An "Irish Christmas" Evening Together in Thousand Oaks, With Special Guests, Celtic Irish Dance Academy
You want to give your family something to look forward to this Christmas. An evening when everyone can put the preparations aside, settle into their seats and enjoy being together. Finding an outing that appeals to different generations can take a little planning, especially when December calendars start to fill.
On Wednesday, December 23, An Irish Christmas comes to Fred Kavli Theatre in Thousand Oaks, with Celtic Irish Dance Academy joining the celebration. Bring the people you love for an evening of Irish dance, live traditional music, song and storytelling, rooted in the warmth of an Irish Christmas.
Whether you are introducing your children to Irish traditions, gathering with visiting relatives or planning a night with friends, this is a chance to make room for a shared holiday memory.
Make time for the Christmas you want to share
There is plenty to do in December. Between shopping, school activities, travel and getting ready for guests, the moments you most want can be the easiest to leave unplanned.
A theatre outing gives you a date to gather around. You know where you are going, who is coming with you and when the evening begins. Once you take your seats, the preparations can wait while you enjoy the performance together.
An Irish Christmas is a family-friendly theatrical production that brings champion Irish dance, live musicians, singers and storytelling to the stage. For a family with different interests, that variety offers several ways into the same evening. Someone may come for the dancing, another for the music, and someone else simply for the pleasure of sharing the occasion.
You do not need Irish heritage or knowledge of Irish dance to feel welcome. Curiosity and a love of live performance are a lovely place to start.
Meet the dance academy joining your evening
For the Thousand Oaks performance, Celtic Irish Dance Academy brings a Southern California connection to the celebration. Its dancers have performed with An Irish Christmas for many years, and we are delighted to welcome the academy back in December 2026.
The academy was founded in 2014 under the direction of former Riverdance Dance Captain Maeve Croke Coughlan. Her professional experience informs a school that emphasizes confidence, discipline and a lasting love of Irish dance in a positive, supportive environment.
If someone in your family is learning to dance, knowing a little about the academy can make the outing especially interesting. Behind its performance history is a community of students and teachers working together, developing skills and finding opportunities to share them with an audience.
For everyone else, the academy offers another reason to look forward to the evening: the chance to discover dancers who are helping Irish dance flourish in Southern California.
Experience you can feel confident choosing
When you arrange a holiday outing, you want to know you are choosing an experience worth everyone’s time. An Irish Christmas has been featured on PBS and brings together Irish dance, live traditional music and authentic seasonal customs in a full theatrical production.
Celtic Irish Dance Academy has its own substantial performance history. Its dancers have appeared on The Voice, The Talk and The Jennifer Hudson Show, performed in the Hollywood Christmas Parade and appeared alongside The Chieftains. Alongside those opportunities, students compete at local, regional, national and international levels.
The academy also participated in the 2021 L.A. County Holiday Celebration at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Broadcast live on PBS SoCal, that production went on to win a 2022 Los Angeles Emmy Award for Live Special Events Programming. Celtic Irish Dance Academy was part of the ensemble of Los Angeles artists contributing to the celebration.
These experiences offer a glimpse of the work behind the dancing. For your family, the invitation is simple: come and enjoy the artistry, music and sense of occasion together.
Your plan for December 23
Making this part of your Christmas starts with three straightforward steps.
1. Choose your seats. Visit the official Thousand Oaks event page and select tickets for your party.
2. Invite your people. Put Wednesday, December 23, at 7 p.m. on the calendar and share the plan with family or friends.
3. Enjoy the evening together. Check the venue’s parking and visitor information beforehand, then allow time to arrive and settle into your seats.
The performance takes place at Fred Kavli Theatre, Bank of America Performing Arts Center, in Thousand Oaks. An Irish Christmas runs approximately two hours, including an intermission. If you are bringing children, consider their comfort with an evening theatre visit and check the venue’s admission guidance and accessibility information for your party.
Give yourselves an evening to remember
The days before Christmas can pass quickly. Choosing an outing now gives you something to anticipate together and a place for that shared time in your holiday plans.
Picture the conversation on the way home: the dance someone loved, the music that stayed with you, the moment you want to tell a friend about. Each person may take away a different favourite, but the evening belongs to all of you.
Join An Irish Christmas and Celtic Irish Dance Academy in Thousand Oaks on December 23. Bring your family, invite your friends and make time for a Christmas evening together.
"Spectacular Irish dance that leaves everyone with the urge to grab their loved ones and dance down the aisles!”
-The Village News
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