[NoHo Arts District, CA] –The Soraya Holiday Series is a time-honored tradition that brings festive events for the season beginning with GRAMMY® Award-winning jazz singer/songwriter Gregory Porter (Dec. 6) and continues with The Klezmatics (Dec. 7), the Christian Sands Quartet (Dec. 12-13), and four performances of the favorite Soraya original production, Nochebuena: A Christmas Spectacular, performed by Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles and Mariachi Pueblo Viejo with special guest Ximena Sariñana (Dec. 20-22).
The Soraya Holiday Series has become a beloved holiday tradition for families across greater Los Angeles. With festive performances for all ages, backgrounds, and faiths, our stage welcomes everyone to celebrate the season together.
About The Soraya Holiday Series
On Dec. 6, California native and acclaimed singer/songwriter Gregory Porter returns to The Soraya to perform hits from his seven studio albums and cool yule selections from his Christmas Wish album, a tribute to his favorite time of year, “and to the great songwriters, singers, and interpreters,” including Steve Wonder, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, and more. Upon its release, the album was hailed by Buzz Mag UK as refreshing, with a “heart, soul, and conscience” that will resonate long after the holidays conclude each year.
Following Gregory Porter are The Klezmatics on Dec. 7, commemorating their 40th anniversary with Happy Joyous Hanukkah, a holiday concert celebrating the festival of lights. The New York-based group is the only klezmer band to ever win a GRAMMY — and for the last four decades, they’ve worked to not only revive the genre but revolutionize it for future generations of music lovers, blending Yiddish, punk, gospel, jazz, and more for a defiant and radically inclusive sound.
“The Klezmatics aren’t just the best band in the klezmer vanguard,” Time Out New York raved. “On a good night, they can rank among the greatest bands on the planet.”
On Dec. 12-13, Christian Sands returns to The Soraya for two nights of holiday hits in The Soraya’s popular and intimate “Onstage” format, available to just under 220 patrons. This configuration transforms the stage, with risers facing the auditorium and Sands with his quartet performing songs from his Christmas Stories album, along with a few surprises.
“Stepping into this project, I wanted to create something that would last a long time…something that spoke to people,” Sands said of the album in an interview with The Soraya. “Every year we try to add new things to the repertoire because there’s so many things to do, and there are so many stories around the holiday season.”
The holiday festivities conclude with four performances of The Soraya original production of Nochebuena: A Christmas Spectacular from Dec. 20-22. Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles returns for its 10th season at The Soraya, performing with Mariachi Pueblo Viejo and special guest Ximena Sariñana.
Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Sariñana is a GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY Award-nominated singer/songwriter and actress who received critical acclaim for her debut album Mediocre in 2008. Now, with more than a decade under her belt, “the longtime Mexican singer/songwriter and actress is experiencing a creative boom that is best described as volcanic, an eruption of music,” wrote Jesse Sendejas, Jr for the Houston Press. Sariñana is the daughter of acclaimed Mexican film director Fernando Sariñana and Carolina Rivera, an accomplished screenwriter and producer.
All performances of Nochebuena: A Christmas Spectacular include a special holiday menu at concessions featuring tamales, conchas (Mexican sweet bread), holiday cookies, and Abuelita hot chocolate available for purchase.
Can’t attend Nochebuena in person? Nochebuena En Casa returns for its second season. The Soraya’s in-house video production team will record highlights from the live event and make it available to watch at home on Dec. 23 and 24 for just $9.99. Learn more about the Soraya Live Sgtream Pass>>
Tickets:
https://thesoraya.org/en/holiday
The Soraya Holiday Series Lineup:
Sat Dec 6 |8PM
Gregory Porter
The voice like “liquid gold,” returns to The Soraya for the holiday season, following his 2022 sold- out debut. The soul, gospel, and jazz artist brings cool yule selections from his Christmas Wish album and more, encompassing the saintly and the secular, the funky and the fun, the Great American Songbook and the best of Motown.
Sun Dec 7 | 7PM
The Klezmatics
Bringing Yiddish music to audiences worldwide, The Klezmatics kick off their 40th anniversary journey with a holiday concert celebrating the Festival of Lights. Their music is genuinely universal, expanding beyond klezmer to include Latin stomps, jazz riffs, and Arabic, African, American and Balkan rhythms, as well as the timeless lyrics of Woody Guthrie. Happy Joyous Hanukkah is filled with pulse-quickening rhythms and heart-warming melodies.
Fri Dec 12 | 8PM
Sat Dec 13 | 8PM
Christian Sands Quartet
Pianist Christian Sands returns to The Soraya following his memorable last-minute stand-in debut for the 2022 Jazz at Naz festival. The two-time-GRAMMY nominee will enchant audiences with his commanding presence and sensitive touch. This intimate onstage performance weaves together fresh arrangements of holiday classics and Sands’ original compositions inspired by the season.
Sat Dec 20 | 2PM & 7PM
Sun Dec 21 | 2PM
Mon Dec 22 | 2PM
|Nochebuena: A Christmas Spectacular
The Soraya celebrates Nochebuena’s 10th anniversary with an expanded schedule of performances, leading right into the holidays. The Soraya’s holiday favorite provides captivating entertainment that highlights Mexico’s many vibrant regions and family traditions. Throughout the decade, some of Mexico’s most beloved stars have joined the celebration, a tradition continued in 2025 with Mexican actress and multi-nominated Grammy and Latin Grammy vocalist Ximena Sariñana.
Where:
Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya)
18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330
About the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya)
The Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for The Performing Arts (The Soraya) is an award-winning, state of-the-art 1,700-seat theatre that opened in 2011 as the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC). Through a transformative gift by Younes and Soraya Nazarian, the venue was renamed The Soraya in 2017. The Soraya is located on the campus of California State University Northridge, the intellectual and cultural heart of the San Fernando Valley.
Executive and Artistic Director Thor Steingraber, in his 12th year leading the organization, sums up what makes The Soraya a central piece of Los Angeles arts and culture. “At The Soraya, we hold a high standard of excellence for every performance from a vast array of artistic disciplines, and we hold steadfast to our commitment to the value and impact of the performing arts in community-building, for the Valley’s 1.8 million residents and beyond.”
The Soraya’s 2025-26 Season is a journey through the expansive sounds of orchestras, the freestyle vibes of jazz, the innovations of dance luminaries, and a vast array of global voices. The Soraya continues its vigorous commitment to excelling, innovating, and amplifying access for Valley residents, students, and arts lovers across Southern California.****
To see what shows are playing, check out our theatre guide>>