It's the most wonderful time of the year!
And you know what that means: the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is here and ready for its 89th annual lighting ceremony tonight. The glorious 79-foot Norway spruce was pulled into place on Nov. 13 and is the first Rockefeller tree to come from Maryland.
The Rockefeller Center tree will have a broadcasted celebration on Wednesday, Dec. 1, which will surely kickstart your season's greetings. Between 50,000 multi-colored lights, a Swarovski star and an A-lister lineup of performances—including Alessia Cara, Harry Connick Jr., Carrie Underwood and so many more—you're not going to want to miss this historical and festive tradition.
Last year the ceremony was closed off to the public for COVID safety reasons, but this year it will be open to the public again. If you're wondering how to tune in, we've got everything you need to know regarding the ceremony below!
When is the 2021 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting?
The ceremony will take place tonight, Wednesday, Dec. 1 at 8 p.m. ET.
Where and when can I watch?
You can catch the two-hour event on NBC and streaming on Peacock. However, an hour before the ceremony, an additional hour of programming will be available on NBC-owned TV stations and affiliates, beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
Who is hosting the ceremony?
The tree lighting ceremony will be hosted by TODAY's Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Craig Melvin and Al Roker. The pre-show festivities will be hosted by Access Hollywood's Mario Lopez, NBC4 New York's Natalie Pasquarella and David Ushery.
Who is performing?
Confirmed performers include Alessia Cara, Harry Connick Jr., Mickey Guyton, Norah Jones, Brad Paisley, Rob Thomas, Carrie Underwood, José Feliciano with CNCO, Pentatonix, the cast of Broadway's Come From Away and Radio City Rockettes.
After that, the tree—which will be on display between West 49th and 50th streets and Fifth and Sixth Avenues in NYC—will be turned on daily from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m., then be illuminated for 24 hours on Christmas Day. On New Year's Eve, it'll be lit up from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
(E! and NBC are part of the NBCUniversal family.)