How to watch, when it starts and what you should know

How can I participate in person?

The area around Rockefeller Center is public, but visitors can purchase tickets to have their photo taken with the tree in the background. VIP tickets are also available, allowing you to see the tree up close in an area not normally open to the public.

But those attending in person will want to bundle up. According to the National Weather Service, temperatures are expected to be 7 to 10 degrees below normal, with the possibility of showers and snow over the next week.

What’s on the tree?

More than 50,000 multi-colored LED lights will decorate the tree, NBC said in a statement. A Swarovski star designed by architect Daniel Libeskind and first used in 2018 will be at the top of the tree, according to the network.

Who will attend the ceremony?

The ceremony and show will be a celebratory musical spectacle with performances by Backstreet Boys, Jennifer Hudson, country duo Dan + Shay, Broadway star Megan Hilty, Thalia, known as the Queen of Latin Pop, and more, NBC said in a statement .

The star-studded Radio City Rockettes, star of the annual “Christmas Spectacular” at the adjacent Radio City Music Hall, will also perform, the station said.

NBC News’ “TODAY” anchors Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker and Craig Melvin will also appear, sources said.

What is the origin of the tree?

This year’s tree is the first to come from Massachusetts since 1959. It’s a 74-foot-tall, 43-foot-wide spruce tree from West Stockbridge that arrived at Rockefeller Center on Nov. 9, according to the Rockefeller Center website.

This year’s tree weighs about 11 tons, it said.

After mid-January, the tree will be donated to the nonprofit Habitat for Humanity so its wood can be used to build homes for those in need, NBC said in its statement.

The tree was planted in 1967 by newlywed Earl Albert and his late wife Leslie, and he recently honored their memory by donating it as the 2024 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, Albert said in an interview in early November.

His family has since said in a statement that Albert suffered a stroke but was still “looking forward to the Christmas tree lighting at Rockefeller Center and is working hard to be able to attend in person.”

What is the history of tree lighting?

The ceremony continues a long tradition that dates back to the Rockefeller Center’s founding years.

The first tree was erected at the New York landmark’s construction site in 1931 by workers who pooled their money for the display, according to the tree’s history page. Two years later, the lighting ceremony was born. In 1951 it was televised.

How do I see the tree after the ceremony?

After Wednesday evening’s event, the tree will be lit from 5 a.m. to midnight until mid-January. On Christmas Eve it will be lit for 24 hours, but on New Year’s Eve it will start at 9 p.m., when revelers will fill nearby Times Square, Rockefeller Center said on its website.