The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is traditionally lit during a special evening ceremony on the first Wednesday after Thanksgiving each year, and in 2026 that ceremony is scheduled for December 2, 2026.

Exact lighting date

  • The lighting ceremony follows a long‑standing pattern: the tree is lit on the first Wednesday after Thanksgiving in the United States.
  • For 2026, guides to the event list the tree lighting ceremony date as December 2, 2026 at Rockefeller Center in Midtown Manhattan.

What time it’s usually lit

  • Recent ceremonies have started in prime time (around 7–8 p.m. Eastern) as a televised special, with the actual moment the tree lights turn on coming closer to 10 p.m. Eastern.
  • While exact broadcast times can shift slightly from year to year, visitors can expect the main on‑air show to run through the evening and the tree to illuminate toward the end of that program.

After the ceremony

  • Once lit, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree typically stays on daily from early morning until around midnight through early to mid‑January.
  • On Christmas Eve it usually remains lit for 24 hours, and on New Year’s Eve it is often lit from early morning until mid‑evening, with specific hours published each season.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.