The lights at the Toyota Center dimmed as the spotlight lit up the center stage. Bathed in the white light and donning a white, sequined dress stood Mariah Carey. As the noise from the crowd lowered, she laughed,
“This used to be a completely Christmas Show but then my agent Rob said why don’t you sing “Hero” and a couple of the others,” she exclaimed as the crowd rose to their feet. As the cheers and applause died down, she continued. “I was like…do you think that will work? And he told me…You got to give them the hits!”
As the applause started up again the drummer immediately began playing the breakbeat for her 1991 hit “Emotions.”
The Mariah Carey Christmas Time tour is exactly what its name says it is. It is a celebration of Christmas as well as the 30-year anniversary of her chart-topping Merry Christmas album. That album, her fourth studio, propelled the already prolific hitmaker into icon status with its single “All I Want For Christmas” breaking record sales worldwide. The album has sold 18 million copies worldwide to date, is one of the best-selling holiday albums in history, and turned Carey into a cultural trigger point for the season. Each year Christmas time starts when Carey belts out her yearly high note phrase “It’s time!”
It was time Tuesday night as Carey brought her yearly celebration to the Toyota Center. Carey began her Christmas showcases two years ago with “Merry Christmas One and All”, a 20-city tour bringing her angelic voice through the United States and Canada. She followed up the next year with another iteration of that tour but none of the 40 stops over those two years included a city in the Lone Star state.
But this year Mariah Carey’s Christmas Time has her touching down in Austin, Houston and Dallas. The show is a full Christmas production, complete with reindeer, sleighbells, carolers, and even Santa Claus. It is a family affair, not just for the audience, but for Carey as well. The singer carves time out of the show to make way for her twin children Monroe and Moroccan.
The audience is as much a part of the fanfare as Carey as many arrived dressed in their holiday best. A sea of fans wearing shimmering white, red, and green filled the Toyota Center as Carey moved from song to song. The focus of the show is Christmas music, whether from Carey’s seminal album or popular Christmas fare.
She has no problem moving from the “theme to Charlie Brown Christmas” to “Silent Night” to “Christmas (baby, Please Come Home).” While she does get into some of her non-Christmas tracks the show is geared for the holiday. Even the brief interlude with a few of her pop culture hits is almost immediately broken up by a stunning rendition of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” complete with confetti falling from the sky as though it was snow.
Mariah Carey’s Christmas Time tour goes beyond a holiday celebration—it’s a showcase of her enduring artistry. Her music bridges generations, weaving heartfelt lyrics with a voice that remains as powerful as ever. Whether through her soulful ballads or beloved holiday classics, Mariah continues to unite audiences, reaffirming her title as the Queen of Christmas.
This year, Texas audiences were in for something special. For many, the evening wasn’t just a concert—it marked the beginning of their holiday season, with Mariah’s iconic voice setting the tone for cherished memories to come.
Set List
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/ Gloria
Joy to the World
Silent Night
O Holy Night
Christmas Time Is In the Air Again
Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)
Christmas Wrapping
Deck the Halls/Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
Oh Santa!
Sleigh Ride
Charlie Brown Christmas
Miss You Most (at Christmas Time)
When Christmas Comes
Here Comes Santa Claus
Emotions
Hero
Fantasy
Always Be My Baby
We Belong Together
All I Want for Christmas Is You
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
