The 2025 lighting of the 75-foot-tall Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is set for Wednesday, Dec. 3.
The event is 7 to 10 p.m. at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in midtown Manhattan.
The “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” special will air live on NBC at 8 p.m. eastern U.S. time and stream on both NBC and Peacock, the network’s website said. Country music star Reba McEntire, who can be seen on “Happy’s Place” and “The Voice“, will host and perform on the special.
Related: What you need to know about this year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree
NBC said other performers include musical guests Marc Anthony, Halle Bailey, Michael Bublé, Kristin Chenoweth, Laufey, New Edition, Brad Paisley, Carly Pearce, and Gwen Stefani. The Radio City Rockettes — celebrating their 100th anniversary this year — are also slated to perform.
And what about the lights? Well, there are more than 50,000 multi-colored LED lights on about 5 miles of wire on the tree, Rockefeller Center’s website said.
The star topping the tree was designed by architect Daniel Libeskind in 2018. It’s a three-dimensional, Swarovski star that weighs in at about 900 pounds. It has 70 spikes covered in 3 million crystals.
The tree, about 75 years old, is 45 feet in diameter and approximately 11 tons, the website said.
The Christmas Tree is lit at Rockefeller Center during the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Manhattan Dec. 4, 2019.
It’s a Norway spruce from East Greenbush, in New York’s Rensselaer County. A journey of about 130 miles brought the tree to Manhattan after the tree was cut on Nov. 6.
The tree will be on display until mid-January.
Rockefeller Christmas Tree a staple since 1933
The idea of a tree at Rockefeller Center dates to 1931, when Rockefeller Center workers pooled their money to buy a Christmas tree — a 20-foot high balsam fir with handmade garlands made by their families. In 1933, Rockefeller Center decided to make it a yearly tradition and held the first tree lighting ceremony.
Other NYC holiday tree lightings
Rockefeller Center’s is not the only tree lighting in the Big Apple.
The lighting of the 45-foot Bryant Park tree , also in midtown, is set for the day before, Tuesday, Dec. 2, according to the Bryant Park website. Festivities are scheduled to get under way at 5:30 p.m. The event will stream online for free at wintervillage.org.
World-class skaters are expected to perform: Olympian and U.S. Champion Mariah Bell, U.S. Olympic Team Members and Bronze Medalists partners Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker, Canadian National Champion Kaiya Ruiter, and U.S. Olympic Team Member Emmanuel Savary,
Holiday music sing-alongs and fireworks are also on tap. Actor and chef David Burtka will host the Bryant Park event.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: When is NYC’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting? What to know