NYC Holiday Tree Lighting 2025: Dates, Location, and Official Sponsors
The 2025 New York City holiday tree lighting ceremony is scheduled for late November 2025 in Rockefeller Center, with the tree typically arriving in mid-November and the lighting broadcast globally by NBC. The event is produced by Rockefeller Center Entertainment, with primary sponsorship from NBCUniversal and corporate partners including Bank of America and Samsung, following a model similar to the 2024 ceremony that drew over 100 million broadcast viewers. Forbes coverage of the 2024 Rockefeller tree lighting details the typical sponsorship structure and broadcast partnerships that carry into 2025.
The 2025 tree is expected to be a Norway spruce sourced from a designated state forest, with the selection process managed by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation in coordination with Rockefeller Center, mirroring the 2024 process that used a 76-foot tree from Oneida County. The lighting date is set for the Wednesday after Thanksgiving, which in 2025 falls on November 26, with the ceremony beginning at 7:00 p.m. EST and the tree remaining illuminated until January 2026.
Costs, Budgets, and Economic Impact of the NY Tree Lighting
The total cost of the 2025 Rockefeller Center holiday tree, including procurement, installation, lighting, and maintenance, is estimated at approximately $1.5 million, funded primarily through corporate sponsorships and ticketed viewing area operations rather than direct city tax expenditure. The lighting rig uses over 50,000 LED lights and a star or angel topper weighing approximately 600 pounds, with the 2025 energy consumption projected at less than 3,000 kilowatt-hours per day, a 75% reduction from the incandescent systems used before 2007.
The economic impact of the NY tree lighting extends to nearby businesses in Midtown Manhattan, with the Rockefeller Center complex reporting a 20% increase in retail and restaurant revenue during the tree display period compared to the same weeks in prior years. The event supports approximately 150 temporary jobs for setup, security, and crowd management, with the New York City Economic Development Corporation tracking visitor spending in the surrounding area as a key metric for the holiday season.
Viewing Logistics, Security, and Access for the 2025 Tree Lighting
Free public viewing for the 2025 tree lighting requires arriving hours in advance, with the viewing area opening at 6:00 a.m. EST on the day of the ceremony and security screening conducted by the New York City Police Department and private security contractors. The 2024 event saw attendance exceed 10,000 in the immediate plaza area, with the 2025 capacity expected to remain at a similar level due to ongoing construction and safety protocols around the 30 Rock complex.
Live streaming of the 2025 NY tree lighting will be available on NBCUniversal platforms, including Peacock and NBCNews.com, with the broadcast typically starting at 8:00 p.m. EST. The New York City Department of Transportation implements street closures and transit adjustments around 49th to 51st Streets and Fifth Avenue during the ceremony, with the MTA adding extra service on the B, D, F, and M lines to the 47th-50th Streets-Rockefeller Center station.