NBC's Christmas at the Opry Special: What to Know
"Get ready for a good old fashioned country sing-along, Opry-style," Host Wynonna Judd said about her December 7 country music special, Christmas at the Opry.
Country music fans, rejoice! An exciting new country music special, Christmas at the Opry, is coming to NBC this holiday season. The two-hour long musical event will include "Christmas favorites, holiday classics, and today's biggest hits" in front of a live audience. The best part? It will be hosted by the one and only Wynonna Judd.
"Get ready for a good old fashioned country sing-along, Opry-style," Judd says in a promo released a head of the December 7 special. "It's time to celebrate the season and it's all about food, fellowship, and your faith—and we become family."
“Wynonna is one of the most recognized and lauded performers in country music,” said NBCU Entertainment Senior Vice President of Live Events Cassandra Tryon. “Not only is she incredibly talented, her selflessness and passion for putting the needs of others in the spotlight is unmatched."
Judd shared a bit about how country music has impacted her own life—even before she first rose to fame with her mother, Naomi Judd, as country duo The Judds. "We struggled, yet the music filled our living room and it made us all believe in a higher power," Judd said. "We had nothing, we were on welfare, and we just sang."
As for her hopes for the Christmas at the Opry special, Judd once again pointed to the power of uplifting music. "It's been a tough year for a lot of people," she said. "I hope that somebody feels better after watching the show than they did before."
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The Voice Coach Kelly Clarkson and This Is Us actress Chrissy Metz are among the performers set to take the stage at the event. See the full list of performers, and everything else you need to know, below.
Where to watch Christmas at the Opry
Christmas at the Opry will air on NBC on Thursday, December 7 at 8/7c. The special will be available for streaming the next day on Peacock. There will be an encore of the special at 9/8c on December 20.
Who is performing at Christmas at the Opry?
Kelly Clarkson, Chrissy Metz, Brenda Lee, Adam Doleac, Chris Janson, Lauren Alaina, Meghan Patrick, Mickey Guyton, Mitchell Tenpenny and Trace Adkins are all set to perform, ensuring a very merry night of great country music.
Brenda Lee, whose name is practically synonymous with Christmas music, will perform "'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" with Judd and several of the night's performers. Lee's classic hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time ever in 2023, 65 years after its release.
Wynonna Judd set to host Christmas at the Opry
Judd is one of the most recognizable names in country music. She and her late mother, Naomi Judd, rose to fame in the '80s with their duo The Judds. The group has won five Grammy Awards, and their hits include "Love Is Alive," "Have Mercy," "Chance of Heart," and more.
Judd then went on to have a successful solo career, releasing eight studio albums. Her hits include "She Is His Only Need," "I Saw The Light," "No One Else on Earth," and more.
On April 30, 2022, Naomi died by suicide at the age of 76, a few weeks before she and her daughter were set to start The Judds:The Final Tour. Now, Judd is keeping her mother's memory close to her heart as she ventures on her national solo tour, Back to Wy.
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In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Wynonna opened up about touring again after her mother's sudden death. "It healed me, and I didn’t expect that. I really went out with a full heart for the fans and a broken one for my personal experience," she said. "And the two just intertwined in a way that I wasn’t expecting. You go out and you do tours and you think, 'Oh, this is going to be about the music, and this is going to be about the celebration of the herstory that mom and I had together.' And then all of a sudden it just knocks you over because the support and the love was so strong."
Judd shared her own holiday tradition in the promo for the NBC special. "My Christmas tradition is really simple," she said. "I come home, and I'll be honest with you, I try to stay in my pajamas for at least a week. I just play with my grandbaby and I try to stay fully present and in the moment."
