The 2026 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting ceremony runs from 7 to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 2. This year's tree, a 76-foot Norway spruce about 75 years old from West Edmeston, New York, arrived at the plaza on Nov. 7. It will be decked with more than 50,000 LED lights and topped with a Swarovski star weighing about 900 pounds.
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Manhattan will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 2. This year's tree is a Norway spruce brought from West Edmeston, in upstate New York. It stands 76 feet (about 23 meters) tall, measures 50 feet across and weighs about 11 tons. The tree is estimated to be about 75 years old.
The tree arrived at Rockefeller Plaza on Nov. 7, and crews are now decorating it. On the night of the ceremony, more than 50,000 multicolored LED lights strung on about 5 miles of wire will switch on at once. The tree will be topped with the Swarovski star designed by architect Daniel Libeskind in 2018. The star weighs about 900 pounds and is covered with 3 million crystals on 70 spikes.
The tree is chosen by Erik Pauze, head gardener at Rockefeller Center, who has handled the selection for more than 30 years. The tradition dates to 1931, when construction workers at the center put up a small tree decorated with handmade ornaments. The official lighting ceremony began in 1933. This year, The Rink, the ice rink beneath the tree, marks its 90th anniversary.
After the lighting, the tree will be on view at the plaza through the end of the year. When the season ends, it will be milled into lumber and donated to Habitat for Humanity, and a new tree will be planted on the property where it grew.