With countless groups on tour, professional companies and neighborhood troupes, Houston is a hub for the performing arts. Check out these holiday performances happening throughout the city this season. 

'The Nutcracker': Performed by the Houston Ballet, "The Nutcracker" follows classic holiday characters Clara and the Prince, and their fight against the Rat King. The show features hundreds of characters, intricate set designs and music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

• Dec. 6-28, times vary
• $44-$230 (per ticket)
• Brown Theater, 501 Texas Ave., Houston

'A Christmas Carol': Encounter the true meaning of Christmas with Ebenezer Scrooge as he visits the past, present and future at Alley Theatre this holiday season. The show lasts 2 hours and 15 minutes with one intermission. Children under 6 years old will not be admitted.  

• Dec. 6-28, times vary
• $36-$138 (per ticket)
• Hubbard Theatre, 615 Texas Ave., Houston

With Asian flavors and Texas barbecue, Loro Asian Smokehouse & Bar brings a combination of cultures to West University Place. 

On the menu: New items currently being featured on the menu include the Pork Katsu Sandwich, Spicy Japanese Curry Ramen and Smokehouse Sampler. The restaurant is also known for its boozy shakes and offers seasonal flavors such as a bourbon hot chocolate and a frozen espresso martini.

A closer look: The restaurant opened in September 2024 and practices a “come as you are” mentality, general manager Ashley Wilson said. 

“Culture is really important to me,” she said. “So when I was looking for jobs, I really wanted to find a restaurant that really embodied that, and Loro as a whole really does do that.” 

• 5333 Kirby Drive, Houston

Germany, Portugal and Saudi Arabia are three of the seven teams that have been flagged to play in Houston for the FIFA World Cup 2026 tournament in June.

Breaking it down: Seven total matches will be played in Houston, including five group stages and two knockout-round games between June 14 and July 9. The five group stages include:

• June 14: Germany vs. Curaçao
• June 17: Portugal vs. Congo DR/Jamaica/New Caledonia
• June 20: Netherlands vs. Albania/Poland/Sweden/Ukraine
• June 23: Portugal vs. Uzbekistan
• June 26: Cabo Verde vs. Saudi Arabia

Texas can use its newly redrawn congressional map in the 2026 elections, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Dec. 4.

The background: State lawmakers approved the new congressional boundaries this summer, after President Donald Trump asked them to produce a new map in an attempt to help Republicans maintain a narrow majority in the U.S. House, Community Impact previously reported. Texas Republicans have said they hoped the map would help the GOP secure 30 of Texas’ 38 congressional seats, up from 25 Republican-held seats today.

What's happening: The Supreme Court's ruling overturns a Nov. 18 injunction from an El Paso federal court, which deemed Texas’ redistricting plan "racially gerrymandered” and directed officials to use a 2021 congressional map instead.

“The District Court improperly inserted itself into an active primary campaign, causing much confusion and upsetting the delicate federal-state balance in elections,” the Supreme Court said in the unsigned Dec. 4 order.

The order comes just four days before the Dec. 8 deadline for Texas candidates to file to run in the March primary elections.