Holidays

Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting set for tonight in New York City

Kelly Clarkson, the Backstreet Boys, Coco Jones and Little Big Town are among the performers at the tree lighting on Wednesday night on NBC

The 92nd annual Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting is set for a chilly Wednesday night in midtown Manhattan.

While Christmas and holiday decorations have been showing up in New York City over the past few weeks, none represents the start of the season and spirit of NYC than the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.

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NBC is once again the official broadcast home of the 2024 Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting.

This year's tree is from West Stockbridge, Massachusetts -- the first tree to come from that state since 1959. The tree is an 11-ton Norway Spruce that's 74-feet tall and 43-feet wide. A Swarovski star crown sparkling with 3 million crystals will top it.

There are over 50,000 multi-colored LED lights on the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, connected by approximately five miles worth of wire.

Kelly Clarkson will once again be returning as the host and a performer at the tree lighting for a second year.

When is the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting 2024?

The 2024 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 4.

The tree will be lit just before 10 p.m. Eastern.

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.

When will the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting be on TV and what channel will it be on?

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting pre-show coverage will start at 6:30 p.m. on the NBC New York streaming channel in the NBC NY app, on Peacock or wherever you stream.

Full coverage starts at 7 p.m. on NBC New York with "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" hosted by Natalie Pasquarella, David Ushery and Mario Lopez.

The national program begins at 8 p.m. on NBC television hosted by Kelly Clarkson, who will be joined by TODAY's Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker and Craig Melvin.

Who is performing on the Rockefeller Tree Lighting?

An all-star lineup is set for the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting 2024.

The performers for the tree lighting include: Kelly Clarkson, the Backstreet Boys, Dan + Shay, Megan Hilty, Jennifer Hudson, Coco Jones, Little Big Town, RAYE and Thalia. The Radio City Rockettes will also perform.

Here's a list of the performers for the tree lighting:

  • Kelly Clarkson
  • the Backstreet Boys
  • Dan + Shay
  • Megan Hilty
  • Jennifer Hudson
  • Coco Jones
  • Little Big Town
  • RAYE
  • Thalia
  • The Radio City Rockettes

What roads are closed for the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting on Wednesday?

The NYPD said the following road closures will be in place starting as early as Monday and running through 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday:

  • 46th Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue
  • 47th Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue
  • 48th Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue
  • 49th Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue
  • 50th Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue
  • 51st Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue
  • 52nd Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue
  • Rockefeller Plaza between 48th Street and 51st Street
  • 6th Avenue between46th Street and 52nd Street
  • 5th Avenue between 46th Street and 52nd Street

The NYPD said additional closures in the area are possible on Wednesday.

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.

What happens to the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree after it comes down?

The tree goes from providing Christmas joy to providing housing.

When the tree is taken down, it is laid in Rockefeller Plaza to be cut up and taken to a yard in New Jersey. There it is milled into two-by-four and two-by six beams and branded with a Rockefeller Center stamp. Tishman Speyer, the firm that owns and operates Rockefeller Center, then donates the lumber to Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that helps to build and improve homes across the country.  

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