The Snowman
Something magical happens each Christmas…
The classic animated film of The Snowman, accompanied by live orchestra. Alongside other family-friendly stories such as The Nutcracker, The Bear and the Piano and A Donkey’s Tale, it makes the perfect family Christmas show!
Top Family things to do at Christmas...
The Guardian, The Sunday Times and The Telegraph
We are the world’s leading performers of The Snowman, having staged over 200 performances to date across the UK, including at many of the country’s finest Cathedrals and venues, with musicians drawn from the UK’s top orchestras.
Sheer Brilliance… a music box of delights… a truly enchanting Christmas experience…
The perfect Christmas combination...
Each of our magical performances includes a toe-tapping Christmas Medley and a fun musical tour of the orchestra, presented by our performers.
We are proud to have commissioned new animations and music specifically to accompany our performances The Snowman, to provide audiences with a full programme of storytelling with big screen and live orchestra. These Carrot Creations vary from venue to venue, but will be one of the following:
A Donkey's Tale
Set amidst the wild landscape of Connemara in the west of Ireland, it tells the heartwarming story of Dillon, an ordinary donkey with an extraordinary dream that takes him on a life changing journey.
This stunning animated film with original music by Daniel Whibley is a firm favourite for all ages.
The Bear and The Piano
David Lichfield’s beautifully-illustrated award-winning tale of how a bear finds a piano in the woods, learns how to play and begins a magical journey of friendship and adventure, was first brought to the big screen in 2017.
With original music by Daniel Whibley played by a live orchestra, and a narration recorded by superstar Joanna Lumley, this entrancing creation is a favourite of audiences each year.
The Nutcracker Suite
Experience the wonder of this most Christmassy of seasonal pieces, by Tchaikovsky. This performance is brought to life by Tom Scott’s mesmerising animated film specially commissioned to accompany our live orchestra, allowing audiences to delve deeper into the music.
Tour dates and tickets...
sch = Schools only | r = Relaxed performance
Looking ahead...
November 2020
Seoul, South Korea
December 2020
UK Christmas Tour
Keep up to date with future concert dates by joining our mailing list...
Are you a venue or an orchestra?
You can hire music from The Snowman Tour for your own venue or orchestra... See our Music Hire and Production Hire pages for more information.
Are you looking for perfect family entertainment?
We are also available to provide appropriate entertainment for christmas markets, lights switch-on events and other events. Email us to find out more...
The Snowman for Schools
Our performances are a unique and special opportunity for children to experience the thrill of live music by an orchestra of some of the top orchestral musicians in the UK.
Most memorable moment was watching the children moving spontaneously and reacting to the music.
The performance provides the perfect opportunity to fulfil one of the main aims of the Music National Curriculum:
"to appreciate and understand a wide range of high-quality live music from great composers and musicians”.
Tickets for schools
Some of our performances are specifically for Schools, and some are relaxed performances too to be more accessible. Public concerts are open to the public too. See our tour dates to begin booking tickets for your school.
The tour so far...
As the world's leading performers of The Snowman, we have performed in a wide variety of venues from opulent cathedrals to theatres, hospitals and shopping centres. Our venues include:
Salisbury, Winchester, Ely, Chester, Liverpool, Gloucester, Blackburn, Worcester, Durham, Lichfield and Coventry Cathedrals, as well as Beverley and York Minsters.
Sheffield City Hall, Warrington Parr Hall, Blackpool Tower Ballroom, Stoke Victoria Hall, Bradford St. George's Hall, Hull City Hall, Oldham Queen Elizabeth Hall, Buxton Pavilion Gardens and Chesterfield Winding Wheel.
Royal Manchester Children's Hospital and Cheshire Oaks Shopping Centre.
Auditions for soloists
Each year we audition children between the ages 7 and 17 to be part of The Snowman performances.
We look for children to sing the evocative Walking in the Air plus other solos where applicable. This is a wonderful opportunity for them to sing alongside our professional orchestra and in front of hundreds of people.
How to get an audition
We work with local Music Education Hubs, music education organisations and Cathedral choirs to help us choose our soloists. The details of how to apply for an audition differ for each location, but you can see more details and find practice resources by following the link below.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the performance last?
Roughly 65–85 minutes. A performance consists of two halves of just over 30 minutes each. Some may have an interval of 20 minutes in the middle.
Is the performance suitable for small children?
Our performances are suitable for age 3+. Occasionally smaller children may become fractious during the performance. To ensure an enjoyable experience for all audience members, we ask parents and carers to be considerate of others in this instance, by temporarily leaving the audience. Babies 18 months and under admitted free if seated on a parent's lap throughout (may not apply to all venues, please check before purchasing).
I need to ask about personal assistance and accessibility...
We offer a personal assistance scheme which enables those coming to an event in need of assistance to claim a ticket for a personal assistant at no charge. Find out more about the criteria and how to arrange this...
Is The Snowman the only thing happening?
No! We have a packed concert of festive fun with The Snowman being the highlight. Read more about what our performances include...
Which Orchestra is playing?
The Picture House Orchestra – comprising hand-picked musicians from top UK orchestras including The Halle, BBC Symphony and the London Symphony Orchestras amongst others. Find out more about the orchestra...
I have a question about my tickets. Who do I talk to?
This differs for each venue. See all contact details...