Holidays with the Ocean City POPS 2026 at the Music Pier

One of the best ways to start the Christmas season in Cape May County is with an orchestra on the boardwalk. Holidays with the Ocean City POPS fills the Ocean City Music Pier with holiday and Christmas favorites on Saturday, November 28, 2026, with two shows at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Holidays with the Ocean City POPS

• Town: Ocean City
• Where: Ocean City Music Pier, 825 Boardwalk, Ocean City, NJ
• When: Saturday, November 28, 2026, 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Each show runs about 90 minutes
• Cost: Tickets through the Ocean City Box Office

The Ocean City Pops Orchestra, led by conductor Vince Lee, performs a program of favorite holiday and Christmas songs. It is the kind of concert the whole family can enjoy together, from kids who know every word of the holiday classics to grandparents who have been coming to the Music Pier for years.

The Music Pier sits right on the boardwalk at Moorlyn Terrace, so the walk in comes with an ocean view. The 2 p.m. matinee is a good fit for families with young children, while the 6 p.m. show works well as an early evening out followed by dinner downtown.

How to get tickets

Tickets are sold through the Ocean City Box Office online at oceancityvacation.com/boxoffice. Holiday concerts at the Music Pier are popular, and Thanksgiving weekend brings a lot of visitors and families home for the holiday, so it is smart to pick your show time and buy ahead rather than waiting until the day of.

Make a full day of it in Ocean City

November 28 is also Small Business Saturday, and downtown Ocean City has plenty going on the same day. Santa in the Downtown runs from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Soifer Park, and horse and carriage rides depart from 9th Street and Asbury Avenue in front of City Hall from noon to 3 p.m. That lineup makes an easy plan: a morning visit with Santa, lunch and shopping on Asbury Avenue, a carriage ride, then the 6 p.m. POPS show to close out the day.

Concerts like this one are a big part of what makes the holidays at the shore feel special. The boardwalk is quieter than in summer, the downtown windows are decorated, and a live orchestra playing the songs everyone grew up with is an easy way to get the whole family into the spirit. It also makes a thoughtful outing to plan with visiting relatives over the long weekend, especially anyone who would rather sit and enjoy the music than brave the mall.

If you are coming from elsewhere in Cape May County, give yourself extra time on Thanksgiving weekend. Downtown streets and the boardwalk area are busier than usual, and arriving a little early means less stress before the music starts.

Event details and tickets

For more holiday plans across the county, see our roundup of Thanksgiving week events in Cape May County.