The Midwinter Revels 2026

Celebrate the Winter Solstice with a joyful Midwinter Revels inspired by the traditions and folklore of Old Bavaria. Through music, dance, storytelling, and shared celebration , three gospel singers discover the story about the enduring spirit of the Christmas tree.

AN ANNUAL TRADITION

Every December at Tacoma's Rialto Theater we present The Midwinter Revels®, a fully-staged theatrical production for all ages that intentionally blends professionals and amateurs, children and adults, audience and players, high art and folk idiom. It is full of singing, dancing, and storytelling - beauty, mystery, and hilarity. The production draws large audiences from all over the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
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The Midwinter Revels® audiences expect a similar experience from year to year. Our challenge is to create that experience while each year setting the production in a different time and place (e.g. Welsh, Italian Renaissance, Galician, Nordic, Celtic, American, Victorian, Mexican, etc).

Some Revels Rituals return to the stage almost every year, whatever the setting: the Abbots Bromley Horn Dance; the Shortest Day poem by Susan Cooper; the Lord of the Dance to end the first act (dancing in the aisles!); a hilarious mummers play (or other folk play depending on the culture and time, perhaps commedia or an English panto - always funny, often dragons are involved); and the Sussex Mummers Carol with brass and timpani and glorious descant to end the performance. Learn more about Revels Rituals at Revels.org.

Performances:
Saturday, December 12, 2026 2:00 PM
Saturday, December 12, 2026 7:30 PM
Sunday, December 13, 2026 2:00 PM
Tuesday, December 15, 2026 7:00 PM
Wednesday, December 16, 2026 7:00 PM