Christmas Shows & Pantos Near Stratford-upon-Avon 2026: RSC, Panto & Family Shows

Looking for a Christmas show or panto near Stratford-upon-Avon this year? Here’s what’s on for Christmas 2026: the RSC’s big festive production, a family panto at Rother Street Arts House, an adults-only panto at the Attic Theatre, the Royal Spa Centre panto in Leamington, and family shows at Warwick Arts Centre, with dates, ages and booking links. We update this page every year.

Christmas shows 2026 at a glance

• The Three Musketeers, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford: 28 November 2026 – 9 January 2027
• Robin Hood The Pantomime (family panto), Rother Street Arts House, Stratford: 12–31 December 2026
• Cinderella (panto), Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa: 4 December 2026 – 3 January 2027
• The Gruffalo’s Child, Warwick Arts Centre: 28 November – 27 December 2026
• Jack and the Beanstalk: The Adult Pantomime (18+), The Attic Theatre, Stratford: 19 December – 3 January

The Three Musketeers at the RSC

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Christmas production in the main house is The Three Musketeers, adapted from Alexandre Dumas and directed by Paul Hunter. It’s a co-production with the physical-theatre company Told by an Idiot, billed as “a theatrical feast full of energy, joy and a raging zest for life”.

• Where: Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Waterside, Stratford-upon-Avon
• When: Saturday 28 November 2026 – Saturday 9 January 2027
• Tickets: from £10, with family discounts available. Check age guidance with the box office (01789 331111) or on rsc.org.uk.

Also at the RSC this winter, for grown-ups: Middlemarch Parts 1 & 2 at the Swan Theatre (until 16 January 2027) and Phyllida Lloyd’s all-female Julius Caesar, with Harriet Walter as Brutus, at The Other Place (5–28 November 2026).

Cinderella at the Royal Spa Centre, Leamington

For a traditional panto, the nearest big one is Cinderella at the Royal Spa Centre in Leamington Spa, about 20–25 minutes’ drive from Stratford. It’s produced by Imagine Theatre and stars AJ and Curtis Pritchard.

• When: 4 December 2026 – 3 January 2027
• Ages: 3+. The show runs about 2 hours 5 minutes including a 20-minute interval.
• Tickets: from the Royal Spa Centre box office. Prices rise as Christmas gets closer, so book early.

Family shows at Warwick Arts Centre

• The Gruffalo’s Child (Tall Stories): 28 November – 27 December 2026. One hour with no interval, recommended for ages 3+. A great first theatre trip.
• Christmas Lectures: a family science show, 2–3 December 2026 (£7.50)
• For grown-ups: Live at Christmas comedy (10 December), Kate Rusby at Christmas (12 December) and Swing into Christmas (16 December)

Warwick Arts Centre is on the University of Warwick campus near Coventry. Book at warwickartscentre.co.uk.

Family panto in Stratford: Robin Hood at Rother Street Arts House

Stratford has its own family panto this year. Tread the Boards, the company behind the Attic Theatre and the town’s longest-running panto producer, is staging Robin Hood The Pantomime at Rother Street Arts House (14 Rother Street, the former Stratford Play House). There are 13 performances from Saturday 12 to Thursday 31 December 2026, at 2.30pm or 6.30pm depending on the day. Tickets are £17.50 for adults and £15 for concessions, and there’s a relaxed performance on Christmas Eve. Book through Rother Street Arts House.

Adults only: the Attic Theatre panto

Stratford’s small Attic Theatre at Cox’s Yard closes its 2026 season with Jack and the Beanstalk: The Adult Pantomime, from 19 December to 3 January. It’s strictly 18+, with swearing and innuendo, so not one for the kids. Adult tickets are £18.50. The theatre is intimate, with just a few rows of seats, so book early once tickets go on sale. Contact the box office on 01789 628768 or at theattictheatre.co.uk.

Tips for a Christmas theatre trip

• Parking: council car parks charge a flat £3.50 from 4pm to 8am, ideal for evening shows. See our parking guide.
• Christmas market weekends (28–29 November and 5–6 December): Bridge Street and Waterside close, so allow extra time to reach the RSC. See our Christmas market guide.
• Eat before the show: our best pubs guide covers the Dirty Duck opposite the theatres.

Christmas shows: quick answers

What’s the RSC Christmas show for 2026?

The Three Musketeers, at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from 28 November 2026 to 9 January 2027.

Is there a panto in Stratford-upon-Avon?

Yes, two. Robin Hood The Pantomime is the family panto, at Rother Street Arts House from 12 to 31 December 2026. The Attic Theatre at Cox’s Yard has an adults-only panto, Jack and the Beanstalk, from 19 December to 3 January. The nearest big-stage panto is Cinderella at the Royal Spa Centre in Leamington Spa (4 December – 3 January).

What Christmas show suits toddlers?

The Gruffalo’s Child at Warwick Arts Centre: one hour, no interval, recommended for ages 3+.

Planning Christmas in Stratford? See every Christmas date in Stratford for 2026: the lights, the markets, pantos, Santa and more, in one place.

Alex Harrington

Alex Harrington grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and runs What's up, Stratford? as an independent guide to the town.