What time is the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting tonight? How to watch on TV and stream online

In a tradition that captures the festive spirit of New York City, the iconic Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will be officially lit on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. The ceremony, which will take place at 30 Rockefeller Center Plaza, will be broadcast live on NBC and Peacock during the two-hour special “Christmas in Rockefeller Center.”

This year, the tree comes from East Greenbush, New York: a majestic Norway spruce, approximately 75 years old, donated by the Russ family. It was cut down on Nov. 6, transported to Manhattan, and erected in the plaza on Nov. 8, ready for the highly anticipated lighting ceremony.

When does the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree light up? How and where to watch

Decorated with more than 50,000 multicolored LED lights and topped with a nine-foot, 900-pound Swarovski star, the tree will be a giant symbol of hope and festivity and will remain lit from its grand lighting night until mid-January 2026, at which point its wood will be recycled and used by Habitat for Humanity to build homes.

For those who cannot be in the square, the event can be followed from home, as the broadcast on NBC will begin at 8 p.m. (ET) today, Wednesday, Dec. 3, and will last until 10 p.m., during which time the tree will be lit live.

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