Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting Guide: Broadcast, Performers

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Millions of people around the world will tune in to watch the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting on Wednesday, Dec. 4. Thousands more will pack into the Midtown plaza to see the tree light up in person, making it one of the biggest holiday celebrations on the globe.

This year's tree will be decked out with 50,000 multi-color LED lights and a Swarovski crystal star. The massive Norway spruce has been standing in Rockefeller Center since Nov. 9 and will remain in place until Jan. 17.

Whether you're planning to go to the event, watch from home or avoid it, Patch has you covered with everything you need to know about the tree lighting ceremony.

Directions to Rockefeller Center:

Tens of thousands of brave souls will head to Rockefeller Center to see the tree lighting in person. The massive crowds will bring immense congestion to the area, and driving there will be nearly impossible. Anyone going to the tree lighting in person should take public transit.

The closest subway stop to the Midtown destination is the 47-50th Streets-Rockefeller Center station on the B/D/F/M lines. Other alternatives include the 49th Street station on the N/R/W lines, the 5th Ave/53rd Street station on the E line and Grand Central Terminal on the 4/5/6/7 lines and the Metro-North Railroad.

This year, pedestrians will feel a little less crowded on the streets near Rockefeller Center. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio approved a plan to ban cars on the streets directly adjacent to the Midtown attraction and to expand pedestrian space along sections of Fifth and Sixth avenues. The NYPD will likely enforce even more closures on the day of the tree lighting.

Those who want good views of the tree lighting should plan to arrive in Midtown Manhattan well before the tree lighting begins.

Broadcast and performers:

The vast majority of people tuning in to the tree lighting will be watching on their TVs or through a streaming service. NBC continues to hold the national rights to broadcast the Rockefeller Center tree lighting. The broadcast will be hosted by NBC "TODAY" anchors Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker and Craig Melvin, according to the network. NBC begins broadcasting at 8 p.m. and generally ends around 10 p.m.

Mario Lopez, Stefan Holt and Natalie Pasquarella will host the lead-in to the broadcast from 7 to 8 p.m., according to a press release.

Performers for this year's broadcast include Derek and Julianne Hough, Idina Menzel, Lea Michele and NE-YO. John Legend, Gwen Stefani and Brett Eldredge will join the broadcast from a separate celebration in Chicago. As always, the Radio City Rockettes will play a major role in the event.

This year's tree:

The 2019 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree hails from Florida, New York. The village of Florida is just about 63 miles away from Rockefeller Center — about a 1.5-hour drive for most cars — but transporting the giant tree on a 115-foot-long trailer took about two days.