Checked against Rockefeller Center and Bryant Park on November 11, 2026.
Rockefeller Center
Lighting ceremony: Wednesday, December 2, 7:00-10:00pm.
Tree: a 76-foot Norway spruce from West Edmeston, New York. It arrives on November 7.
Lights: more than 50,000 multicolored LED lights and a Swarovski star.
On view: Rockefeller Center says through mid-January 2027. News reports give January 9.
Rockefeller Center states that the ceremony itself is not open to the public. It airs on NBC and streams on Peacock. You can see the tree from the Plaza or The Rink. Rockefeller Center also sells Holiday Top of the Rock tickets with tree access, from $49 for timed admission. Check the official page for daily viewing hours, which were not posted yet when we looked.
Bryant Park
When: Tuesday, December 1, 5:30pm, at Bank of America Winter Village.
Cost: free and open to the public, but space is limited.
Entry: begins at 3:30pm, first come, first served.
Rink: closes early that day. Public skating resumes after the show, around 6:15pm.
Can't make it: there is a livestream on the Bryant Park site.
Two lightings, two nights
Bryant Park lights its tree on Dec 1 and Rockefeller Center on Dec 2, so both fit into one trip. See the holiday markets guide for markets near each.
Sources: rockefellercenter.com (tree page and magazine), bryantpark.org, ny1.com. Last checked Nov 11, 2026.