Every December, somebody at the office party says it out loud: Die Hard is a Christmas movie. This year Minneapolis gets to settle the argument in person. A Very Die Hard Christmas returns to downtown from Friday, November 27 through Sunday, December 20, 2026 — an all-new production in a new home, The Hennepin, at 900 Hennepin Avenue. And if you would rather not end the night in a parking ramp, a historic mansion in Loring Park is waiting with the hot tub already warm.
What is A Very Die Hard Christmas?
Presented by Hennepin Arts, the show invites you to the Christmas party at Nakatomi Plaza for what its producers call a raucous, giddy salute to the original movie — one that pulls in the magic of every holiday special you remember. Expect songs, surprises, puppets and (their word) bloodshed. It is a comedy, it is very much for grown-ups who know the film by heart, and it makes a wonderfully un-sentimental date night in a month full of sugarplums.
Every 2026 performance date
All thirteen performances start at 8 PM, according to the Hennepin Arts event page:
- Thanksgiving weekend: Friday, Nov. 27 and Saturday, Nov. 28
- Weekend of Dec. 3: Thursday, Dec. 3; Friday, Dec. 4; Saturday, Dec. 5
- Weekend of Dec. 10: Thursday, Dec. 10; Friday, Dec. 11; Saturday, Dec. 12; Sunday, Dec. 13
- Final weekend: Thursday, Dec. 17; Friday, Dec. 18; Saturday, Dec. 19; Sunday, Dec. 20
Tickets are sold online through Hennepin Arts and at the State Theatre box office (805 Hennepin Ave., Monday–Friday, noon–5 p.m.). There is a limit of eight tickets per purchase; groups of nine or more go through Hennepin Arts group sales. A run this short is exactly the kind of show that fills its Fridays and Saturdays first, so if you have a weekend in mind, choose the date before you choose the room.
Where is The Hennepin?
The Hennepin is Hennepin Arts’ century-old building at 900 Hennepin Avenue, in the heart of the Theatre District, with indoor event spaces, a rooftop patio and an outdoor terrace (venue details and seating chart). It sits on the same stretch of Hennepin as the Orpheum, State and Pantages, which makes it easy to fold into a bigger downtown evening — dinner first, the show, then a nightcap somewhere with a fireplace.
From 300 Clifton in Loring Park it is a short ride into the Theatre District — close enough that you can be back on the porch while the rest of the audience is still hunting for their car.
Why stay at 300 Clifton for a Die Hard night out?
300 Clifton is the Eugene J. Carpenter Mansion — a National Register landmark and one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in Minnesota — turned boutique bed and breakfast. In December it is about as far from Nakatomi Plaza as Minneapolis gets: carved fireplaces, hand-painted murals and English gardens in their winter coats.
- The garden hot tub. The four-season hot tub is the reward for walking out of an 8 PM show into a Minnesota December. Steam, stars and the quiet of a Loring Park night.
- Keep the movie marathon going. Gertrude’s Cistern hides a speakeasy and the haunted video lounge with heated reclining seats — the natural place to rewatch the original and argue the Christmas-movie question all over again.
- Rooms with a story. Book the Crystal Mansion for a big celebration or the Grand Edwardian for a romantic weekend, or go cozy in the Hayloft or the Blacksmith’s Forge.
- Direct-booking extras. Book direct and the guest vouchers include $20 toward dining at the Pillsbury Club and $20 toward a Minneapolis Trolley ride.
Make it a holiday weekend: what else is on
The December 10–13 weekend has four performances, and it stacks beautifully. Garth Brooks plays Target Center on December 11 and 12 (our Garth Brooks stay guide), and Lucy Darling brings her holiday show to the Pantages December 11–13 (our Lucy Darling guide). Book two nights and you can see two shows without moving your suitcase.
For a gentler counterpoint, the Holiday Light Ride boards at the Pillsbury Club mansion, and a stroll through Loring Park right outside our door is lovely after a fresh snow. If you would rather keep the evening in the Theatre District, the full holiday calendar lives at Hennepin Arts.
Quick answers
When does it run? November 27–December 20, 2026, mostly Thursday through Sunday, always at 8 PM.
Is it for kids? It is billed as comedy with puppets and bloodshed, built on an R-rated action movie — plan it as a grown-ups’ night.
Is breakfast served at 300 Clifton? Breakfast is not served on site; complimentary coffee waits in the common area, and downtown’s brunch spots are close by.
Yippee-ki-yay, and good night
Pick your performance, then pick your room. Book your stay at 300 Clifton directly for the best rate and the guest vouchers — and save us a seat in the hot tub. Welcome to the party, pal.
Keep reading: What to do with visiting family over the holidays in Minneapolis, from a heated lights trolley to free museums and a mansion stay.