How to Watch the 2026 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting
By American TV editorial team |
The 2026 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting is Wednesday, December 2, 2026, and you can watch it at home on NBC's Christmas in Rockefeller Center. Rockefeller Center lists the ceremony from 7 to 10 p.m. ET, with the tree lit near the end of NBC's broadcast. NBC hasn't announced this year's host, performers, exact airtime or streaming plans yet, and says it will share them closer to the event.
Use our NBC on DIRECTV guide and NBC anniversary special guide for more broadcast planning.
On DIRECTV, look for your local NBC station. The 7–10 p.m. ceremony window is not a confirmed national NBC program slot. Check the 2026 broadcast listing when NBC announces the exact airtime and streaming access.
About this year's tree
The 2026 tree is a 76-foot Norway spruce from West Edmeston, New York. It's about 75 years old, roughly 50 feet wide and weighs about 11 tons. Rockefeller Center's head gardener, Erik Pauzé, picked it, and it arrives in New York on Saturday, November 7.
It will be covered in more than 50,000 multicolored LED lights on about five miles of wire. On top sits the Swarovski star designed by architect Daniel Libeskind, which weighs about 900 pounds and has three million crystals. After the season, the tree is milled into lumber and donated to Habitat for Humanity.
Host and performers
The 2026 lineup is not confirmed in the materials reviewed for this guide. Check the current NBC announcement closer to December 2; performers and broadcast arrangements from 2025 should not be treated as this year’s lineup.
Can you go in person?
The ceremony is free, but there are no public tickets. The area closest to the tree is kept for invited guests and the broadcast, so crowds watch from the surrounding streets on a first-come, first-served basis. Once it's lit, the tree stays on display through mid-January 2027.
How to watch on DIRECTV
Find your local NBC station in the DIRECTV guide on December 2, or search for "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" to set a recording. For help finding NBC in your area, see how to watch NBC with DIRECTV. NBC has another big December night coming with its 100th anniversary special. Questions about your local channels? Call American TV at 1-855-690-9884.
Want live TV, local channels and sports in one place? Check DIRECTV options at your address or call 1-855-690-9884.
Details are from Rockefeller Center and NBC as of October 28, 2026 and may change. Rockefeller Center, NBC, Peacock and related marks belong to their respective owners. American TV is an independent DIRECTV dealer and resource site.