How to watch Rockefeller tree lighting

If you weren't sure already, here's how we know the calendar has clicked over to become the "most wonderful time of the year": The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree has arrived, and is now scheduled for its 89th annual lighting ceremony!

Every year since 1931 a different giant tree has been selected for the honor of standing in Rockefeller Plaza (home to TODAY and NBC), and the lighting ceremony has been broadcast live around the world since 1951. This year, the annual event will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 1.

Last year was a strange one for the ceremony, coming as it did mid-pandemic lockdown. That tree was perhaps not the lush, full wonder everyone had come to expect, but it did bring us an adorable stowaway. But this year's tree seems ready to make up for lost time, based on a glorious Instagram image of it before it was taken down and shipped to New York.

Still, we know what you're really asking: How can you see the ceremony? What stars will be there? And how can you go visit the tree once it's bright and shining? Well, settle down and keep reading. We have all the answers!

8 facts about the 2021 Rockfeller Christmas tree

• It's 79 feet tall and 46 feet wide
• It's a Norway spruce from Elkton, Maryland, a first-time donation from the state
• The tree is 80 years old
• It weighs 12 tons
• The tree will be decorated with over 50,000 multicolored, energy-efficient LED lights
• It'll be topped by a Swarovski Star, designed by architect Daniel Libeskind in 2018.
• The topper includes 3 million Swarovski crystals on 70 triangular spikes and weighs about 900 pounds
• When the tree comes down sometime in January, the wood will be milled into lumber and donated to Habitat for Humanity.

When is the Rockefeller tree lighting?

The Rockefeller Center tree lighting festivities start at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 1. This will be part of the "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" live special on NBC.

After that, the tree will be turned on daily from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m., then be illuminated for 24 hours on Christmas Day. On New Year's Eve, it'll be lit up from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

How to watch the Rockefeller tree lighting:

Last year the ceremony was closed off to the public for COVID safety related reasons, but this year it will be open to the public again. But the best (and likely warmest) view really will be from home on NBC, where the special begins at 8 p.m., hosted by TODAY anchors Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Craig Melvin and Al Roker will host the festivities.

Ahead of the prime-time telecast, though, an additional hour of programming will be available on NBC-owned TV stations and affiliates, beginning at 7 p.m. Check your local listings. This additional live hour will be hosted by "Access Daily and Access Hollywood's" Mario Lopez, plus NBC 4 New York's Natalie Pasquarella and David Ushery.

Who'll be performing at the Rockefeller tree lighting?

Throughout the festivities, expect appearances and performances from:

And more! Stay tuned for more announcements.

Where can I see the Rockefeller Christmas tree in person?

The plaza will open after the ceremony for business as usual, and the tree will be on public display between West 49th and 50th streets and Fifth and Sixth Avenues in New York City.

Randee Dawn

Randee Dawn (she/her) is an entertainment journalist and author based in Brooklyn. In addition to writing for TODAY.com, Variety and The Los Angeles Times, she's an author whose debut novel, Tune in Tomorrow, about a reality TV show run by mythic creatures, will publish in 2022. She's also the co-author of The Law & Order: SVU Unofficial Companion. When not interviewing the stars or dabbling in speculative fiction, she dreams of the next place she can travel to, or cuddles her Westie. More at RandeeDawn.com.

December is here, which means it’s time to light the tree in Rockefeller Center.

On Wednesday night, “The 89th Christmas in Rockefeller Center” special will air, during which the iconic 79-foot-tall tree will be lit and will continue to light up the streets of New York City over the next few weeks, while the moment will be marked by a bevy of musical performances and an appearance by the iconic Radio City Rockettes.

But you may be wondering how to watch the tree lighting ceremony, and where you can stream it. We’ve got all the details below.

The two-hour “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” special airs on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

Is “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” Streaming?

Yes, you can stream the entire event on Peacock and FuboTV starting at 8 p.m. ET. There’s a free version of Peacock available, and there’s also an ad-free version that costs $9.99 per month. FuboTV is $64.99 a month as a cable replacement, but it also offers a seven-day free trial. So if you miss it live, you’ll be able to catch up on Peacock.

Who’s Performing at “Christmas in Rockefeller Center?”

Hosted by the “Today” show’s Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker and Craig Melvin, the “89th Annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center” is due to feature musical performances by Carrie Underwood, Norah Jones, José Feliciano, Pentatonix, Brad Paisley, Rob Thomas, Harry Connick Jr., Mickey Guyton, Alessia Cara and of course the Radio City Rockettes, plus even more performers not yet announced.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday are done; bring on the country’s most famous Christmas tree. 

Yes, it’s already time for the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in New York City, an annual holiday tradition spanning almost 90 years. While the COVID-19 pandemic closed off last year’s lighting ceremony to the public, this year, people are invited to come see the city flick on the 50,000 lights that deck the 79-foot-tall Norway spruce on Wednesday, Dec. 1. 

The celebration runs from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET outside of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, between West 49th and 50th streets, and Fifth and Sixth avenues for those near Midtown, Manhattan. Thousands are expected to come and witness the festivities in person.

Or, the main event starts at 8 p.m. ET on NBC during the “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” special, airing on your local NBC station or its Peacock streaming service. 

Those without cable can also stream the tree lighting on services including Sling TV and Fubo TV, which both include NBC and offer free trials. 

As for the live entertainment: the Rockettes kick things off with their synchronized steps, and musical stars such as Carrie Underwood, Norah Jones and Harry Connick Jr. are also expected to perform. 

But the main event is the 85-year-old Norway spruce from a farm in Elkton, Md. It stands 79 feet high and weighs almost 12 tons, and had to be trucked in a 115-foot-long trailer to make the 145-mile trek from Maryland to Manhattan. As noted above, it’s being wrapped in more than 50,000 colorful LED lights, and topped with a 900-pound three-dimensional star dripping in three million Swarovski crystals. 

The tree will be light daily through New Year’s Eve (the date the tree comes down has yet to be determined this year, according to the Rockefeller tree website.) The lights stay on from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. most days, but the tree glows for a full 24 hours on Christmas Day, and stays lit from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.