This season's Rockefeller Christmas Tree has arrived in New York City and is just days away from illuminating Manhattan.
On Wednesday, Dec. 4, all 50,000 multi-colored LED lights on the massive Norway spruce, which stands 74-feet tall and 43-feet wide, will be lit from Rockefeller Plaza in the annual holiday celebration.
Back for another year, Kelly Clarkson announced she is set to host this year's “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” once again, teasing “the best music, star-studded surprises and, of course, the lighting of the world-famous Christmas tree that is so special.”
So how can you watch the iconic Rockefeller Center tree lighting? Here's what to know, whether you're in New York City or anywhere in the country.
How and where to watch the Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting
For those in New York City hoping to watch the lighting in person, the special event will take place by the tree, situated above the Rink at Rockefeller Center between 49th and 50th Streets, and 5th and 6th Avenues.
Though the area around Rockefeller Center is open to the public, viewers can buy tickets to be photographed with the tree in the background. VIP tickets are also available for a closer spot to the tree.
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For those watching from the warmth of their homes, the tree lighting will air as part of the "Christmas at Rockefeller Center" two-hour live show on both NBC and Peacock on Dec. 4 at 8 p.m. ET. (Peacock is owned by TODAY.com’s parent company, NBCUniversal.)
Which artists are performing at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting?
In addition to serving as host alongside TODAY's Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker and Craig Melvin, Kelly Clarkson is set to hit the stage for a performance.
The festive evening will also include performances from the Backstreet Boys, Jennifer Hudson, the country duo Dan + Shay, Broadway star Megan Hilty, Thalia, known as the Queen of Latin Pop, and more, per a statement from NBC.
And what's Rockefeller Center without the Radio City Rockettes? The beloved and impressive dance group is also on tap to give a performance filled with high kicks and plenty of Christmas spirit.
When is the Rockefeller Christmas tree lit every day?
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is lit daily from 5 a.m. to midnight.
On Christmas Eve, the tree will be lit for an entire 24 hours, whereas on New Year's Eve the spruce will be illuminated from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
How long will the Rockefeller Christmas tree be up?
Rockefeller's Christmas Tree will be on display to the public through mid-January 2025. After the tree is taken down, it will be milled into lumber for Habitat for Humanity.
What is the significance of the Rockefeller Christmas tree?
The first Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center went up in December 1931, when the workers at the time decorated a 20-foot high balsam fir with their families, according to Rockefeller Center's website.
The first tree lighting occurred in December 1933, and became an annual tradition from that point forward.
In December 1936, two trees went up at Rockefeller Center, which also marks the same year the ice skating rink opened on the Plaza.
Throughout the 1950s and '60s, the tree became more elaborate and required additional workers to decorate the increasingly larger tree.
In December 1999, the largest tree in Rockefeller Center history graced the Plaza, standing 100 feet tall from Killingworth, Connecticut.
The first 550-pound star elaborately designed with Swarovski crystals donned the top of the tree in 2004, with a three-dimensional, 900-pound Swarovski star set to grace the tree this year.
What's special about this year's tree?
The 2024 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, which weighs approximately 11 tons and is about 70 years old, was donated by Earl Albert from West Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
Earl Albert and his late wife, Leslie, planted the tree in 1967. In an interview in early November, Earl Albert said he wanted their tree to serve as the 2024 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree so he could honor his wife’s memory.
Erik Pauze, the head gardener for Rockefeller Center, said in an interview that this year's tree has been on his mind for more than four years.
“The process (for this year’s Tree) began in July 2020. I came from getting gas after staying overnight Tree searching. I saw the beautiful Norway Spruce as I drove down the road, and it was right in front of me,” Pauze said in the interview. “I knocked on the door and met Earl Albert. I asked if he would someday consider donating the Tree to Rockefeller Center. His answer was immediately yes.”
Meet the 2024 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree 🎄 This year’s Tree comes from West Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Weighing about 11 tons and standing 74 feet tall, The Tree will arrive on Saturday, 11/9. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates: https://t.co/prpPHsQ78o pic.twitter.com/SbrEp1Rjm9
— Rockefeller Center (@rockcenternyc) October 28, 2024
Once the tree was selected, Pauze was sure to keep a close eye on caring for the massive spruce.
“In the spring of this year, I decided to call Earl and ask if I could start feeding it and watering it,” he said. “I came up quite often to feed the Tree, and every time I got out of the car, I smiled and knew it was the right one for Rockefeller Center.”
Following the tree's arrival at Rockefeller Plaza on Nov. 9, the Albert family said in a Nov. 13 statement to TODAY.com that Earl had recently suffered a stroke but was still “looking forward to the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting, and working hard to be able to attend in person.”
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