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when is the rockefeller tree put up

The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is typically put up (hoisted into place) in mid‑November, with the 2025 tree scheduled to arrive and be erected on Saturday, November 8, 2025.

When the tree goes up (2025 schedule)

For the 2025 holiday season, the official timeline is:

  • Saturday, November 8, 2025 – The tree arrives in New York City early in the morning and is hoisted into place on Rockefeller Plaza.
  • Work usually starts around 7 a.m., and it takes several hours to fully position the tree with a crane.
  • After it’s up, workers begin decorating it with lights and ornaments over the next couple of weeks.

So, the tree is physically “put up” on November 8, 2025 , but it’s not lit yet at that point.

When the tree is lit

The famous lighting ceremony happens later:

  • Wednesday, December 3, 2025 – The official Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at 10 p.m..
  • From that night on, the tree stays lit daily from 5 a.m. until midnight (with special 24‑hour lighting on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve).

What “put up” means in practice

  • “Put up” = the day the tree is delivered to Midtown Manhattan and lifted into its spot on the plaza, usually on a Saturday in early/mid‑November.
  • The tree remains covered in scaffolding while it’s being decorated, so it’s not fully visible until a few days before the lighting.
  • In 2025, the scaffolding is expected to come down around November 26–27, so the tree is fully visible (but still unlit) just before Thanksgiving weekend.

Quick timeline for 2025

  • Late October – Tree location and stats announced.
  • November 6 – Tree cutting ceremony in its home state.
  • November 8 – Tree arrives in NYC and is put up on Rockefeller Plaza.
  • November 8–26 – Decorating and scaffolding work.
  • November 26–27 – Scaffolding removed; tree visible but lights off.
  • December 3 – Tree lighting ceremony at 10 p.m..
  • Mid‑January 2026 – Tree taken down and recycled.

If you’re planning to see it go up in person, aim for early morning on Saturday, November 8, 2025 , at Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan.