“A Christmas Carol” will be missing from Niagara-on-the-Lake’s holiday theatre lineup this year, as the Shaw Festival moves its long-running production to Toronto before bringing it home to a larger stage in 2027.

First staged at the Royal George Theatre in 2017, the Dickens classic became a holiday tradition for local audiences. With that theatre closed for rebuilding, this year’s production will run at The Fleck at Harbourfront Centre Theatre in Toronto from Nov. 12 to Dec. 23.

Niagara-on-the-Lake audiences will instead have two other holiday shows to choose from: “A Year with Frog and Toad,” opening Nov. 5 at the Court House Theatre, and Rodgers + Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” opening Nov. 8 at the Festival Theatre.

“Since we first adapted A Christmas Carol for the Shaw, we have been over the moon to see so many families make our production an annual tradition,” artistic director Tim Carroll said.

“Finding a home for A Christmas Carol while we rebuild the Royal George Theatre was one of the original ideas behind our artistic residency with Harbourfront Centre.”

The production will return to Niagara-on-the-Lake in 2027, marking its 10th anniversary with its first run on Shaw’s largest stage, the Festival Theatre, from Nov. 19 to Dec. 23.

A separate version will also be presented at Harbourfront Centre, with each production adapted to its venue.

“The demand for this year’s performances at Harbourfront has already been extraordinary, and next year we will share the joy and magic of this story with even more people – on two very different and very special stages,” Carroll said.

Shaw’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ story features puppetry and an audience singalong. Carroll said the move to different stages will bring changes to the production.

“The heart of the show will remain the same, but each theatre gives us a wonderfully unique playground.”

The 2027 holiday season will also include a new cabaret directed by associate artistic director Kimberley Rampersad. Running at the Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre from Nov. 20 to Dec. 23, it will feature Shaw ensemble members performing classic holiday songs.

Tickets for the 2027 season go on sale Nov. 7 for Friends of The Shaw and Dec. 8 for the public.

Tickets for this year’s Niagara-on-the-Lake holiday shows are available at shawfest.com.