There’s truly nothing quite like the holiday season in New York City. As the weather gets colder, the city somehow manages to get cozier and brighter, filled with lights, music and plenty of holiday magic. The giant tree at Rockefeller Center presides over legions of bundled-up shoppers searching for the perfect gift, and skaters fill the iconic ice rink with peals of laughter and joy.
Entertainment options in the Big Apple feel nearly endless during Christmastime, too: the sounds of Mariah Carey fill the air, the Rockettes take over Radio City Music Hall with their annual high-kicking extravaganza, and Broadway lights up with the best live theater the country has to offer.
Below, we’ve rounded up nine of the best NYC Broadway shows for the whole family to enjoy during the holidays — and beyond — from long-running Disney classics to a new musical starring… robots?! Yes, really. Scroll through the discovery guide and check out our picks for this season’s can’t-miss shows. You can also find some frequently asked questions about Broadway towards the end.
Maybe Happy Ending
Maybe Happy Ending follows Oliver and Claire, two robots created to help humans in late-21st century Seoul. When both are abandoned by their owners, the pair develop a connection that pushes against their programming about love and what to expect from their battery-charged lives before they’re made obsolete. The futuristic new musical first premiered in South Korea in 2016 before making its way to Broadway starring Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen.
Buy tickets to Maybe Happy Ending.
Hell’s Kitchen
Hell’s Kitchen, the new musical based on the life of Alicia Keys, raked in 13 Tony nominations (including Best Musical) and won two. Part jukebox musical, part biopic, Hell’s Kitchen features beloved hits from Keys’ acclaimed discography including “No One,” “Fallin’,” “Girl on Fire” and “Empire State of Mind” to tell the story of Ali, a young music prodigy growing up in the storied Manhattan Plaza in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood.
Buy tickets to Hell’s Kitchen here.
The Great Gatsby
Nearly 100 years after F. Scott Fitzgerald published his literary masterpiece, The Great Gatsby has come alive as a Broadway musical. The adaptation features a star-studded cast including Jeremy Jordan as Jay Gatsby, Eva Noblezada as Daisy Buchanan, Fellow Travelers standout Noah J. Ricketts as Nick Carraway and Eric Anderson as Meyer Wolfsheim. The Great American Novel may be familiar to generations, but after a century, Gatsby is still pinning all his hopes (and wild parties) on that elusive green light across the bay.
Buy tickets to The Great Gatsby here.
Aladdin
There’s a party going on in Agrabah, and it’s happening eight times a week at the New Amsterdam Theatre. The Broadway re-telling of the 1992 animated Disney classic brings the story of Aladdin, Princess Jasmine, the Genie and more to vivid life with favorite songs like “A Friend Like Me,” “Prince Ali,” and “A Whole New World,” plus multiple musical numbers written by the late Howard Ashman and Tim Rice that were cut from the original film like sentimental tearjerker “Proud of Your Boy.”
The Lion King
Hakuna matata! Now the highest-grossing Broadway production of all time, The Lion King has enchanted generations of kids since it first debuted on the Great White Way in 1997. The lavish production incorporates giant puppets and mind-boggling costuming as the actors on stage transform into Simba, Nala, Rafiki, Scar, Timon, Pumbaa, Mufasa and more. It’s a perfect show to introduce kids to the magic of Broadway, and the whole family will recognize songs like “Can You Feel The Love Tonight,” “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” and “Circle of Life.”
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Return to the Wizarding World as the next generation of Harry Potter stars make their mark at Hogwarts…and the very history of magic. Albus Severus Potter may be the younger son of the Boy Who Lived, but his experience at school is far from his famous father’s glory days. Not only does Albus get sorted into Slytherin, his only friend is Scorpius Malfoy — son of Harry’s old rival Draco — and the pair find themselves relentlessly bullied at the very bottom of Hogwarts’ social hierarchy. Getting their hands on a powerful prototype of a Time-Turner, Albus and Scorpius are determined to rewrite the past and travel back to a time filled with familiar faces like Cedric Diggory, Dumbledore, Snape and even the return of He Who Must Not Be Named.
Get tickets to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Hadestown
Based on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, Hadestown tackles themes of romance, tragedy, politics, freedom and even climate change as the ill-fated lovers travel to hell and back and face off against Hades, god of the underworld. With music by Anais Mitchell, the tragic tale won eight Tony Awards — including Best Musical — in 2019 and has been playing at the Walter Kerr Theatre ever since.
What’s the best show on Broadway right now?
While the absolute best Broadway show is of course a matter of personal opinion, Aladdin, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Hamilton are just some of the top shows you can see on Broadway this season.
What is the most popular Broadway show?
The popularity of a show can be determined by a number of factors, including tenure and star power. Shows like Aladdin, Hamilton and Wicked continue to be bestsellers into 2025, along with The Lion King, which sits at the top of the list of highest-grossing musical theater productions of all time.
What are some new Broadway shows?
Death Becomes Her is one of the top new Broadway shows that you’ll be able to see this year, along with Maybe Happy Ending, which opened in November 2024.
How much is a Broadway show in NYC?
Ticket prices for Broadway shows depend on a variety of factors, including the show, seat location, performance date and time, and when the tickets are purchased. The average ticket for a Broadway show can cost between $50 and $300.
What is the longest-running show on Broadway?
The Phantom of the Opera was the longest-running show on Broadway, playing at the Majestic Theatre from 1988 to 2023. The longest-running current Broadway show and musical is Chicago (1996 revival).
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