The Snowman in Concert at the Sheldonian Theatre

There is something about a live orchestra that changes a film you have seen a dozen times, and that is exactly the draw of The Snowman in Concert. It returns to the Sheldonian Theatre on Monday 21 December, with the Mozart Symphony Orchestra playing Howard Blake's score live to the picture. If you have never been, the premise is simple: the film runs on the big screen while the orchestra performs the music in the room, including Walking in the Air, the song Aled Jones made famous. It is the kind of thing that lands somewhere between a cinema trip and a concert, and it has quickly become a fixture of Christmas in Oxford.

The bill is actually two pieces. Alongside The Snowman, there is Herbert Chappell's Paddington Bear's First Concert, a charming bit written for narrator and orchestra. The performers are a proper ensemble: soprano Alice Mackenzie, narrator and conductor Philip Mackenzie, the Mozart Symphony Orchestra, and conductor Malcolm Forbes-Peckham. The whole thing runs to about an hour with no interval, so it is an easy one to drop into without a whole evening committed.

Because it is aimed at families, the timings are built around younger audiences. There are three performances on the day: 13:30, 15:30, and 17:30, so you can pick the one that fits your afternoon. It is suitable for all ages, though the organisers suggest ages five and up, and babes in arms up to two can share a seat with a full-paying adult, while anyone two or over needs their own ticket and seat. General admission runs from £12 to £34, with specific prices at £34, £30, £28, and £12, so there is a range to suit different budgets.

The setting is half the appeal. The Sheldonian Theatre on Broad Street is the official ceremony hall of the University of Oxford, an architectural piece designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1664 and 1669 with funding from Gilbert Sheldon, Warden of All Souls College and later Archbishop of Canterbury. It sits right in the heart of the city, near the Bodleian Library, and is a far more interesting room than your usual cinema or concert hall. If you are late, there is a bit of leeway: latecomers can get in during the first five minutes or after the Paddington Bear segment.

This is not a brand-new addition to the city's calendar. The Oxford edition started last year and, after three sell-out performances, the orchestra is back for 2026, with the concert now a regular highlight of Christmas here. It is backed by a fair list of funders, including Arts Council England, Oxford Council, the University of Oxford, St John's College, and UK Theatre.

For tickets and enquiries, the box office is at boxoffice@oxfordplayhouse.com or 01865 3056305. Wheelchair spaces can be booked by phone or email, step-free access to the ground-floor auditorium is through Door E and the courtyard, there is an accessible toilet on the ground floor near the auditorium, a hearing loop is installed, and assistance dogs are welcome.