James B Partridge - The Big Christmas Assembly 2026

James B Partridge brings The Big Christmas Assembly to the Cambridge Corn Exchange on Sunday 13 December, starting at 19:30. It's a festive singalong built around the songs we all sang as kids, from school assembly halls to nativity plays, and it's exactly what the title suggests: a room full of people singing along to the classics.

The set is a mix of those festive standards, throwback mashups and stories told in between. It's a singalong in the truest sense, so you're expected to join in rather than just watch from your seat. Partridge describes it as a nostalgic, feel-good evening that brings childhood Christmases back to life, and he says he draws on the joy of the songs children sang during the season.

There's a bit of a story to how it started. The show began as playful performances Partridge staged for his own pupils, and from there it grew into a nationwide tour. Along the way it picked up TikTok fame, a slot closing the field at Glastonbury Festival, and appearances on Virgin Radio, BBC Radio 2, The One Show and Songs of Praise.

Tickets are £27.50 to £35.00, which includes the booking fee. A couple of practical things to keep in mind: under-16s have to be accompanied by an adult, and latecomers may not be admitted, so it's worth arriving a bit early. The Corn Exchange is on 2 Wheeler Street, Cambridge CB2 3QB.