LIVE: ‘Christmas at the Opry’ — Performances, Reactions, and Viral Moments from the Holiday Special

Christmas at the Opry closes in the best way possible. The Christmas at the Opry lineup joined the incomparable Brenda Lee to perform her Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”

Lee hasn’t lost a step over the years and she proved it tonight with, bar none, the best performance of the evening.

 Trace Adkins returned to the Christmas at the Opry stage to perform “White Christmas.” His bourbon-smooth baritone perfectly captured the nostalgia and longing of the Irving Berlin classic. The wonderfully decorated Opry stage, looking for all the world like a snow-covered field, tied everything together.

After the break, Kelly Clarkson returned to introduce Wynonna Judd once again. This time, Wynonna performed a bluegrass rendition of “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem.” She has been singing this song since she was a child and it shows.

Memorably, The Judds included the song on their Christmastime with the Judds album in 1993. More recently, Wynonna released a solo rendition of the song. However, nothing holds a candle to hearing her sing it live at the Opry.

BRELAND returns to the Christmas at the Opry stage to perform a jazzy rendition of “This Christmas.” If anyone ever wondered why BRELAND’s star rose so quickly, they need only to watch this performance. His energy is infectious and his vocal range is impressive. This will go down as a highlight of the night.

After the break, Sweethearts Mitchell Tenpenny and Meghan Patrick took the stage to sing the deeply personal “I Hope It Snows” for the Christmas at the Opry crowd. The song is about the first time Tenpenny met Patrick’s family. It’s a sweet song and the spark between the singers is evident.

After Alaina’s killer performance, Adam Doleac took the stage to perform “Please Come Home for Christmas.” The blue and white lights and lines of lit Christmas trees made the stage look like a winter wonderland once again as Doleac crooned the Christmas classic full of love and longing.

After the break, Lauren Alaina took the Christmas at the Opry to perform “Santa Baby.” She absolutely nailed the playful and slightly sexy vibe of the song.  

Chris Janson comes back to the stage with another rocking modern Christmas classic. Keeping the spirit of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation alive, he performed “Holiday Road” with the same energy as his “Run, Run Rudolph” outing earlier in the night.

No one is having as much fun as Janson tonight. His performances are the perfect balance for all of the beautifully emotional moments.

“’Oh Holy Night’ is a personal favorite because I always try to find a moment during the hectic times of Christmas to go and sit and be with the Lord. It reminds me of what I would sing to Jesus if I were singing a song at Christmas this would be the one. It’s a very comforting song. I feel so close to heaven when I sing it. I hope you enjoy it because it comes straight from my soul to yours,” Wynonna Judd said to introduce her performance of the Christmas classic.

Within the first seconds of the song, it is clear that Judd was, indeed, singing from her soul.

Actress Chrissy Metz proves she’s a multitalented performer with her Christmas at the Opry performance. Her gorgeous rendition of “Silver Bells” brought the audience to their feet for another well-deserved standing ovation.

After the break, Mickey Guyton returns to the Christmas at the Opry Stage in a sparkling red festive outfit. Her voice contains the perfect balance of power and silky smoothness to nail the warm fuzzy feeling of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

Mitchell Tenpenny takes the stage for a laid-back rendition of “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow.” His vocals are warm and the house band is hot. However, the Christmas at the Opry stage looks like a winter wonderland. Artificial snow falls in massive flakes around Tenpenny and the band as he sings the holiday classic.

After the commercial break, Kelly Clarkson lights up Christmas at the Opry with “Underneath the Tree” from her 2013 Christmas album Wrapped in Red. Watch the full performance below.  

 Chris Janson came next to pick up the pace a little. He performed a rousing rendition of “Run, Run Rudolph” complete with two smoking-hot harmonica solos. In true rocking fashion, he gave one solo while high-fiving and shaking hands with folks in the front row.

Janson has officially delivered the most fun performance of the evening.

As we come back from the break, Kelly Clarkson briefly takes over hosting duties to introduce Wynonna Judd.

Judd stood in the middle of the hallowed Circle under a soft light as she performed “Mary Did You Know.” The power and range of her voice were nothing short of miraculous as she sang about the birth, life, and death of Jesus.

Wynonna receives a well-deserved standing ovation.

After the break, Mickey Guyton and BRELAND took the stage to deliver the gift of great voices singing a classic song. Their bouncy rendition of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” perfectly showcased the rising stars’ pipes.

Trace Adkins takes the stage next to slow things down a bit. His silky baritone is the perfect fit for “The Christmas Song.” He nails the warm nostalgia of the Nat King Cole classic. The golden lights and crying steel guitar really bring the performance together.

 The Christmas at the Opry crew is wasting no time tonight. Almost immediately after Judd and Clarkson wowed the crowd with “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town,” Lauren Alaina took the stage in a stunning green festive dress. She performed a rocking rendition of “Jingle Bell Rock” and took us into the commercial break.

Christmas at the Opry begins with a special holiday message from Wynonna Judd. She welcomed everyone to “Grab your comfiest spot, snuggle up with those you love, and get ready for a good old fashioned singalong, Opry style.”

Then, Judd immediately delivered on her promise. Wynonna and Kelly Clarkson kicked things off with “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town.”

The Christmas at the Opry Special will be hosted by none other than country music icon, Wynonna Judd, who is known for smash hits such as “My Strongest Weakness” and “Rock Bottom.” To see a full list of the top 10 Wynonna Judd songs of all time, click here.

It’s almost Christmas time at the Grand Ole Opry. The Holiday special, hosted by Wynonna Judd, is set to feature numerous guest performers including Kelly Clarkson, Brenda Lee, and Trace Adkins. You can watch the Christmas at the Opry Special on NBC on December 7 at 8 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. CT. See more about streaming options here.