New York 42 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting 2026
Rockefeller Plaza, New York · Organized by Rockefeller Center
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- Dates
- Dec 2, 2026
- Format
- In person
- Where
- Rockefeller Plaza, New York
- Organizer
- Rockefeller Center
Two dates are fixed for the Rockefeller Center tree. It arrives at Rockefeller Plaza on Saturday, November 7, and it is lit at the annual Tree Lighting Ceremony on Wednesday, December 2, 2026.
Meet the Tree Day: November 7
The arrival is an event of its own now. Meet the Tree Day, back for its second year, invites families to Rockefeller Center to welcome the tree as it comes into the city, weeks before the lights go on.
The lighting: December 2
The ceremony is on December 2. Rockefeller Center has not yet published the time, the performers or the broadcast details, and says to check back as the season gets closer.
What has not been announced
Where the tree comes from, how tall it is and who donated it. Visiting hours after the lighting are also still to come.
After the season
As in past years, the 2026 tree will be given to Habitat for Humanity, milled, treated and made into lumber for building homes.
Where it started
In December 1931, construction workers building Rockefeller Center pooled their money for a 20-foot balsam fir, decorated it with garlands their families made and put it up on Christmas Eve. The tradition has run from there.
Two dates, two different visits. Meet the Tree Day on November 7 is the one with room to stand: the tree is there, unlit, and the plaza is not yet the crush of December. The lighting on December 2 is a television event first, and the plaza around it fills accordingly. If the point is to see the tree lit rather than to be present at the switch, any evening after the ceremony does that, once Rockefeller Center publishes its visiting hours.
Rockefeller Plaza on the map
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting 2026: questions
When is the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting in 2026?
Wednesday, December 2, 2026. The tree arrives at Rockefeller Plaza on November 7.
What is Meet the Tree Day?
The day the tree arrives, November 7, when Rockefeller Center invites families to come and welcome it. 2026 is its second year.
Where does the 2026 tree come from, and how tall is it?
Rockefeller Center had not announced either as of October 14, 2026.
What happens to the tree after Christmas?
It is donated to Habitat for Humanity, milled and made into lumber for building homes.
Source: Rockefeller Center checked against the source
