The Rockefeller Center’s Christmas tree lighting ceremony is still expected to continue today, despite the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, which happened just a few blocks away on Wednesday.
As the tree has already been decorated by the plaza’s crew, it’s now time for this year’s lighting ceremony, which will be held later this evening.
In 1931, Rockefeller Center — based in Manhattan, New York — first commemorated the beginning of the Christmas season by bringing a 69- to 100-ft-tall tree inside the square. Two years later, the complex decided to make the tree an annual tradition and hosted its first-ever tree-lighting ceremony. However, the tree-lighting ceremony wasn’t nationally televised until 1951.
Here’s everything to know about the 2024 event, from when the tree will be lit to how to watch the ceremony.
When will the tree be lit and for how long?
The 92nd Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, with the tree being lit a few minutes before 10 p.m. ET. As part of the ceremony, viewers will see the tree’s 50,000 multi-colored lights and Swarovski star topper lit.
Following the lighting ceremony, the Rockefeller Center Tree will be lit daily from 5 a.m. to midnight. The tree will be lit during these times until the beginning of January.
How to watch the Christmas tree lighting ceremony?
If you’re based in New York City, you could take the opportunity to go to Rockefeller Center and see the tree lighting ceremony in person. However, if you don’t live near Manhattan — or you simply don’t want to attend what is likely to be a busy event – you can watch the ceremony from the comfort of your own home.
NBC will be broadcasting the ceremony, as NBC Studios is based at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. The broadcast – also known as “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” – will begin at 8 p.m. on December 4. The two-hour televised event will be broadcast live on NBC and streamed on Peacock.
Just like she did last year, Kelly Clarkson is hosting the ceremony and its televised special. There will be a range of celebrity appearances, including NBC anchors Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker, and Craig Melvin.
Along with performances by Clarkson, the Backstreet Boys, Jennifer Hudson, country duo Dan + Shay, and Broadway star Megan Hilty, and more are expected to sing.
What’s the history of the tree lighting ceremony?
In 1993, three years before the skating rink was installed below, Rockefeller Center held its first annual tree-lighting ceremony. Years later, it went on to host the “largest Tree in Rockefeller Center’s history,” with the tree standing at 100 feet tall in 1999.
The tree has since been decorated with different lights each year, including red, white, and blue ones in December 2001 to pay tribute to the victims of the September 11 attacks.
In December 2004, Rockefeller Center received its 550-pound Swarovski star, which adorned the top of the tree each year until 2018. The star featured “25,000 crystals, 1 million facets” and was 9.5 feet in diameter. In 2005, LED lights were added to the star, which made it “look as if it were radiating light from its core to its tips”.
A new Swarovski star was introduced in December 2018, with the piece designed by architect Daniel Libeskind. The 9-foot-4-inch tree topper is not only “backlit by LEDs”, but it also “features three million dazzling Swarovski crystals across 70 triangular spikes”.
