The Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center in New York City marks the start of the holiday season. Kelly Clarkson, host of NBC’s “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” will return to host the event and its television special, Christmas in Rockefeller Center. Clarkson, who first performed at the ceremony over 20 years ago, said hosting last year felt like being in a “Charlie Brown movie.” She now lives in New York and looks forward to celebrating the holidays there again.
The ceremony will take place at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday at Rockefeller Center, airing live on NBC and streaming on Peacock. The event will feature performances by the Backstreet Boys, Jennifer Hudson, Dan + Shay, Megan Hilty, Thalia, and the Radio City Rockettes. NBC’s Mario Lopez and anchors from NBC New York will also host a pre-show. Spanish-language viewers can watch a simulcast on Telemundo.
The tree, a 74-foot Norway spruce from West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, will be adorned with over 50,000 multicolor LED lights and a Swarovski star. It will be lit from 5 a.m. to midnight daily through mid-January.
The tree, donated by Earl Albert in memory of his late wife, will be repurposed for Habitat for Humanity after the holidays. The ceremony dates back to 1931, with the first televised broadcast in 1951.
Tickets are available for those who wish to see the tree up close.
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