The star-studded tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center in New York City serves as an unofficial start to the Christmas season once more.
“American Idol” winner Kelly Clarkson, whose talk show is recorded at 30 Rock, will headline the ceremony and its TV special, Christmas at Rockefeller Center, once again.
More than 20 years have passed since Clarkson’s first performance at the ceremony, and last year she celebrated the milestone by hosting. She mentioned her hosting duties from the previous year when she said on her show last month, “I was suddenly in a Charlie Brown movie, and it was magical.”
After filming at Universal Studios in Universal City, California, “The Kelly Clarkson Show” relocated to New York City last year. Clarkson expressed her excitement at hosting the tree lighting event once more.
On her broadcast, Clarkson declared, “I love the holidays here in New York.” It feels like you’re in a movie when you live here around Christmas. Particularly the tree lighting ritual, it is unlike anything else in the globe.
How do I watch the ceremony?
The ceremony, which will be aired live on NBC and streamed on Peacock as part of the two-hour Christmas at Rockefeller Center special, starts at Rockefeller Center on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET.
Tens of thousands of Christmas lights will be used to light the tree as the celebration comes to a close, and a lineup of musical celebrities will play.
Before the ceremony, an extra live hour will be broadcast from Rockefeller Center by NBC-owned stations and a few affiliates, the network announced in a statement. The show will be hosted by NBC New York anchors David Ushery and Natalie Pasquarella, together with Mario Lopez of Access Hollywood, according to the statement.
Navidades en Rockefeller Center, a Telemundo simulcast, will be available to Spanish-speaking viewers for the first time, according to NBC, and will go live at 9 p.m. ET. NBCUniversal, the parent corporation of NBC News, is the owner of NBC, Peacock, and Telemundo.
How do I attend in person?
Although the area surrounding Rockefeller Center is open to the public, visitors can purchase tickets to have their photos taken with the tree in the background.To see the tree up close from a location that is often off-limits to the general public, VIP tickets are also offered.
However, attendees in person will want to pack light. The National Weather Service predicts temperatures will be 7 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit below normal, with the possibility of snow and showers later next week.
What is on the tree?
According to a statement from NBC, the tree will be decked out with over 50,000 multicolored LED lights. According to the network, the summit of the tree would likely be a Swarovski star created by architect Daniel Libeskind and first used in 2018.
Who will be at the ceremony?
With performances by the Backstreet Boys, Jennifer Hudson, the country combo Dan + Shay, Broadway star Megan Hilty, Thalia, dubbed the Queen of Latin Pop, and others, the ceremony and program will be a holiday music extravaganza, according to a statement from NBC.
According to the network, the energetic Radio City Rockettes, the main attraction of the yearly Christmas Spectacular at nearby Radio City Music Hall, will also play.
According to the statement, NBC News TODAY show hosts Craig Melvin, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker, and Savannah Guthrie will all make an appearance.
What is the origin of the tree?
The tree this year comes from Massachusetts for the first time since 1959. According to the Rockefeller Center website, the 74-foot-tall, 43-foot-wide Norway spruce arrived at the venue on November 9. It was shipped from West Stockbridge.
It stated that the tree this year weighs roughly 11 tons.
According to an NBC statement, the tree will be given to the nonprofit Habitat for Humanity after the middle of January so that its wood can be utilized to construct homes for the underprivileged.
During an interview in early November, Earl Albert remarked, “I recently honored her memory by donating it to serve as the 2024 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree.” The tree was planted in 1967 by newlyweds Albert and his late wife, Leslie.
In a subsequent statement, his family stated that although Albert had a stroke, he was still eager to attend the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting and was making every effort to do so.
What is the history of the tree lighting?
The ritual carries on a long-standing custom that dates back to Rockefeller Center’s founding.
According to the tree’s history page, the first tree was planted in 1931 at the New York City landmark’s construction site by laborers who donated their money for the exhibit. The lighting ceremony began two years later. It was telecast in 1951.
How do I see the tree after the ceremony?
The tree will be lit from 5 a.m. to midnight through mid-January following the festivities on Wednesday night. According to the Rockefeller Center’s website, it will be lit for 24 hours on Christmas Eve, but it will close early on New Year’s Eve, when crowds of revelers would swarm neighboring Times Square, at 9 p.m.
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