Who Performed at Rockefeller Tree Lighting 2025?
The 2025 “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” special featured performances from Marc Anthony, Halle Bailey, Michael Bublé, Kristin Chenoweth, Laufey, New Edition, Brad Paisley, Carly Pearce, Gwen Stefani, host Reba McEntire, and the Radio City Rockettes. Below are the some of the special performances in Rockefeller Center:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DR0s5BjEZ3b/
https://www.instagram.com/p/DR0prELDSKi/?
It was one of those lineups where every few minutes you catch yourself saying, “Oh, they got them too?” from Bublé doing the cozy‑Christmas classics to Gwen Stefani kicking things off with new holiday pop, and Reba sliding effortlessly between hosting duties and belting out seasonal songs like she’s been doing this in her sleep for decades. The Rockettes’ set hit extra hard this year, since they’re celebrating 100 years; seeing that precision kick line in front of the tree feels like peak New York holiday energy.
How Many Lights Are on the Rockefeller Christmas Tree?
The 2025 Rockefeller Christmas tree is wrapped in more than 50,000 multicolored, energy‑efficient LED lights, strung along about five miles of wire. When they all flip on at once, it goes from “big tree” to “okay, this could probably be seen from space,” especially with the 900‑pound Swarovski star on top, which is covered in around 3 million crystals designed by architect Daniel Libeskind.
If you’ve ever stood underneath it, you know the lights don’t just look bright; they kind of hum around you, especially when it’s cold and everyone’s bundled up, phones out, trying (and mostly failing) to get the whole thing in a single photo.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DR02CkWjUWK/
What Time Do They Light the Rockefeller Tree?
For 2025, the tree lighting itself happened just before 10 p.m. Eastern, near the end of NBC’s 8–10 p.m. live broadcast. The special coverage kicks off earlier in the evening, but the actual “3…2…1” moment lands in that final segment so the performances, interviews, and crowd shots can build up the hype. After opening night, the tree stays lit daily from 5 a.m. to midnight through mid‑January, with a 24‑hour glow on Christmas Eve and slightly shorter hours on New Year’s Eve.
Hosts of Rockefeller Tree Lighting
Reba McEntire hosted the 2025 Rockefeller tree lighting special on NBC, with support from “TODAY” anchors Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker, and Craig Melvin for interviews and crowd moments. Reba pulled double duty, mixing warm, slightly cheeky intros with performances, including a heartfelt “Let There Be Peace on Earth” that gave the middle of the show a genuine, slow‑down‑and‑listen moment.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DR0qYwgjbeZ/?img_index=1
The anchors handled the on‑the‑plaza energy: chatting with families who’d been waiting for hours in the cold, tossing to performances, and doing the classic “we’re about to light the tree” countdown hits.
Where is the Rockefeller Tree From This Year?
This year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is a 75‑foot Norway spruce from East Greenbush, New York, donated by the Russ family. The tree is about 70–75 years old, weighs roughly 11–12 tons, and was driven down to Manhattan after being cut in early November, which is wild when you think about a quiet backyard tree suddenly becoming a national holiday landmark. After the season ends in mid‑January, the tree will be milled into lumber and donated to Habitat for Humanity, continuing the now‑traditional second life as part of new homes.
How to Watch the Rockefeller Tree Lighting?
The 2025 Rockefeller tree lighting aired live as “Christmas in Rockefeller Center” on NBC from 8–10 p.m. ET and streamed simultaneously on Peacock. If you missed it live, replays and clips are available through NBC’s platforms, Peacock on‑demand, and Rockefeller Center’s official site and social channels, which share highlight reels, behind‑the‑scenes looks, and close‑up videos of the tree and performances.
For future years, the playbook is simple: mark the first Wednesday after Thanksgiving or early December, check NBC/Peacock listings, and plan to be on the couch (or in Midtown, if you’re brave) by 8 p.m. Eastern.
Disclaimer:
This Rockefeller Center tree lighting coverage is based on publicly available information and may be updated as new details are released. It is for general informational and entertainment purposes only, not official event communication. For the most accurate schedules, performers, or access details, always check Rockefeller Center or NBC’s official channels.
