Opryland Christmas 2026: dates and tickets

By Staff · Nov. 4, 2026

Gold ornaments and strings of lights hang among palm trees in the Cascades Atrium at Gaylord Opryland, decorated for Christmas — Photo: Patrick Pelletier via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (source)

TLDRGaylord Opryland's free 43rd annual lighting ceremony starts at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, on the Magnolia Lawn. A Country Christmas, including ice! featuring "Home Alone," runs Nov. 6 through Jan. 2. ice! tickets must be bought online in advance, and prices vary by date and time. It's 9 degrees inside, so bring warm gloves and a hat.

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Nashville's biggest Christmas display switches on this week.

Gaylord Opryland will hold its 43rd annual lighting ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5, on the resort's Magnolia Lawn. The resort says the event is free and open to the public, with live performances and the flip of a switch on more than 5 million holiday lights.

Dates and nightly tree lighting

A Country Christmas runs Friday, Nov. 6, through Saturday, Jan. 2, at the resort at 2800 Opryland Drive in Donelson.

Starting Nov. 6, a free tree lighting happens every night on the Magnolia Lawn. Dickens Carolers start singing at 4:55 p.m., and the tree lights up at 5 p.m. The carolers return from 6:05 to 6:45 p.m. and from 7:20 to 8 p.m.

ice! featuring Home Alone

This year's ice! exhibit is built around the movie "Home Alone," with Kevin McCallister, the Wet Bandits and the McCallister house carved from more than 2 million pounds of ice. Guests walk through tunnels and can ride two-story ice slides. It's in the Gaylord Opryland Events Center.

Tickets are sold online only, with no on-site box office, and you must arrive at your scheduled time. Prices change by date and time. Nashville To Do reported that the Nov. 6, 1:30 p.m. session was listed at $36.38 for adults and $26.38 for children 4 to 11. Kids 3 and under get in free with a paid adult, and anyone under 18 needs a paid adult with them.

The exhibit is kept at 9 degrees. Gaylord hands out parkas but suggests bringing hats and gloves. Most people spend 20 to 40 minutes inside. Day-guest tickets are nonrefundable, though you can ask to exchange them for another date before your visit.

What else is new

The resort's new holiday cirque show, POMP, SNOW & CIRQUEumstance, joins ice tubing, ice skating, gingerbread decorating and photos with Santa, all ticketed separately. The Coca-Cola Christmas Caravan, with the Coca-Cola polar bear, stops at the resort Nov. 5 to 8 only.

Gaylord sells two activity passes that bundle ice! with other events and says they save up to 30%.

Parking

Parking isn't included with tickets. Nashville To Do reported standard self-parking listed at $37 plus tax and valet at $55 plus tax, charged per entry for day visitors.

Heading out this weekend? FOX 17 expects today's storms to clear by this evening, with dry weather through the weekend and highs in the low to mid 60s. See more Nashville-area weather coverage, Davidson County news and our Thursday morning roundup of things to do in Nashville.

Sources

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