NEW YORK – One of New York City’s brightest holiday traditions returns Tuesday night as Bryant Park prepares to light its massive tree, featuring performances from elite figure skaters and an appearance by actor and chef David Burtka.
SKIP TO: How to see tree lighting
Shoppers at the Bryant Park Winter Village Holiday Market in New York, US, on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023. US retail sales unexpectedly picked up in November as lower gasoline prices allowed consumers to spend more to kick off the holiday shopping season
What you can do:
The event is free and open to the public, though space is limited. Entry will open at 3:30 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis, and a livestream will be available for those watching from home.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 9: David Burtka and Neil Patrick Harris pose at the opening night of “The Queen of Versailles” on Broadway at The St. James Theatre on November 9, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Glikas/Getty Images)
Public skating is expected to resume around 6:15 p.m.
The Lodge bar and food hall will remain open throughout the day.
Bryant Park Tree 
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – NOVEMBER 24: Figure skater Mariah Bell performs during the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation benefit at Bridgestone Arena on November 24, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images)
The massive tree anchors the rink at the Bank of America Winter Village, which opened for the season Friday and runs through March 1, 2026.
The backstory:
Now in its 13th year, the Winter Village remains one of the city’s great cold-weather equalizers: home to New York’s only free-admission ice rink and more than 180 open-air holiday shops curated by Urbanspace.
TURIN, ITALY – DECEMBER 11: Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker of USA perform during the Exhibition Program of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2022 at Palavela on December 11, 2022 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)
The tree-lighting show begins at 5:30 p.m. and will feature skaters Mariah Bell, Kaitlin Hawayek, Jean-Luc Baker, Kaiya Ruiter, Emmanuel Savary, Ice Theatre of New York, Figure Skating in Harlem and The Skyliners, organizers said.
People visit the Winter Village at Bryant Park in New York, the United States, on Nov. 15, 2025. Featuring a holiday market, a skating rink and a food hall, the Winter Village is a popular winter holiday destination at Bryant Park. (Photo by Zhang Fe
Beyond the tree lighting, the Winter Village calendar is stacked: Santa’s Corner, Cozy Igloos and the much-loved Bumper Cars on Ice will return later in the season.
The Holiday Shops stay open through Jan. 4, 2026, while the rink and The Lodge keep the party going deep into winter.
The Source: This article is based on information from Bryant Park.