Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting In Midtown On Wednesday: Plan Ahead

MIDTOWN, NY – It’s happening, again: Rockefeller Center will hold its annual tree lighting ceremony on Wednesday night, an event that inspires holiday cheer for some and logistical headaches for the rest of us.

This year’s tree, a magnificent Norway Spruce that was alive until recently, was taken from the Berkshires in Massachusetts – the first tree logged for the ceremony from the state since 1959.

The Rockefeller tree tradition began in 1931, when workers pooled their money to buy a tree and decorate it. The spectacle developed in 1951, when the lighting was televised on the "The Kate Smith Show." As the 1960s approached, workers began using scaffolding to decorate the Christmas trees, an effort which by then required 20 men and nine days of labor.

How To Watch

Today’s ceremony is a grand affair, with televised “pre-show” coverage beginning at 6:30 p.m. on NBC New York. At home on your sofa is likely the best way to experience it, and the show begins in earnest at 8 p.m.

If you’d like to attend, anticipate crowds, police barricades, and the dreaded wintry mix: although temperatures are expected to hover around 40 degrees – balmy – rain and snow are forecast.

The tree is situated above Rockefeller Center’s ice rink between 49th and 50th streets and Fifth and Sixth avenues, near a plethora of subway stations.

Performers And Pageantry

Kelly Clarkson, the star and singer who won “American Idol” back in 2002, will host the ceremony, with featured performers including Jennifer Hudson, Coco Jones, the Backstreet Boys, Dan + Shay, Megan Hilty, RAYE, Little Big Town, Thalia, and the inimitable Radio City Rockettes.

Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker, and Craig Melvin are also on the schedule.

How To See The Tree

Starting on Wednesday, Dec. 4, the tree will be lit from 5 a.m. until midnight. It will be on view through mid-January, before being milled and turned into lumber, which is donated to Habitat for Humanity.

Street Closures

Street closures in advance of the lighting began on Monday and will continue through Dec. 4.

The following streets will be closed at the discretion of the NYPD:

• 46th Street to 52nd Street, between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue
• Rockefeller Plaza, covering 48th Street to 51st Street
• Sixth Avenue between 46th Street and 52nd Street
• Fifth Avenue between 46th Street and 52nd Street

On December 4, additional closures will include:

• Madison Avenue, from 42nd Street to 57th Street
• Sixth Avenue, from 42nd Street to 57th Street
• Fifth Avenue, from 42nd Street to 57th Street

Tuesday through Friday are Gridlock Alert Days, per DOT, which means that New Yorkers should avoid driving into Midtown and opt for public transit if possible.