The Minnesota Orchestra’s holiday season at Orchestra Hall starts the weekend after Thanksgiving and runs through the first morning of 2027. If you want to catch a concert and then walk back to your own kitchen, a furnished studio at Oakland’s on 9th in downtown Minneapolis is a simple way to do it.
What are the Minnesota Orchestra’s holiday concerts in 2026?
These dates come from the Orchestra’s official calendar as of Oct. 9. Start times and ticket details are on each event page, so check those before you plan dinner.
- Nov. 28–29 – How to Train Your Dragon in Concert, with the Minnesota Orchestra. The weekend after Thanksgiving.
- Dec. 1 – Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Creole Christmas.
- Dec. 8–9 – A Charlie Brown Christmas, live at the symphony.
- Dec. 11–13 – Home Alone in Concert, with the Minnesota Orchestra.
- Dec. 18–19 – Handel’s Messiah.
- Dec. 20 – Merry & Bright with Charles Lazarus.
- Dec. 31–Jan. 1 – A New Year’s Celebration.
Earlier in the season, there is Andrew Bird with the Orchestra on Nov. 21 and the Nordic Soundscapes Festival on Nov. 5–14. We covered the festival separately in where to stay for Nordic Soundscapes.
Why stay downtown for an Orchestra Hall night?
Orchestra Hall is on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, and Oakland’s on 9th is downtown too, within walking distance. We won’t quote a walking time, because it depends on your pace and the weather. The skyway is one block from our building, not connected to it, so you walk a block to reach it. In a Minnesota December, bring a good coat for that block.
The practical benefits are the same ones our guests use every month: no parking ramp to hunt for after the show, no highway drive home on a snowy night, and a place to warm up with your own coffee afterward. If you would rather skip the car completely, Metro Transit’s trip planner will show you options from wherever you are coming in.
What do you get with a furnished studio?
Our studios are fully furnished with a full kitchen, WiFi, utilities, heat and free laundry included. There are no contracts: stay a night, a week or a month. Some units are pet friendly. If you are not sure which tier suits you, our guide to the Good, Better and Best studios walks through the differences. The building is an 1889 brownstone that was restored in 2019, so you are sleeping inside a piece of downtown history.
How do you turn a concert into a holiday weekend?
Pair an Orchestra night with the rest of downtown’s season. The Minneapolis Christkindl Market runs Nov. 20–Dec. 20, and the Guthrie’s A Christmas Carol plays Nov. 11–Dec. 27. Our December things-to-do guide lines up the rest. For a ghost-story evening afterward, Minneapolis Trolley Tours and the Pillsbury Club run historic mansion experiences, and our sister property 300 Clifton is a historic mansion B&B in Loring Park for a more romantic night.
How do you book?
Book your studio online or call (612) 314-5124. Holiday weekends fill up, and the Dec. 11–13 and Dec. 18–20 dates are good candidates to reserve early. We would be glad to host you.
Keep reading: Where Should You Stay for Nutcracker Fantasy at the State Theatre, Dec. 12–20, in Downtown Minneapolis?