Getty A view of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, with Swarovski Star atop, during the 87th Annual Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at Rockefeller Center on December 04, 2019 in New York City.
A star-studded lineup is set to perform for Christmas at the Rockefeller Center this year. The event will be different this year, with no public access due to the coronavirus pandemic. But the show will go on with some of the biggest names in music ready to bring holiday cheer during a strange year.
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting will take place at 8 p.m. Eastern time December 2, 2020 until 10 p.m. on NBC. A special hour of performances will begin at 7 p.m. Eastern time.
Here’s what you need to know:
Rockefeller Center Performers Will Include Dolly Parton, The Radio City Rockettes & Gwen Stefani
Although the Christmas tree lighting will look different this year, one thing that hasn’t changed is the dazzling performances. This year’s lineup includes Dolly Parton, The Radio City Rockettes, Gwen Stefani, Meghan Trainor, Goo Goo Dolls and more, according to TODAY.
The 2020 lineup includes:
Kelly Clarkson
Goo Goo Dolls
Earth, Wind & Fire
Jimmy Fallon
Brett Eldredge
Tori Kelly
Leslie Odom Jr.
Dolly Parton
Pentatonix
Dan + Shay
Gwen Stefani
Meghan Trainor
Cast of the Tony-winning “Ain’t Too Proud”
The Radio City Rockettes
Clarkson and Eldredge are also set to perform together. Duet partners will include Parton and Fallon and Trainor with Earth, Wind & Fire, TODAY reported.
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Has Been a New York City Tradition for 88 Years
An enormous tree has stood proudly at Rockefeller Center for decades, and this year will be no different. This year’s tree will be the 88th tree to be lit in the heart of New York City. The 75-foot tall tree arrived at the Rockefeller Center November 14, according to the Rockefeller Center.
“Coming soon to the Plaza, the 88th Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will be displayed between West 49th and 50th streets and Fifth and Sixth avenues. There will be no public access to this year’s tree lighting ceremony, however you’re invited to view the live national broadcast ‘Christmas in Rockefeller Center’ from home on NBC. Details about how to visit the lit Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will be announced in the coming weeks,” the Rockefeller Center announced.
The tree is a Norway Spruce which is 45 feet across and weighs 11 tons. The tree was delivered from Oneonta, New York, and is between 75 and 80 years old. It includes 50,000 multi-colored lights, which stretch out to five miles.
“For more than eight decades, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree has stood as a holiday beacon for New Yorkers and visitors alike,” the Rockefeller Center wrote on its website. “While the lights, decorations, and stars have changed through the years, visiting the Tree remains a quintessential New York experience.”
The star is a three-dimensional Swarovski star that weighs approximately 900 pounds and features 70 spikes covered in three million crystals. It was designed by architect Daniel Libeskind in 2018.
“The first 550-pound Swarovski Star adorned the top of the Tree in 2004,” the website said. “It featured 25,000 crystals and 1 million facets and was 9.5 feet in diameter. The following year, the addition of LED lights made the star look as if it were radiating light from its core to its tips.”
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