News — Holidays
Rockefeller Tree Lighting 2026: Date, Time, How to Watch
The 76-foot Norway spruce reached Rockefeller Center on 7 November. It is lit on Wednesday, 2 December, in a ceremony from 7 to 10 p.m. Eastern that NBC airs live.
This guide is research-led: we have not handled these units ourselves. If you buy through our links we may earn a commission — it never changes a pick.Research-led, nothing handled. We may earn from links; it never changes a pick. How we choose
This page sets out the confirmed times for the 2026 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting, and what a tree at home needs before yours goes up. The 5 picks are grouped by need, as How we choose describes. Nothing here was handled or tested.
Govee Christmas Sparkle String Lights, 99 ft, 375 LEDs
Good fit A multicolor look on an indoor tree
Not for A porch or an outdoor tree
Twinkly Strings 400 RGB LED, 105 ft
Good fit Animations that follow the tree, under a porch roof
Not for A buyer who wants plain lights with no app
Krinner Tree Genie L Christmas Tree Stand
Good fit A cut tree set up straight without crawling under it
Not for A tree taller than 8 ft
DEWENWILS Outdoor Timer with 100 ft Remote, 2 Outlets
Good fit Outdoor lights with no app or Wi-Fi
Not for Lights already on a smart plug
Hykolity 7.5 ft Slim Prelit Christmas Tree
Good fit A corner or a smaller room, with no stringing to do
Not for A multicolor look like the Plaza's
The tree is lit on Wednesday, 2 December, at 7 p.m. Eastern
Rockefeller Center’s ceremony lasts 3 hours, and the 50,000-plus lights come on for the first time during it, under the Swarovski star. Here is the same window in each US time zone.
| Time zone | Ceremony window |
|---|---|
| Eastern | 7 to 10 p.m. |
| Central | 6 to 9 p.m. |
| Mountain | 5 to 8 p.m. |
| Pacific | 4 to 7 p.m. |
NBC shows the ceremony live
Rockefeller Center says the “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” broadcast airs live on NBC every year. NBC has not yet published its 2026 performers or its exact broadcast hours. Last year it announced the line-up on 17 November, so expect details in the next 2 weeks.
This year’s tree is a 76-foot Norway spruce
The 2026 tree is a 76-foot Norway spruce from West Edmeston, New York. It arrived on 7 November, for Meet the Tree Day, and will carry more than 50,000 multicolored LED lights. When the season ends, it goes to Habitat for Humanity, which mills it into lumber for building homes.
Seeing it in person is free
The tree stands on Center Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues and 49th and 50th Streets. Viewing it from the public areas costs nothing, and it is on view until mid-January 2027. Holiday Top of the Rock tickets, which add the skyline and closer access, started at $42 on Rockefeller Center’s site on 8 November.
Multicolored lights, like the Plaza’s
The Plaza tree is lit in multicolored LEDs, and 2 color strings get close at home. Govee Sparkle is for an indoor tree only, because it is not water resistant. Twinkly Strings are rated IP44, so they suit a covered porch, and map their effects to the shape of the tree. Govee against Twinkly compares the 2 in full.
Govee Christmas Sparkle String Lights, 99 ft, 375 LEDs
Color-changing bullet LEDs on a 99 ft string, for indoor use only.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Length | 99 ft, 375 LEDs |
|---|---|
| Water rating | Not water resistant |
| Control | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Alexa, remote |
375 color LEDs over 99 ft, for a tree that stays indoors.
Buy it if
- A multicolor look on an indoor tree
Don't buy it if
- A porch or an outdoor tree
Twinkly Strings 400 RGB LED, 105 ft
400 color LEDs over 105 ft, with effects mapped to the shape of the tree.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Length | 105 ft, 400 LEDs |
|---|---|
| Water rating | IP44 |
| Power | 24 W at 24 V |
400 color LEDs over 105 ft, rated for a sheltered spot outdoors.
Buy it if
- Animations that follow the tree, under a porch roof
Don't buy it if
- A buyer who wants plain lights with no app
A stand that holds a real spruce straight
A cut tree lives on the water in its stand, so capacity matters more than looks. The Krinner Tree Genie L clamps the trunk with one foot pedal and holds 3.8 litres, Krinner says, for trunks up to 17 cm. Christmas tree stands compared covers the others, and keeping a real tree fresh covers the watering.
Krinner Tree Genie L Christmas Tree Stand
A foot-pedal, single-cable clamp that sets a cut tree straight, with a water level indicator.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Water | 3.8 litres, per Krinner |
|---|---|
| Trunk | Up to 17 cm, per Krinner |
| Tree | 8 ft, per the listing |
A single-cable clamp you work with your foot, for trees up to 8 ft.
Buy it if
- A cut tree set up straight without crawling under it
Don't buy it if
- A tree taller than 8 ft
Lights on at dusk, off by bedtime
A timer saves you the nightly trip outside to unplug. The DEWENWILS timer switches them on at dusk and off after 2, 4, 6 or 8 hours, and it is UL listed. Christmas lights and fire safety explains what to check before plugging in.
DEWENWILS Outdoor Timer with 100 ft Remote, 2 Outlets
Switches on at dusk and off after 2, 4, 6 or 8 hours, with a 100 ft remote, UL listed.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Modes | Dusk to dawn, 2/4/6/8 h countdown |
|---|---|
| Rating | 15 A, 125 V, UL listed |
A dusk sensor and a countdown, with no app to set up.
Buy it if
- Outdoor lights with no app or Wi-Fi
Don't buy it if
- Lights already on a smart plug
Or a tree that comes already lit
A prelit tree skips the stringing altogether. The Hykolity 7.5 ft slim tree fits a corner, but its LEDs are warm white, not the Plaza’s colors. Real against artificial trees weighs the 2 choices over the years you keep them.
Hykolity 7.5 ft Slim Prelit Christmas Tree
A slim 7.5 ft PVC tree with warm white LEDs already fitted, and a metal stand.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Height | 7.5 ft, slim profile |
|---|---|
| Lights | Warm white LEDs, prelit |
| Weight | 20.5 lb |
A slim prelit tree for a smaller room, in warm white only.
Buy it if
- A corner or a smaller room, with no stringing to do
Don't buy it if
- A multicolor look like the Plaza's
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