No Abingdon panto this Christmas. Didcot's Jack and the Beanstalk runs 18 to 30 December from £22; Oxford's Snow White opens 20 November. Times inside.
Is there a pantomime in Abingdon this Christmas? No. Neither of the town’s theatre groups has a panto listed for 2026, and the Amey Theatre’s December programme has none. The closest is Jack and the Beanstalk at the Cornerstone in Didcot, from Friday 18 to Wednesday 30 December, five miles south. Oxford Playhouse’s Snow White runs for longer, from Friday 20 November to Sunday 3 January. For something festive without leaving town, the Amey has The Snowman with Wantage Band on Sunday 13 December.
All of the details below were read on the theatres’ own pages on 4 October 2026.
Why there is no Abingdon panto this year
Abingdon Drama Club is the group that does pantomime in town, but not every year. Its website lists one production, George Orwell’s 1984 at All Saints’ Church, Sutton Courtenay, at the end of October, and nothing festive after it (Abingdon Drama Club). Abingdon Operatic Society does musicals, and its autumn show is Come From Away at the Amey from 27 to 31 October.
The Amey Theatre box office lists its shows to January 2027. December has school concerts, a carol service, two Nutcrackers and The Snowman, but no pantomime. If a group announces one, we will add it here.
Jack and the Beanstalk, Didcot
The nearest panto, and the cheapest of the two. Polka Dot Pantomimes produces it with the Cornerstone, as it did Beauty and the Beast last year (Cornerstone Arts Centre). The theatre promises “the biggest Giant in Pantoland” and Daisy the Cow.
- Dates: Friday 18 to Wednesday 30 December 2026.
- Venue: Cornerstone Arts Centre, 25 Station Road, Didcot, OX11 7NE.
- Prices: full price £22 to £26. Concessions are £18 to £21, and under-16s are £18 to £21. Booking is online or on 01235 515144.
- Gala night: Friday 18 December at 6.30pm, the first public show, at £22, or £18 for concessions and children.
| Date | Times |
|---|---|
| Fri 18 Dec | 6.30pm (gala) |
| Sat 19 and Sun 20 Dec | 11am, 3pm (meet and greet) |
| Mon 21 Dec | 11am, 3pm (relaxed) |
| Tue 22 to Thu 24 Dec | 11am, 3pm |
| Fri 25 Dec | no show |
| Sat 26 Dec | 1pm |
| Sun 27 Dec | 11am, 3pm |
| Mon 28 Dec | 11am (hearing impaired, free touch tour at 10am) |
| Tue 29 and Wed 30 Dec | 11am, 3pm |
There are schools performances on Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 December at 10am and 1pm. Groups of 30 or more get 20% off through cornerstone@southoxon.gov.uk.
Snow White, Oxford Playhouse
The bigger show, with a run of six weeks. It is a new title for the Playhouse, written by Sarah Henley and directed for the first time by the theatre’s artistic director, Mike Tweddle. The story is set in West Oxford Wood, with Queen Narcissa and her mirror, MiRi (Oxford Playhouse).
- Dates: Friday 20 November 2026 (7pm) to Sunday 3 January 2027 (4pm, the last show).
- Venue: Oxford Playhouse, Beaumont Street, Oxford, OX1 2LW.
- Christmas: two shows on Christmas Eve, 10am and 2pm. None on Christmas Day. Boxing Day has shows at 2pm and 6pm.
- Age and length: recommended for 5 and over, 2 hours 20 minutes with an interval.
- Cast: Eliza Bowden as Snow White, Alex Roberts as MiRi, Duane Gooden as Marigold and Niyi Bammodu as Hunter.
- Prices: these are set by seat and date on the Playhouse’s booking page. We could not read a price range from the page.
The accessible performances:
- BSL interpreted: Friday 4 and Thursday 10 December.
- Dementia friendly: Wednesday 9 December, 2pm.
- Relaxed: Friday 11 December, 6pm.
- Audio described, with touch tour: Saturday 12 December and Saturday 2 January.
- Captioned: Thursday 17 December and Saturday 2 January.
If you drive to Oxford, check the traffic filter rules first. Our page on Oxford’s traffic filters and Vale permits explains them.
The New Theatre in Oxford has no panto listed for this Christmas. Its December shows are Christmas concerts and comedy nights (ATG Tickets).
Christmas shows at the Amey Theatre, Abingdon
The Amey is at Abingdon School, Park Road, OX14 1DE. Booking is through its box office; the show pages do not print prices.
- RBO Live: The Nutcracker, Tuesday 1 December, 7.15pm. A live screening of Peter Wright’s Royal Ballet production (Amey Theatre).
- The Nutcracker, American Dance School, Sunday 6 December, 1pm and 6pm. A staged ballet. Babes in arms go free but need a ticket booked through the box office (Amey Theatre).
- The Snowman Live with Wantage Band, Sunday 13 December, 1.30pm and 4pm. The championship section brass band plays the soundtrack while the 1982 film is screened, with Christmas tunes around it. Under-twos on laps go free, but tell the box office how many when you book (Amey Theatre).
More Christmas in and around Abingdon
The town’s free Christmas Extravaganza and lights switch-on is on Saturday 28 November: see our Christmas lights page. Grottos and Santa trains are on our Father Christmas page, and buses and trains over the holiday are on our Christmas travel page.
For the Amey, the nearest car parks and their charges are on our parking in Abingdon page. Any closures on the A34 or the Didcot road are on our roadworks and travel page.
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