This story was updated on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 1:39 p.m.
There’s no shortage of ways to celebrate the holidays in Atlanta this year. There are holiday light displays, culinary traditions (just be sure to set conversation boundaries!), music and even The Pink Pig.
The festivities extend to the city’s large and vibrant LGBTQ community and their allies. Atlanta has LGBTQ choirs, orchestras, theater troupes and more.
Here are 7 LGBTQ ways to celebrate the season in Atlanta.
Dec. 6-7 – First Baptist Church of Decatur
OurSong Atlanta is an LGBTQ choral group founded in 2002. Their repertoire covers classical, contemporary and folk music. The group holds a number of concerts and performs at community events every year.
OurSong celebrates “believing” in all its forms at their holiday concerts this year with a Lakota Sioux chant, a traditional Iraqi song and writings from the Holocaust. They’ll be joined by the Gate City Brass ensemble.
Dec. 7 – The Church at Ponce and Highland
The Atlanta Women’s Chorus is an LGBTQ chorus that has been singing around town for over a decade now. They formed out of the ashes of the defunct Atlanta Feminist Women’s Chorus.
The group and the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus operate under the umbrella organization Voices of Note.
The Atlanta Women’s Chorus goes Hollywood for the holidays this year, tackling music from the movies “Home Alone,” “Christmas Vacation,” “Love Actually,” “The Muppet Christmas Carol” and more.
Dec. 8 – North Decatur Presbyterian Church
The Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra celebrated its 20th anniversary this year. It’s the fifth-oldest LGBTQ orchestra in the world.
The North Decatur Presbyterian Church choir will join APO for one (free!) performance only on Sunday featuring holiday favorites by Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, Handel, Holst and more.
Dec. 12-22 – Out Front Theatre
Out Front Theatre Company was founded in 2016 for LGBTQ audiences to enjoy theater that reflects their shared experiences.
They’ve put on scads of productions over the years including “The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told,” “The Rocky Horror Show,” “Kinky Boots” and “The Ethel Merman Disco Christmas Spectacular.”
This year’s holiday show centers on “the world’s foremost drag detective” Shirley Holmes, who boards a train with her sidekick Dr. Jody Whatley and 10 other unsavory characters en route to the North Pole. But … there’s a psycho killer onboard!
Dec. 16 – Out Front Theatre
Out Front also has this one-night-only Christmas cabaret starring Emerson Collins and Blake McIver. Atlanta is one of only four cities that Collins and McIver are visiting as part of their “Christmas Actually” tour.
The duo shares what they love and hate about the holidays while performing classic and newer Christmas hits. Prepare to hear songs made famous by Barbra Streisand, Elvis Presley, The Carpenters, Kacey Musgraves, Kelly Clarkson and more.
Collins and McIver also do a mega-medley of songs to decide once and for all if “Love Actually” is a Christmas movie.
Dec. 20-21 – The Cathedral of St. Philip
The Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus was founded in 1981, so they’ve seen no shortage of triumphs and tragedies in the city’s LGBTQ community over the years.
They’ve shared the stage with the late comic actor Leslie Jordan, poet Maya Angelou, the Atlanta Opera, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Ballet, the International Gay Men’s Chorus of Paris and more.
AGMC’s holiday concert this year will include a jazz combo to help bring people the season’s favorites as only they can.
Dec. 21 – The Church at Ponce and Highland
Atlanta Freedom Bands celebrates its 30th anniversary this year of bringing music from LGBTQ and allied members to the city. AFB comprises three ensembles — the Atlanta Freedom Concert Band, the Atlanta Freedom Marching Band and Color Guard, and the MetroGnomes Stage Band.
The group’s annual holiday concert this year celebrates the 20th anniversary of the AFB Concert Band. Drag duo Olive d’Nightlife and Agatha Boogie will host the show, which features a new work from AFB’s student composer residency program.
Look to hear the group play holiday favorites including “Greensleeves,” “The Christmas Song,” “A Chanukah Celebration,” “Let It Snow” and more.
