FOLK/ROCK
What: Jon and Roy’s Holiday Special featuring Jon and Roy, Chad VanGaalen, Joshua Hyslop, Nicky MacKenzie, and Kieran Campbell
Where: Royal Theatre, 805 Broughton St.
When: Friday, Dec. 10, 8 p.m.
Tickets: $39.75 from or 250-386-6121
Why: Jon and Roy’s Holiday Special returns after a two-year absence with an impressive line-up of rock, pop, and folk performers. The roster features its share of talents, none more appealing than the eponymous headliners. The Victoria group led by singer-guitarist Jon Middleton and drummer Roy Vizer deliver no matter the setting — their recent show at the Commodore Ballroom in 91原创 was sold-out — and will set the easygoing tone for this annual tradition. It’s a seasonal favourite among audiences, so expectations are that this rollicking revue-style party will reach sell-out status come showtime. Act posthaste if you’re planning to attend.
CLASSICAL
What: Winter Harp
Where: Alix Goolden Performance Hall, 900 Johnson St.
When: Friday, Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m. (doors at 6:30; enter through the Victoria Conservatory of Music’s doors on Johnson Street, not its Pandora Avenue frontage)
Tickets: $41.37 from
Why: A holiday tradition unlike few others — it’s not every day you see popular Christmas carols performed on medieval instruments inside a former church by musicians in medieval garb — Winter Harp puts the class in world class. Want to get into the December spirit with an evening of singalong favourites? This is your opportunity. The 91原创-based outfit also performs in Courtenay (Dec. 9, Sid Williams Theatre), Nanaimo (Dec. 11, the Port Theatre), and Duncan (Dec. 12, Cowichan Performing Arts Centre).
DANCE
What: Virtual Nutcracker by Ballet Memphis
Where: On-Demand through the Royal Theatre, rmts.bc.ca
When: Friday through Sunday, Dec. 10-12
Admission: Free
Why: The esteemed Ballet Memphis, in partnership with Dance Victoria and the Royal McPherson Theatres Society, is making its made-for-broadcast version of the Nutcracker available to at-home viewers for free through the weekend. The virtual presentation (which can be accessed through the Royal Theatre’s website) was filmed at Mallory-Neely House in Memphis, Tennessee and is streaming on-demand Friday through Sunday in stirring high-definition, which adds yet more more shimmer to the family favourite. Donations made to Nutcracker Kids, in support of Victoria Women’s Transition House, the Victoria Native Friendship Centre, and Family Services of Greater Victoria, can be made by contacting Dance Victoria by phone (250-595-1829) or through its .
