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Millions of Americans look forward to watching the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting every year in New York City. The annual event occurs in Midtown Manhattan, but viewers nationwide can enjoy the live broadcast from their homes.
This year, the tree will be lit on Wednesday, December 4, during the two-hour Christmas in Rockefeller Center special. The special airs from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET and can be broadcast on NBC or streamed on Peacock.
Kelly Clarkson will be back to host the event, marking her second year on the job. Earlier this month, Clarkson, 42, reflected on her experience at last year's tree lighting on The Kelly Clarkson Show.
"The tree lit up, and you would have thought, I don't know, I found out I was gonna survive something," the singer-songwriter recalled. "I bawled; it's so beautiful when you're standing there. I was all of a sudden in a Charlie Brown movie, and it was magical." Clarkson added that she was "very excited" to return this year.
According to NBC, the event includes an epic lineup of performers, including country groups like Dan + Shay and Little Big Town, '90s boy band the Backstreet Boys, the legendary Radio City Rockettes, and more. The tree lighting would not be complete without the anchors of NBC Today — Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker, and Craig Melvin are all scheduled to be there.
Per the Rockefeller Center website, the tree is a 70-year-old Norway Spruce from West Stockbridge, Massachusetts — marking the first tree to come from the commonwealth since the 1950s. The massive tree is 74 feet tall and weighs approximately 11 tons. It is decorated with over 50,000 multi-colored LED lights and is topped with a 900-pound Swarovski star with 70 spikes covered in 3 million crystals.
If you want to experience the magic in person, the tree will be on display until Saturday, January 11, 2025.
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