Your Candlelight Christmas Kennedy Center Experience
With the return of one of DC’s favorite holiday concert experiences just around the corner with The Washington Chorus’ (TWC’s) “Candlelight Christmas” concerts coming up December 19, 21, and 22, 2021, at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall in Washington, D.C., the Chorus is thrilled to welcome back thousands of old and new friends to these live music experiences.
Seating is reserved for this performance, and you must present a physical ticket or email/virtual ticket on your mobile device in order to enter the hall. If you have will call tickets purchased through the Kennedy Center or The Washington Chorus, please check in at the Kennedy Center box office to retrieve those tickets.
In order to make the most of your TWC Candlelight Christmas Kennedy Center experience, The Washington Chorus offers the following seven recommendations:
1. Make a night of it – together
Whether it’s pre-concert dinner and drinks or a post-show hot toddy, the Kennedy Center Concert Hall is close by to many terrific dining and bar options in the Foggy Bottom and West End neighborhoods. Enjoy a pre-show dinner at Kingbird restaurant at the gorgeous and serene Watergate Hotel, or at another nearby restaurant option like CIRCA, Founding Farmers, or The Prime Rib, and stick around for a post-show cocktail at the funky Hive Bar on F Street NW. Or simply plan to meet your friends and family in the Hall of Nations or on the outdoor Plaza, weather permitting.
2. Come early, and with your mask and proof of COVID vaccination on hand
Every TWC Candlelight Christmas performance runs about 75 minutes with no intermission, and a face mask is required to be worn by every attendee for the entire duration of your visit inside the Kennedy Center complex, including in the Concert Hall during the entirety of the performance. And don’t forget your proof of COVID-19 vaccination card, whether paper or digital. You’ll be asked to show your proof of vaccination card prior to entering the Concert Hall.
3. Bring out your phone and scan to get access to our digital program book
This year, to provide you with an easy and touchless experience, TWC is proud to roll out a new paperless digital program book for Candlelight Christmas.
Roving Kennedy Center and TWC staff and volunteers will have cards with QR codes for you to easily scan with your phone – simply open your phone’s camera function, point it at the code, and voila: our Candlelight Christmas digital program book is yours. Please ask an usher or TWC volunteer or staff – you’ll see the TWC staff and volunteers with the red and green TWC buttons on their lapels, and the Kennedy Center front of house staff in their signature red coats – if you’re unable to access the digital program book or for any support in maximizing your experience while there. TWC wants you to have a memorable and meaningful live music experience with The Washington Chorus!
If you have a moment, be sure to check out the program for information on the songs the Chorus plans to perform at the event, and biographies on the world-class musicians that are part of Candlelight Christmas at the Kennedy Center, including TWC Artistic Director Eugene Rogers, who makes his TWC and Kennedy Center conducting debuts with these performances.
4. Make a new friend or acquaintance
Live music experiences are all about making connections: with ourselves and with one another. And TWC’s Candlelight Christmas concert is the perfect chance to make a new friend or acquaintance, even if only for the night. Candlelight Christmas attendees are famously friendly, so don’t be shy! Say hi to your seatmate or neighbor, and strike up a conversation about music, about the choir, or about what the holidays mean to you.
5. Snag some merch before or after the show (or online)
Before and after every Candlelight Christmas performance you’ll be able to purchase Washington Chorus recordings and merchandise in the Concert Hall lobby. Items for sale include TWC branded t-shirts and masks, beautiful custom holiday socks, and CDs from TWC’s extensive catalogue of award-winning recordings. Missed the merch table at the live event? Click here to browse and shop our merch options online, safely (and quickly!) delivered right to your door.
6. Take and post photos, and tell us your thoughts
Don’t forget that Candlelight Christmas selfie! Part of the joy of the TWC Candlelight Christmas experience is sharing it with friends across the world through the power of social media. So go ahead: take out your phone before or after the concert itself, and snap some photos and Instagram moments to share with the world; and hey, the Concert Hall lobby is the perfect spot for a fun TikTok moment, too! Be sure to use the hashtags #togetherwesing and #candlelightchristmas and to tag The Washington Chorus on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
7. Consider buying a Carol on Demand, an at-home digital holiday concert experience, or making a philanthropic contribution in support of TWC’s education and community programs
Looking for more ways to celebrate and share the spirit of the season before or after you attend Candlelight Christmas at the Kennedy Center? Then buy a custom personalized music video message through TWC’s Carols on Demand program, snag a $20 ticket to enjoy unlimited on-demand access to TWC’s gorgeously produced digital Candlelight Christmas experience, or share in the generosity of the season by making a philanthropic contribution in support of The Washington Chorus’ education and community programs, including the Side by Side choral program, Free Community Sings, DC Honor Chorus, and Operation: Spread the Music.
Here are links to additional information that The Washington Chorus hopes is useful as you plan your TWC 2021 Candlelight Christmas experience:
Kennedy Center Transportation and Parking:
https://www.kennedy-center.org/visit/how-to-get-here/
Your Inclusive, Welcoming, Healthy, and Safe Concert Experience:
https://thewashingtonchorus.org/health-and-safety
Kennedy Center COVID-19 policies and protocols:
https://www.kennedy-center.org/visit/covid-safety/
Washington Chorus patron services:
[email protected]
Email us here with any questions or needs you may have
The Washington Chorus looks forward to welcoming you to their live and in-person Candlelight Christmas concerts at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Concert Hall, December 19, 21, and 22, 2021!