Tis the season — Rockefeller Center is already mapping out Christmas
Tis the season! Rockefeller Center is already rolling out its holiday calendar, which means New York City is once again preparing for thee annual arrival of that massive green celebrity in Midtown.
Current 2026 holiday listings point to the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree arriving Saturday, November 7, with the annual tree lighting expected on Wednesday, December 2. The Center’s own Christmas Tree page has not yet posted its full 2026 tree details, so those dates are still best treated as the current schedule rather than the final official tree announcement.
What Rockefeller Center has confirmed is that The Rink returns October 10 for its 2026–27 season, marking the skating landmark’s 90th anniversary. The season runs through March 27, 2027, with an all-new Skate House, expanded VIP skating, anniversary lodges and the return of the Holiday Chalets.
The Holiday Chalets are scheduled to return November 6 through January 2, giving visitors another chance to sit rinkside while Midtown goes full Christmas-card fantasy. Rockefeller Center says the chalets and The Rink will be closed December 1 and 2 for the Tree Lighting setup and ceremony.
And once thee tree is finally lit, the familiar spectacle takes over: more than 50,000 multicolored LED lights, roughly five miles of wire and the Swarovski star towering over the plaza. The star itself weighs about 900 pounds and is covered in around three million crystals.
The tradition dates back to 1931, when construction workers at Rockefeller Center put up a small Christmas tree during the building’s construction. The first official lighting followed in 1933, turning what began as a workers’ gesture into one of New York’s most recognizable holiday rituals.
After the season ends, the tree’s second life continues as well. Rockefeller Center says the 2026 tree will again be donated to Habitat for Humanity, where its lumber will be used in home construction.
So yes, it is still September. But Rockefeller Center has decided we have heard enough about summer. Christmas is loading.
Rockefeller Center Reveals Its 2026 Holiday Season Schedule
Watch the holiday schedule report below for the latest on Rockefeller Center’s 2026 Christmas season.
Sources: Rockefeller Center; NYC Tourism.
