Mariah Carey's Christmas Time

In August 2024, Mariah Carey announced Mariah Carey's Christmas Time, deemed as her largest holiday tour to date, via her social media channels.^[2] The tour coincided with the 30-year anniversary of her first Christmas album and fourth studio album Merry Christmas (1994) and her song "All I Want for Christmas Is You", one of the best-selling digital singles of all time.^[3]

On September 15, 2025, Carey announced that her holiday show would return as a concert residency at Dolby Live in Paradise, Nevada. The residency lasted for ten performances from November 28 through December 13, 2025.^[4]

Critics felt the concert's Christmas theme came across effectively. In The Arizona Republic, Ed Masley viewed it as "sweet and old-fashioned and corny as hell in a way that was utterly entertaining, hitting all the notes you'd want this sort of Christmas show to hit".^[5] Houston Chronicle critic Joey Guerra called the concert "a joy — equal parts Nutcracker fantasia, holiday pageant and TV variety show".^[6] Referring to the presence of "reindeer, sleighbells, carolers, and even Santa Claus", DeVaughan Douglas described it as "a full Christmas production" in the Houston Press.^[7] For The Desert Sun's Brian Blueskye, the show "brought out the traditional feels celebrating all the usual themes of family, giving and Christmastime love".^[8] MusicRow's Sherod Robertson remarked that Carey's inclusion of her children "added a personal touch to the concert, emphasizing the themes of love and togetherness central to the holiday season".^[9] Mars Salazar of the Austin American-Statesman and Desiree Gutierrez of the Dallas Observer said Carey evoked Christmas sentiments despite performing in November.^[10][11]

Carey's vocals received praise. Jasmine Osby of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch said she "delivered, showcasing her powerhouse singing and mind-blowing vocal range from beginning to end".^[12] Blueskye agreed: her voice was "stunning and powerful from start to finish".^[8] The Tennessean's Melonee Hurt thought Carey "showed the crowd she still possesses the five-octave vocal range that made her famous".^[13] In The Boston Globe, Victoria Wasylak wrote that Carey's "sparkling five-octave vocal range allowed her to claim the title "Queen of Christmas".^[14] Guerra said "she pulled it all out of the bag: whistle notes, belts, falsetto."^[6] In USA Today, Melissa Ruggieri felt Carey "still lands those signature dog-whistle notes quite impressively".^[15] Salazar thought her "powerhouse vocals were the highlight, with vibrato so effortless that it almost looked like she was lip syncing."^[10] Writing for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Shaun Brady said "Carey sounded strong and for the most part seemed to be singing live, with little reliance on recordings and lip-synch".^[16] According to Rodney Ho of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Carey's "voice remained supple and smooth."^[17] Fort Worth Star-Telegram contributor Stefan Stevenson suggested her "vaunted vocals, while still smooth and powerful, seemed muted at times, as if she was struggling with a throat issue of some kind."^[18]

Carey's stage presence garnered a mixed reception. Osby thought Carey "worked the stage like a catwalk" in lieu of dancing.^[12] Similarly, Salazar said "she let her backup dancers do the heavy lifting throughout the performance, only walking back and forth around the stage."^[10] Brady echoed these comments: Carey "comported herself perhaps too regally, pacing the stage slowly while relying on her dancers to supply the energy."^[16] According to Guerra, "the band, backup singers and dancers provided a strong framework" for her nonetheless.^[6] Gutierrez said "the dancers proved to be pivotal to the show" due to Carey's focus on singing.^[11] Hurt felt Carey's lacking of dancing did not detract from the concert as audiences came to hear her sing.^[13] Ho thought the tightness of her clothing and wearing of high-heeled shoes contributed to a lack of energy;^[17] Wasylak suggested a cold might explain why she occasionally seemed less inspired than the audience.^[14] Robertson said Carey established a connection with the audience by "sharing personal anecdotes about the holiday season and expressing her gratitude for their unwavering support over the years".^[9] For Ruggieri, Carey's foray into the crowd to sign items showed how she is not necessarily a diva.^[15]