The holiday season will begin with the annual tree lighting in the heart of New York City at Rockefeller Center on Wednesday, November 29
Wednesday November 29th, 2023 – Saturday January 13th, 2024
The lighting of Rockefeller Center’s towering Christmas tree—traditionally on the first Wednesday after Thanksgiving—is a perennial highlight. Tens of thousands of lights glitter throughout the branches while visitors from around the world take a spin on the ice rink below. Grab a warm cup of hot cocoa and gaze at one of Manhattan’s most iconic holiday displays, rising above the 1934 gilded bronze sculpture of Prometheus. The tree stays up until after the new year; check back for the exact date it will be taken down. The Tree will be lit daily from 5am-midnight until January 13th at 10:00pm. On Christmas Day, the Tree is lit for 24 hours and on New Year’s Eve it is lit from 5am to 9pm. The 2023 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is a 80ft tall Norway Spruce, 43 feet wide and weighs 12 tons and is approximately 80-85 years old.
For more than eight decades, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree has stood as a holiday beacon for New Yorkers and visitors alike. While the lights, decorations, and stars have changed through the years, visiting the Tree remains a quintessential New York experience.In December 1933 Rockefeller Center decided to make the Christmas Tree an annual tradition, and held the very first tree lighting ceremony.
