With the holiday season upon us, the streaming services are gearing up to stream and debut a number of holiday-themed specials in December, all leading up to Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The festive specials range from performances by top artists to nostalgia-filled parades, to traditional tree-lighting ceremonies.
Among the upcoming festive segments is “A Very Backstreet Holiday,” which will be streaming on Disney+ and will showcase the Backstreet Boys performing songs from their debut holiday album along with their classic hits.
Other holiday-themed celebrations set to debut in December include “CMA Country Christmas,” a star-studded festive night of musical performances by country stars, including Dan + Shay, Scotty McCreery and Carly Pearce, available to stream on Hulu and Disney+.
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Here are some Christmas specials available to stream in December. Keep reading to find out more.
“CMA Country Christmas”
Streaming on Hulu and Disney+ on Dec. 9
The “CMA Country Christmas” special is a festive night of musical performances from leading artists in the country music genre. The event, filmed in Nashville, Tennessee, will air 9 p.m. ET on ABC and be available to stream on Hulu and Disney+. Hosted by Carly Pearce, the country music special will include performances by Dan + Shay, Old Dominion, Scotty McCreery and more.
“A Very Backstreet Holiday”
Streaming on Disney + on Dec. 15
The holiday special will feature Grammy Award winners The Backstreet Boys. The group will be ringing in the holiday season with a night of performances, including songs from their new holiday album “A Very Backstreet Holiday” as well as their classic tracks.
“Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All!”
Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and streaming on Paramount+
Mariah Carey will host a two-hour concert special at Madison Square Garden in New York. The Grammy- winning songstress will be performing a selection of her holiday hits, including the renowned song “All I Want for Christmas is You.” The upcoming special will proceed after the singer’s two-day revue in Toronto on Dec. 11 and New York City on Dec. 13.
“Christmas in Rockefeller Center“
Nov. 30 on NBC
The 90th annual “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” marks the beginning of the holiday season. The night includes the legendary lighting of the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center in New York City. Hosted by Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Craig Melvin and Mario Lopez, the star-studded night will feature performances by Jimmie Allen, Andrea Bocelli, David Foster, Alicia Keys and more. Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton are set to perform their holiday single “You Make It Feel Like Christmas.”
“National Christmas Tree Lighting: Celebrating 100 Years”
Dec. 11 streaming on Paramount+
The “National Christmas Tree Lighting,” presented by the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation, will include the lighting of the National Christmas Tree in Presidents Park in Washington, D.C. Rapper and actor LL Cool J will host the event for the second year in a row, followed by performances by Joss Stone, Shania Twain, Gloria Estefan, Andy Grammer and more.
“A Home for the Holidays at The Grove”
Dec. 23 on CBS at 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET, and streaming live and on-demand on Paramount+
Hosted by Gloria Estefan, the award-winning special will shine a light on the children of the American foster care system, with special performances by Andy Grammer, Little Big Town, David Foster and Katharine McPhee from The Grove in Los Angeles. The program will showcase uplifting stories about adoption from foster care families.
“Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade”
Dec. 25 at 10 a.m. ET and streaming on Hulu on Dec. 26
The parade will ring in the joy of the holiday season with parade segments from Walt Disney Theme parks, specifically the Magic Kingdom theme park in Orlando, Florida, and the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Hosted by Derek and Julianne Hough, Sherry Cola and Marcus Scribner, the special will include musical performances by Ne-Yo, Black Eyed Peas, Becky G and Meghan Trainor.
“Miley’s New Years’ Eve Party”
Dec. 31 from 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. ET on NBC or stream live and on-demand on Peacock
After the success of her special in 2021, Miley Cyrus is returning for another installment of her New Year’s Eve party. Hosted by Cyrus and Pete Davidson last year, this year’s party is set to be cohosted by Cyrus and her godmother, legendary country songstress Dolly Parton. The event, filmed in Miami and produced by “Saturday Night Live” executive Lorne Michaels, will feature performances by special guests who have yet to be announced.