Square, Manhattan Celebrate New Year's Eve in the heart of New York City as the iconic Times Square Ball Drop welcomes 2027. Every December 31, Times Square becomes the center of one of the world's most famous New Year's Eve celebrations. As midnight approaches, thousands of people […] Free December 31, 2026 Central Park, Manhattan Welcome the New Year in classic New York fashion with the NYRR Midnight Run, a four-mile nighttime race through Central Park that begins just before midnight on New Year's Eve. Organized by New York Road Runners (NYRR), the Midnight Run combines running, music, fireworks, and New Year's Eve celebrations […] |
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