I grew up in New York City, and I’ve been lucky enough to experience many decades of the city during the holidays. It’s truly a magical time and never gets old or less exciting. But there’s some moments that are bigger than others, and magical no matter where you are seeing them from, and for many of us, that includes the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.
Thanksgiving is behind us, and that special moment is about to happen: The tree lighting will occur during the Christmas in Rockefeller Center television special event, which this year will be hosted by actress and musician Reba McEntire, and will air on both NBC and Peacock at 8 p.m. ET on December 3. If you don’t have access to these channels or a television, you can also stream the special on the NBC app on NBC.com.
There’ll be speeches and performances, as in previous years, and the penultimate moment of the show will be the annual lighting of the Christmas tree. This tree is always a spectacle in its own right, and this year’s tree will be a gorgeous 75-foot-tall Norway Spruce.
Of course, if you don’t happen to catch it on television or online, you’ll have another even better opportunity to see the tree: You can see it in person. Of course, you’ll have to plan a visit to New York City, but there’s no better time than Christmas to visit this city.
Rockefeller Center will keep the tree lit daily through mid-January, and in fact it’ll be lit 24 hours on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, making it an extra special time to come.