For the 91st year, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony took place in New York City, officially kicking off the holiday season in the Big Apple.
Hosted by American Idol champ and talk show host Kelly Clarkson, the two-hour long televised event featured numerous festive performances from some of music’s best acts. Country music was well-represented by Dan + Shay and Little Big Town who each sang twice.
Dan + Shay performed “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” and “It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year,” both tracks featured on their new Christmas album titled It’s Officially Christmas.
Little Big Town brought the holiday magic as they sang “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” as snow began to fall. They returned to the stage later in the show to sing “Santa Claus Is Back In Town,” an Elvis Presley remake that appears on their holiday album, The Christmas Record.
Other performers included The Backstreet Boys, American Idol alum Jennifer Hudson, the Radio City Rockettes, Tony Award nominee Megan Hilty, Grammy winner Coco Jones, the Queen of Latin Pop, Thalia, and English singer Raye.
Host Kelly Clarkson also took the stage to perform. She kicked off the show with a rousing performance of her festive hit, “You For Christmas.”
As the evening progressed and time drew nearer to the lighting of the Christmas tree, snow continued to fall.
Moments before the official tree lighting, Clarkson returned to the spotlight to sing her 2013 holiday single, “Underneath the Tree.” The song was followed by the countdown to the tree lighting. Thousands of spectators filled the streets to witness the moment that 5 miles of lights that wrapped the tree were lit.
About This Year’s Rockefeller Christmas Tree
Choosing a tree to display at New York City’s Rockefeller Center each season is a years-long chore. In 2020, just days after his wife Lesley died, Earl Albert got a knock on his door. Rockefeller Center head gardener Eric Pauze was driving by when he spotted a stunning Norway spruce in Albert’s yard.
Pauze later learned that the tree had been planted by Earl and Lesley when they were newlyweds in 1967. The tree was planted in the front yard of their then-new West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, home.
In an interview with WNBC, Earl said that being asked to donate the tree was “probably one of the greatest honors of my life.”
His family shared that they took the request as a sign since Lesley loved Christmas, and they know that she would be thrilled that their tree was bringing joy to millions of people.
Just a month before their tree was to be lit in Rockefeller Center, Earl suffered a stroke. Despite “working hard” to be able to see the tree lighting in person, Earl was unable to attend. His son and daughter-in-law attended in his place. They told reporters ahead of the event that Earl “had some hurdles to overcome” but that he is recovering and “bolstered by the support” of thousands of people around the country.
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Fun Facts about the Rockefeller Christmas Tree Tradition
The first Christmas tree to be displayed in Rockefeller Center was erected in 1931 by workers who pitched in to purchase a 20-foot balsam fir. Homemade ornaments made by their families adorned the tree.
Two years later, the first tree lighting ceremony was held, and Rockefeller Center decided to make it an annual event.
Over the next several decades, the chosen trees became larger and decorations became more elaborate. In 1999, the largest tree in the ceremony’s history, at 100 feet tall, was on display.
The 2024 tree stands at 74 feet tall and weighs approximately 11 tons! More than 50,000 lights strung on more than 5 miles of wire wrap the tree. It is topped with a 900-pound star that boasts 3 million Swarovski crystals.
Watch the magical moment that the 2024 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was illuminated in the video below.