The 93rd Annual Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting takes place Wednesday night in New York City. Here’s what you need to know about what time it begins, who’s performing and how to watch the holiday tradition in person or on TV.
The tree lighting will take place during a star-studded broadcast on NBC and Peacock beginning at 8 p.m., with the lights turning on just before 10 p.m. However, live coverage will begin on NBC 4 New York at 7 p.m., while streaming coverage on Peacock starts at 6:30 p.m. A Spanish-language broadcast on Telemundo begins at 9 p.m.
The Rockefeller Center 2024 tree is illuminated during the tree lighting ceremony in New York on December 4, 2024. (Photo by KENA BETANCUR / AFP)
The “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” pre-show on NBC New York will be hosted by Natalie Pasquarella, David Ushery and Mario Lopez. Come 8 p.m. for the national broadcast, country icon Reba McEntire will take over, joined by “TODAY” anchors Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker and Craig Melvin.
Marc Anthony, Halle Bailey, Michael Bublé, Kristin Chenoweth, Laufey, New Edition, Brad Paisley, Carly Pearce, Gwen Stefani and The Radio City Rockettes will take the stage to perform Christmas carols and holiday standards during the main event.
The ceremony is free and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis, with Wednesday’s chilly temps not expected to dampen attendance.
This year’s tree is a 75-foot, 11-ton Norway spruce from outside Albany in upstate New York. As with previous trees, this year’s spruce is decorated with 50,000 multicolored LED lights and topped with a shimmering, 9-foot-diameter Swarovski crystal star.
The tree will remain standing at 45 Rockefeller Plaza through mid-January, lit from 5 a.m. until midnight most days. It will be lit all day on Christmas Eve and from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.
After the holidays, the tree will be removed from Rockefeller Center and milled into lumber for Habitat for Humanity, continuing a long-standing tradition of giving back.
The tree lighting will also be the cause of street closures on Wednesday:
- 46th St. through 52nd St., between 5th and 6th avenues
- 5th Ave. between 46th St. and 52nd St.
- 6th Ave. between 46th St. and 52nd St.
- Rockefeller Plaza between 48th St. and 51st St.
The city is officially under a holiday season gridlock alert through Jan. 2.
