Christmas entertainment at Warwick Arts Centre

Music at Warwick Arts Centre, Swing into Christmas. Image courtesy of WAC.

There’s a packed Christmas programme at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, this December featuring everything from festive songs and unique gifts, to family favourites, wintery scares and much more.

Bounding onto the theatre’s stage is writer Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler's much-loved The Gruffalo's Child (Sat 28 Nov-Sun 27 Dec 2026).

One wild and windy night, the Gruffalo’s Child ignores her father’s warnings about the Big Bad Mouse and tiptoes out into the deep dark wood. Following snowy tracks, she encounters mysterious creatures – but the Big Bad Mouse doesn’t really exist ... does he?

The Gruffalo's Child, Tall Stories. Photo by Charlie Flint Photography.

Tying in with the recently published third book in the iconic series, Gruffalo Granny, Olivier Award-nominated theatre company Tall Stories' delightful adaptation of The Gruffalo's Child is bursting with songs, laughs and adventures – a perfect family festive treat.

Young fans of The Gruffalo won’t want to miss Nature Makers Coventry’s one-off Gruffalo-themed Free Family Workshop (Sat 12 Dec 2026, 11.30am-3pm). Open to all, the drop-in arts and crafts session gives little hands a chance to sculpt their own clay Gruffalo character, or paint a snowy forest using pine tree paint brushes.

Comedy, Live at Christmas. Image courtesy of WAC.

Returning to Warwick Arts Centre, and guaranteed to lift your spirits, is Live At Christmas (Thu 10 Dec 2026). Boasting a cracking line-up of comedic talent, guests include 'Ryanair Enya' David O'Doherty, Bridget Christie (C4's The Change), Rose Matafeo (Starstruck, Baby Done, Moana 2) and Michelle de Swarte (The Duchess, Spent), with comedian, podcaster, author and activist Jen Brister hosting.

Or for something a little chillier, A Ghost Story For Christmas (Thu 10 Dec 2026) features a rare cinema screening of the BBC's 1972 adaptation of writer M.R. James' supernatural tale, A Warning To The Curious in which the hunt for a long lost artefact leads an amateur archaeologist down an unsettling path. Introduced by Helen Wheatley, Professor of Film and Television Studies, the special event also includes a live reading of a classic ghost story.

On the same day as both Live At Christmas and A Ghost Story For Christmas is Warwick Arts Centre's fourth Seasonal Makers Market (Thu 10 Dec 2026, 4pm-9pm, free entry). Perfect for those last minute Christmas gifts, over 30 independent local traders will be in attendance, all selling handcrafted and sustainably made items, from hand dyed British wool and fibre, to jewellery, cards, prints, glassware, bath bombs, and more.

Kate Rusby. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Meanwhile, a range of Christmas-themed concerts promise festive songs new, old, and even older, to get you in the Christmas mood, including: Kate Rusby At Christmas (Sat 12 Dec 2026), which sees the folk doyen bring together an enticing collection of traditional Yorkshire carols, Rusby-fied Christmas classics, and her own beautifully written songs; Swing Into Christmas (Wed 16 Dec 2026) featuring the 30-piece Down for the Count Swing Orchestra and a set-list of jazzy big band-plus-strings arrangements of Let It Snow, This Christmas and The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year; the City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (Wed 9 Dec 2026) with Tchaikovsky’s seasonal favourite, The Nutcracker, alongside Duke Ellington/ Billy Strayhorn's jazzier Nutcracker reimagining; and The Albion Christmas Band (Thu 15 Dec 2026), who return to Coventry for another heart-warming evening, steeped in tradition.

Also in the run-up to Christmas, the University of Warwick Chamber Choir present a programme that captures the quiet wonder of a winter's night in A Time Of Snow (Fri 4 Dec 2026); the University of Warwick Symphony Orchestra and Chorus get everyone in the mood for the big day with Manchester Carols (Sun 6 Dec 2026); and the University of Warwick's annual Christmas Lectures (Wed 2 & Thu 3 Dec 2026; Wed BSL) see scientists swap their lab coats for festive jumpers to amaze and inspire audiences with mind-boggling science and explosive experiments!

University of Warwick Christmas Lectures. Photo courtesy of WAC.

Further cinema highlights include The Puppet Folk Experience Celebrate The Muppet Christmas Carol (Sat 5 Dec 2026) with handcrafted puppets and songs, followed by a big screen showing of The Muppets’ much-loved take on the Charles Dickens classic starring Kermit, Miss Piggy and Michael Caine.

It's a Wonderful Life. Image courtesy of WAC.

In addition, there’s also Cosy Classic screenings of Alastair Sim’s 1951 Scrooge (from Fri 11 Dec 2026) and It's A Wonderful Life (80th Anniversary) (from Fri 18 Dec 2026), plus animated Family Film Arthur Christmas (from Fri 18 Dec 2026; inc. relaxed screenings) and new Brit' comedy Merry Christmas Aubrey Flint (from Fri 11 Dec 2026) starring John Bradley, Celia Imrie and Richard E. Grant.

For more information on all the Christmas events and activities at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, over December 2026, including tickets, see: warwickartscentre.co.uk