Kennedy Center to host Christmas concert featuring live Nativity scene, Bible readings

The Kennedy Center is hosting a Christmas concert featuring performances by  prominent Christian musicians along with readings from the Bible and a live Nativity scene. 

“Noel: Jesus is Born!” will be held at the Kennedy Center Opera House at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 17 in Washington, D.C., with musical performances by Charles Billingsley and his Yuletide Orchestra as well as Matthew West. 

“We are proud to present a meaningful, faith-filled experience for families to immerse themselves in the Christmas story at America’s cultural center,” Kennedy Center Vice President of Public Relations Roma Daravi told The Christian Post. “Tis the season to create cherished memories and celebrate the sacred alongside the festive.” 

The concert, which will take place in the Kennedy Center’s second-largest venue, comes after Kennedy Center Director Richard Grenell announced at the Conservative Political Action Conference earlier this year that “we are doing a big, huge celebration of the birth of Christ at Christmas.”

Grenell, appointed to his post by President Donald Trump, shared his vision for a “big traditional production to celebrate what we are all celebrating in the world during Christmas time, which is the birth of Christ.”

“I am thrilled to be a part of ‘Noel: Jesus is Born!’ at the world-famous Kennedy Center,” Billingsley said of the event. “We look forward to celebrating the birth of the Savior with classic Christmas songs, crazy big band fun, a fabulous choir, amazing musicians and singers, and a beautiful live Nativity scene.”

A fixture in Christian music for over three decades, Billingsley began his career with the contemporary Christian group NewSong before embarking on a solo career. As detailed on the singer’s official website, Billingsley has “headlined more than 3,200 concerts, released 24 recordings as a solo artist, and garnered seven No. 1 Inspirational radio hits.”

In addition to his role as a Christian musician, Billingsley serves as a teaching pastor at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia. He is scheduled to perform additional Christmas concerts in the coming weeks in New York City, Richmond, Virginia; Columbus, Mississippi; Branson, Missouri; Brookhaven, Mississippi; Texarkana, Texas; Lynchburg, Virginia; Baker, Florida; Virginia Beach, Virginia and Plano, Texas. 

“Noel: Jesus is Born!” will mark the latest of several appearances Billingsley has made in the nation's capital this year to celebrate major Christian and secular holidays.

Billingsley performed at a pre-Easter dinner at the White House in April and was one of multiple Christian musicians featured at a Kennedy Center event titled “Celebrate America: A Tribute to Our Veterans,” which took place ahead of the July 4 holiday. 

Described by Billboard as “one of Christian music’s most prolific singer-songwriters,” West has won five GRAMMY Awards, an American Music Award, a Billboard Music Award, K-LOVE Fan Awards and the Gospel Music Association’s Dove Awards. Although he is best known for his contributions to the Christian music genre, West has also written eight books and has hosted the Matthew West Podcast since 2020. 

West, who was previously named as Billboard’s Hot Christian Songwriter of the Year, has over 275 songwriting credits to his name. He has written songs for well-known  artists and bands in the Christian music industry including Anne Wilson, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, Mandisa, Danny Gokey and Casting Crowns as well as notable country band Rascal Flatts and prominent country singer Scotty McCreery.  

West is scheduled to make several appearances across the U.S. in the coming weeks as part of his Come Home For Christmas Tour, which includes stops in Bensalem, Pennsylvania; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; New Bern, North Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Corryton, Tennessee and Pensacola, Florida. He will also perform at the Merry Mercy Christmas Benefit in Franklin, Tennessee. 

Additional Christmas-related programming at the Kennedy Center this year includes a rendition of “The Nutcracker” as performed by the Cincinnati Ballet, along with concerts featuring gospel singer Melinda Doolittle and Grammy Award-winning singer Gregory Porter. 

For tickets to the family-friendly performance, visit https://www.kennedy-center.org/