HOLIDAY POPS Returns To Live Audiences At Symphony Hall For The First Time Since 2019

The Boston Pops has announced the return of the ever-popular Holiday Pops season at Symphony Hall, December 2 through 24.

Under the direction of Boston Pops Conductor Keith Lockhart, the 2021 Holiday Pops season celebrates the reunion of the Pops with its devoted patrons, while the orchestra also welcomes new audience members to experience the sights and sounds of these special concerts with the one-and-only Boston Pops Orchestra.

The 34 evening and matinee concerts will include seven family-friendly Kids' Matinees and a Holiday Pops Sensory-Friendly Concert, with programs featuring both favorites of the season and contemporary holiday music-including the Boston Pops signature work and mega hit, "Sleigh Ride"-as well as a visit from Santa Claus. These programs also will feature the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, under the direction of James Burton, returning to concertize for the first time since the onset of the pandemic. Symphony Hall will be festively decorated for the season and patrons on the orchestra level can order food and drink from their café-style tables.

The orchestra's commitment to returning to performances with audiences is matched by an equally strong commitment to the health and safety of everyone associated with Holiday Pops, including patrons, staff, and musicians. Please click here for the BSO's most recent announcement (8/31/21) about pandemic protocols at Symphony Hall this fall; details about protocols also appear below and at bso.org/safety.

James Burton, BSO Choral Director and Conductor of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, holds the Alan J. and Suzanne W. Dworsky chair, endowed in perpetuity.

"It is with incredible happiness that we announce our 2021 Holiday Pops season and the Boston Pops' return to Symphony Hall for live concerts with audiences for the first time since December 2019," said Keith Lockhart.

"This hiatus from performing has taught us to treasure on a whole new level what we do as musicians and performers. We have deeply missed our wonderful audiences and the incredible energy and inspiration they bring to the live concert experience.

"The 2021 Holiday Pops programs will reflect our renewed commitment to bringing our very best to our loyal audiences and welcoming newcomers as we celebrate a joyful return to live music with our cherished music community."

The 2021 Holiday Pops season goes on sale Thursday, October 7, at 10 a.m. online at bostonpops.org or by phone at 888-266-1200; in-person ticket purchases will be available at the Symphony Hall box office (301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA) starting at 10 a.m. on October 7. Tickets for the Holiday Pops series begin at $35 for regularly priced concerts; $42 for special-priced concerts; $45 for premium-priced concerts; and $47 for super premium concerts. All tickets for the Sensory-Friendly Concert on December 5 at 10 a.m. are priced at $30. Most Holiday Pops concerts will have one intermission; Kids' Matinees and the Sensory-Friendly Concert will be performed without intermission. Additional details are available at bostonpops.org.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra announced on August 31 that it will require audience members to provide proof of vaccination or proof of a negative test result, either a PCR test taken within 72 hours of the performance or an antigen test taken within the last 24 hours. Options for proof of vaccination include showing a vaccination card, a photo of the card, or a digital vaccine record upon entering Symphony Hall. Proof of a negative test will be accepted for children under age 12. The BSO's protocols will also require mask-wearing except when patrons are actively eating and drinking but will not include physical distancing. Children under age two do not have to wear a mask, but proof of a negative test for this age group will be required. At present, these protocols will also apply to the 2021 Holiday Pops season.

As conditions evolve over the coming months, the BSO will communicate directly with its ticket buyers concerning any subsequent changes to its protocols-including for Holiday Pops performances-at bso.org/safety. The orchestra's protocols will continue to be informed by recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the City of Boston, and the BSO's own team of advisors and medical experts, including 9Foundations.

In recognition that patrons may prefer additional flexibility as pandemic conditions may change over the coming months, the orchestra is offering BSO and Holiday Pops ticket buyers exchanges or credits up until 24 hours before the start of each performance through the end of the 2021-22 BSO season on April 30. Information about policies and procedures will be sent to ticket buyers by email communications and posted at bso.org, with prompts also featured on the orchestra's social media platforms linking to more detailed information.

All needed upgrades to Symphony Hall's air ventilation and filtration systems have been completed and meet or exceed the standards recommended by healthy building experts, including the Global Biorisk Advisory Council, which has awarded Symphony Hall the GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation, considered the gold standard of prepared facilities. In addition, the BSO has earned the WELL Health-Safety Rating for Facility Operations and Management of Symphony Hall. For additional information, please click here for the BSO's most recent announcement (8/31/21) about pandemic protocols at Symphony Hall.