Rockefeller Center's 2026 Christmas Tree Arrives Nov. 7 in Midtown, NYC, Lighting Dec. 2

Rockefeller Center has named its 2026 Christmas Tree: a Norway spruce from West Edmeston, in Chenango County, New York. It stands 76 feet tall and 50 feet wide, weighs an estimated 11 tons, and is roughly 75 years old.

The tree will be cut on Thursday, November 5, and brought to Midtown Manhattan on Saturday, November 7. It will then be dressed with more than 50,000 LED lights and the Swarovski star, a 900-pound piece designed by architect Daniel Libeskind in 2018. The lighting takes place on Wednesday, December 2, during the live "Christmas in Rockefeller Center" broadcast.

The tree was found by Erik Pauze, Rockefeller Center's head gardener, who has been picking it for more than 30 years. It was donated by Rebecca Decker. Pauze has said the trees he chooses are usually at their maximum height and often too big for the property they stand on, and that most are Norway spruce, valued for their size and for branches strong enough to carry lights.

On arrival day, November 7, Rockefeller Center hosts Meet the Tree Day. The program includes a holiday workshop presented by Care Bears and FAO Schwarz, meet-and-greets with six Care Bears characters, photo moments and arts and crafts. According to 6sqft, it is free and first-come, first-served, and a Meet the Tree + Top of the Rock ticket gives guaranteed, expedited entry.

The tree stays on display through January 9, 2027. Afterward it will be milled into lumber and donated to Habitat for Humanity. This season also marks 90 years of the holiday season at Rockefeller Center, and the center's Instagram points to three new ways to celebrate the anniversary, with tickets available through the link in its bio.

(Details are drawn from points that agree across reports by Gothamist, 6sqft.)