Rockefeller Center has been placing Christmas trees in its plaza since 1931, and had its first tree lighting ceremony in 1933. Before Black Friday existed, the New York City tree lighting ceremony heralded the true beginning of the holiday season. For many, it still does.
This year’s edition of “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” airs Wednesday, November 30th at 8:00 p.m. ET on NBC. According to NBC New York, the tree is an 82-foot Norway spruce from Queensbury, New York. It will be decorated with over 50,000 multicolored LED lights and a three-dimensional Swarovski star. The topper alone is covered in 3 million crystals and weighs approximately 900 pounds.
The two-hour special will feature the Radio City Rockettes, as well as an appearance from Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph. The musical acts will cover a wide array of genres, from country to pop to traditional to R&B. Here are many of the artists we’ll see before and after the tree is lit:
