9 things to do in the Wilmington area for the weekend after Christmas

John Staton, Wilmington StarNews

Wed, December 24, 2025 at 10:02 AM UTC

4 min read

As one might expect, the weekend between Christmas (on a Thursday this year) and New Year's Eve (on a Wednesday) tends to be on the lighter side in terms of events.

That said, there's plenty of stuff going on in the Wilmington area for those of you who'd like to get out and about, from Christmas movie releases and a lingering holiday event or two to fun concerts, comedy and more.

Looking past this weekend toward all of the end-of-the-year celebrations, don't forget to check our list of New Year's Eve events coming to the Wilmington area.

ALL WEEKEND

Christmas movie releases

Hugh Jackman (left) as Mike Sardina and Kate Hudson as Claire are Diamonds in the rough in "Song Sung Blue."

I don't typically highlight national movie releases in this column, choosing instead to devote space to local events. That said, this weekend will be a great one to spend time at the movies with several high-profile new pictures opening this week.

Oscar hopeful "Song Sung Blue" stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson as struggling musicians who start a Neil Diamond tribute act, while the comedy "Anaconda" stars Jack Black and Paul Rudd as friends whose midlife crises send them to the Amazon on a doomed mission to remake the classic 1997 giant-snake thriller. "Marty Supreme" is another Oscar-hopeful Christmas release starring Timothée Chalamet as a character based on 1950s table-tennis heavyweight Martin Reisman.

Doug (Jack Black, center) and Griff (Paul Rudd) are best friends since childhood who venture to the jungle to remake their favorite movie in "Anaconda."

Other recent releases you can catch at the Regal Mayfaire or Pointe 14 multiplexes in Wilmington during Christmas weekend include animated Biblical epic "David," horror thriller "The Housemaid," animated comedy "The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants" and the latest "Avatar" film, "Avatar: Fire and Ash."

FRIDAY

Dubtown Dragonauts

Dec. 26 at The Palm Room : Boxing Day show featuring two Wilmington jam bands, Dubtown Cosmonauts and Dragon with Matches, playing the music of The Grateful Dead in Wrightsville Beach. 10 p.m. Friday, cover at the door.

SATURDAY

Oc3ans trio

Wilmington singer Brooke Renshaw of the band Oc3ans. PHOTO BY EMMA KORPICS, PROVIDED BY BROOKE RENSHAW

Dec. 27 at SeaWitch Tiki Bar: Stripped down version of the Wilmington band led by powerhouse vocalist Brooke Renshaw (of "American Idol") will play its mix of rock, soul, covers and originals at this Carolina Beach spot. 8 p.m. Saturday, free.

Oceans of talent: How a Wilmington singer made it from karaoke night to 'American Idol'

Punk Art and Music Fest

Dec. 27 at Reggie's 42nd Street Tavern : Work by more than a dozen punk-inspired Wilmington artists will be on display and for sale, with music by Wilmington bands Croatoa (indie rock/pop), Some Are Travelers (dreamy rock) and Cool Jerk (propulsive rock and pop). 5-10 p.m. Saturday, $10, $15 for ages 18-20.

Holidays on Water drone show

Holiday drone show returns to downtown Wilmington Dec. 13, 20 and 27.

Dec. 27 , downtown Wilmington : It's the last weekend of what has been a month of holiday drone shows in downtown Wilmington. The tradition that started last year was expanded for 2025, with more days and more drones (150 drones this year, as opposed to 100 in '24). The show starts promptly and only lasts 15 or 20 minutes, so make sure to give yourself plenty of time to park downtown and get to the Riverwalk, which is the best place to see the show. (The drones aren't designed to be seen from the west side of the Cape Fear River, and parking at the Battleship is not allowed during the show.) Shows starts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Comedy show and DJ

Wilmington comic Louis Tee performing at Dead Crow Comedy Room.

Dec. 27 at the Wilmington Distillery : Wilmington stand-up Louis Tee hosts a four-comic bill that includes Ayeshia Ayeshia, Michael Thomas and Chris O'Meara. After the laughs have subsided, legendary Wilmington DJ Slim Deluxe will spin a mix of '90s hip-hop, reggae and more. 9 p.m. Saturday, free.

Audiomelt

Dec. 27 at The Rusty Nail : Young and talented Wilmington rock band — Landon Clark, Owen Wasterval, Josh Cook and Nico Holt — will bring its mix of grunge, metal and guitar pyrotechnics to this classic Wilmington juke joint. Expect both original rockers and covers by bands from Nirvana to Iron Maiden. 7 p.m. Saturday, $10.

The White Loafers

Dec. 27 at Bowstring Burgers & Brewyard : Wilmington band will play classic and modern rock covers at this Soda Pop District spot on Princess Street. 7 p.m. Saturday, free.

The Salty Southern Band

Dec. 27 at Seven Mile Post : Country and Southern rock band will play this Ogden spot known for hosting live music. 7 p.m. Saturday, free.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Things to do, events and what's happening in Wilmington, NC