Presented in partnership with The Festival of Carols
If your calendar’s already filling up with cookie exchanges, Secret Santa swaps, and end-of-year deadlines, here’s your reminder to plan something that actually fills you up. The Indianapolis Symphonic Choir’s Festival of Carols is back, and it’s the holiday tradition that hits all the right notes.
Imagine more than 100 voices singing in harmony under the glow of twinkling lights at the Palladium or Schrott Center for the Arts. Familiar carols that make you tear up (every time). A few joyful surprises you didn’t see coming. And that moment—the one where the entire audience joins in to sing Silent Night—when the noise of the season fades and you just…exhale.
“It’s so much more than a concert,” says Dr. Jennifer Cooper, Executive Director of the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir. “It’s that moment when you remember what joy sounds like — and you feel it all around you. It’s connection, community, and the magic of sharing traditions through music. That’s what makes the holidays so special.”
Festival of Carols has become a go-to December outing for families, friend groups, and girlfriends who’ve turned it into a yearly ritual. There’s sparkle and warmth everywhere — sequins and sweaters, little ones dancing in the aisles, and couples who still reach for each other’s hands after all these years. There’s a little something for everyone, whether you’re a first-time attendee or you’ve been attending for a decade.
“We design the program to surprise you, but also to wrap you in something familiar,” explains Dr. Eric Stark, the Choir’s Artistic Director. “We’ll always include the classics people love, but we also like to introduce new arrangements and guest performers that make it fresh each year—we are excited to welcome back Brazilian American singer Bruno Sandes for this season’s performance. It’s about keeping the tradition alive while giving it new energy and supporting new composers in our community.”
That blend of old and new is what makes Festival of Carols timeless. One minute, you’re singing along to Joy to the World with 1,200 strangers; the next, you’re swept away by an orchestral arrangement so moving it makes you forget about your to-do list entirely.
Dr. Cooper says that’s the point: “Music gives us a way to pause; to feel grounded and grateful, even in the busiest season. Festival of Carols is our gift back to the community, a reminder that beauty still exists when we make space for it.”
If you’re looking for a reason to gather your people this season, this is it. Leave the wrapping paper behind for one night, dress up a little, and let the music take over.
Festival of Carols performances take place at both the Palladium and the Schrott Center for the Arts. Tickets sell out fast (and yes, they really do). Get your tickets now and make it the holiday tradition you look forward to every year.
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