Christmas season at The Royal Albert Hall kicks off with Tony Hadley’s Christmas Big Band show on Tuesday 2 December, featuring the Spandau Ballet vocalist performing swing songs popularised by thelikes of Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Elvis Presley, alongside hits ‘True’, ‘Gold’ and ‘Through the Barricades’.

Then on Friday 5 December, Glyndebourne brings its performance of perennial favourite, Handel’s Messiah, to the Hall, as Aidan Oliver conducts the Gylndebourne Sinfonia and Chorus, with soloists Soraya Mafi, Claire Barnett-Jones, James Way and James Platt.

There are four chances to see Macaulay Culkin wage war on a pair of bumbling home invaders – accompanied by a full symphony orchestra – as the Films in Concert presentation of  Home Alone comes to the Hall on Saturdays 6 and 13 December. John Williams’ unforgettable score will be performed live on stage by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and the Crouch End Festival Chorus, as the film is screened in full and in HD on a 30ft screen.

The ’bear hunt’ returns, in an updated version of the Hall’s popular Christmas show for kids, My Christmas Orchestral Adventure. The bad news is that unfortunately Father Christmas appears to have lost his map on a practice run of his delivery route. Luckily, hosts Tom and Timothy Redmond will be on hand to help him out, along with the BBC Concert Orchestra, the National Youth Choir of Great Britain and the Laine Theatre Dancers.

Jazz comes from Jamie Cullum and Guy Barker, as they each present their distinctive spins on the Christmas season. Cullum will be joined by special guests, including Kansas Smitty’s, as he presents songs such as ‘Beautiful Together’, ‘Christmas Don’t Let Me Down’ and ‘It’s Christmas’. Meanwhile, Barker celebrates 10 years of presenting his Big Band Christmases at the Hall with a special night featuring key collaborators from previous sell-out shows, including vocalists Clare Teal, Tommy Blaize and Joe Stilgoe, clarinettist Giacomo Smith, and the incomparable soul singer, Vanessa Haynes, alongside a debut appearance from neo-soul artist, Naomi Banks.

Trevor Nelson’s Soul Christmas is another returning favourite, with the Radio 2 host inviting a raft of special guests to perform re-imagined and re-scored soul and RnB tracks, with backing from the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Troy Miller followed by a DJ set from the host.

The perennially popular Carols sing-alongs kick off on 14 December, with 16 performances running until Christmas Eve, include an autism-friendly ‘relaxed’ version on 21 December. These shows are presented with British Airways, whose Chairman and Chief Executive CEO, Sean Doyle, said: “We’re proud to be the official partner of Carols at the Royal Albert Hall for the second consecutive year – a Christmas tradition that brings joy to so many people and raises valuable funds for charity partners as part of our BA Better World programme.

The Royal Choral Society, which has performed at the Hall every Christmas since 1872, will host matinee and evening shows on 15 December. They’ll be joined by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Richard Cooke, the British Imperial Military Band, and acclaimed baritone Roderick Williams, who will also premiere a personal reading that offers a window onto his community, growing up in north London in the 1970s.

The next night, the London Community Gospel Choir take centre-stage for their annual festive party, which also features the Heritage Orchestra, special guest YolanDa Brown, and the choir’s powerhouse band, conducted by Tom Richards.

That’s followed on Thursday 18 December by Anna Lapwood’s Christmas, with the Hall’s official organist hosting her first festive show at the venue, as she leads the carols from the console. She’ll be joined by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra conducted by Karen Ní Bhroin, the London Youth Choir and guest violin soloist Esther Abrami for a musical journey through the Twelve Days of Christmas.

This Christmas also sees the first ever London appearance from Grammy-nominated hymnwriters, Keith and Kristyn Getty. Their show, Home for Christmas, will blend British carols, Celtic heritage and Nashville flair, as the Gettys welcome the Orchestra All Souls String and Langham Arts Festival Chorus, conducted by Michael Andrews, alongside a host of virtuoso instrumentalists and special guests, including renowned author and speaker, Professor John Lennox.

The festive season concludes with six performances of the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s epic production of  The Nutcracker, created especially for the Hall, and featuring vivid period costumes and jaw-dropping projections, as well as live music from the Royal Ballet Sinfonia.

In conjunction with the Christmas season, the Hall’s popular Verdi and Elgar Room restaurants will be unveiling festive set menus throughout the month of December. Verdi offers classic Italian dishes, while the Elgar Room provides a modern British brasserie-style menu from the Josper grill.

My Christmas Orchestral Adventure, Carols, Christmas with the Royal Choral Society, the London Community Gospel Choir and Anna Lapwood’s Christmas all include British Sign Language (BSL) tickets, with direct sight lines of the interpreter.

Tickets are available from The Royal Albert Hall