The holiday season seems to get real with the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center in New York City every year.
Kelly Clarkson, the musician and host of an eponymous NBC talk show taped at Rockefeller Center, will return to host the lighting ceremony and its television special, “Christmas in Rockefeller Center.”
Clarkson first performed at the ceremony more than 20 years ago and marked the milestone with hosting duties last year. “I was all of a sudden in a Charlie Brown movie, and it was magical,” she said on her show this monthreferring to her hosting duties last year.
Clarkson moved to New York City last year after hosting her show at Universal Studios in Universal City, California. She said she looks forward to hosting the tree lighting again.
“I love the holidays here in New York,” Clarkson said on her show. “Living here during Christmas is like you’re in a movie. There’s nothing like it in the world, especially the tree lighting ceremony.”
When and where is the ceremony?
The ceremony takes place at Rockefeller Center at 8 pm ET Wednesday; it will be televised live on NBC and streamed on Peacock as part of the two-hour “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” special.
A lineup of music stars is scheduled, and the event will wrap up with the tree alight.
NBC-owned stations, along with some affiliates, will air an additional live hour from Rockefeller Center before the event, NBC said in a statement. Mario Lopez of “Access Hollywood” and NBC New York anchors Natalie Pasquarella and David Ushery will host the show, it said.
Spanish-language viewers can, for the first time, watch Telemundo for a simulcast, “Navidades en Rockefeller Center,” starting live at 9 pm ET, NBC said.
Can I attend the tree lighting?
The area around Rockefeller Center is public, but sightseers can buy tickets to be photographed with the tree in the background. VIP tickets are also available to view the tree up close from an area normally closed to the public.
Temperatures are forecast to be 7 to 10 degrees below normal, with a chance of showers and snow later next week, according to the National Weather Service.
What is there to see?
More than 50,000 multicolor LED lights will adorn the tree, NBC said in a statement. A Swarovski star designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, first used in 2018, is expected to top the tree, the network said.