The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony in New York City is a highly anticipated event during the holiday season. This year, the ceremony will be hosted by Kelly Clarkson, who first performed at the ceremony over 20 years ago. The event will be televised on NBC with a special two-hour program called “Christmas in Rockefeller Center,” featuring performances by music stars such as the Backstreet Boys, Jennifer Hudson, and Dan + Shay.
The tree, a 74-foot Norway spruce from Massachusetts, will be adorned with over 50,000 multicolor LED lights and topped with a Swarovski star designed by architect Daniel Libeskind. After the ceremony, the tree will be lit each day from 5 a.m. to midnight until mid-January, with a 24-hour lighting on Christmas Eve.
In addition to the musical performances, the event will feature appearances by NBC News anchors and the Radio City Rockettes. VIP tickets are available for those who want a closer view of the tree, and Telemundo will be airing a simulcast of the event for Spanish-language viewers.
The tree lighting ceremony has a long history, dating back to 1931 when the first tree was erected at Rockefeller Center. Since then, the event has become a beloved holiday tradition, with the lighting ceremony being televised since 1951. After the holidays, the tree will be donated to Habitat for Humanity to be used to build homes for those in need.
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