Rockefeller Center tree lighting is happening tonight in NYC. Here's what to know.
NEW YORK -- The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting will be held tonight in New York City.
NYPD officials say the ceremony will go on as planned after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed in a targeted attack just blocks away Wednesday morning.
Here's everything to know about when it starts, how to visit and road closures around the area.
What time is the 2024 Rockefeller Center tree lighting?
Kelly Clarkson is back to host this year's tree lighting ceremony, which begins at 8 p.m. with live music and performances. The lights are typically flipped on closer to 10 p.m.
Spectators can start lining up at 4 p.m. to enter at 48th Street or 51st Street along Sixth Avenue.
When and where to see the Rockefeller Center tree
The Rockefeller Center tree will be lit up from 5 a.m. to midnight through mid-January. On Christmas Eve, it will be lit for 24 hours, and on New Year's Eve, it will be lit from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
It's located at 30 Rockefeller Center between West 49th and West 50th streets in Manhattan. Visitors traveling by mass transit should use the 47th-50th Streets-Rockefeller Center stop on the B, D, F and M lines.
Tickets can be purchased to skate at the Rockefeller Center ice rink, or to check out the view from the observation decks. For more than $300, you can buy a VIP pass for an up-close tour of the tree and a champagne toast.
What to know about this year's Rockefeller Center tree
The Norway Spruce hails from West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, in the southern Berkshires region. It's the first tree selected from Massachusetts since 1959.
The tree was cut down on Nov. 7 and arrived in the city on Nov. 9. It's approximately 70 years old, stands 74 feet tall and weighs 11 tons.
It has been adorned with more than 50,000 colorful lights on 5 miles of wire, and it will be topped with a Swarovski star that weighs 900 pounds and is covered in 3 million crystals.
The history of the Rockefeller Center tree lighting
Organizers say the holiday tradition dates back to 1931 when a group of workers pooled their money to buy a Christmas tree. They decorated the 20-foot tall Balsam Fir with garlands made by their families.
Two years later, Rockefeller Center held the first official tree lighting.
December 1999 holds the record for the largest tree -- 100 feet tall from Killingworth, Connecticut.
Road closures around Rockefeller Center
When you're trying to see the tree or just get around the area, the NYPD says the following streets will be closed Wednesday:
- 46th Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue
- 47th Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue
- 48th Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue
- 49th Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue
- 50th Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue
- 51st Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue
- 52nd Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue
- Rockefeller Plaza between 48th Street and 51st Street
- 6th Avenue between 46th Street and 52nd Street
- 5th Avenue between 46th Street and 52nd Street
- Madison Avenue between 42nd Street and 57th Street
- 6th Avenue between 42nd Street and 57th Street
- 5th Avenue between 42nd Street and 57th Street
Get more details about Gridlock Alert Days for the holiday season here.
