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Your Guide to the 2021 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting, Including Who's Performing and How to Watch

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting

Bryan Bedder/Getty

Lights, Camera, Tree — Action!

The kick-off to the "most wonderful time of the year" is almost here because the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree has arrived in New York City, and will be lit on Dec. 1 during NBC's 89th lighting ceremony.

This year's great big Norway Spruce (a whopping 79 feet tall!) makes history as the first Christmas tree to hail from Maryland. The 12-ton tree trekked 140 miles from the town of Elkton and arrived at its final destination on Nov. 13 in NYC.

The tree will be decked out with 50,000 multicolored lights (strung on approximately 5 miles of wire!) and topped with a 900-pound star with 70 spikes covered in 3 million Swarovski crystals.

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RELATED: 2021 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Chosen — See How it Compares to 2020's Controversial Fir

Workers watch as The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is moved into a place by a crane on November 13, 2021 in New York City. This year, for the first time the Norway Spruce tree was from Maryland. The tree is 79-feet tall, 46-feet in diameter, and weighs 12-tons.
Workers watch as The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is moved into a place by a crane on November 13, 2021 in New York City. This year, for the first time the Norway Spruce tree was from Maryland. The tree is 79-feet tall, 46-feet in diameter, and weighs 12-tons.

Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty

While the lighting ceremony has been broadcast live around the world since 1951, the process of selecting and honoring a different tree to stand in Rockefeller Center has been an annual tradition for 90 years! Though the COVID pandemic meant the lighting was closed to the public in 2020, the event will once again be open to onlookers.

The festivities will be hosted by TODAY anchors Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Craig Melvin and Al Roker, while a slew of musical guests will rock around the Christmas tree including Carrie Underwood, Mickey Guyton, Brad Paisley and more.

RELATED: Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie Joke About 'Bad Hair Days' as They Defend Rockefeller Christmas Tree

rockefeller-center-lighting1117
rockefeller-center-lighting1117

Between how to watch and who else is performing, keep scrolling for everything you need to know about the 2021 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

How to watch the 2021 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony?

While the festivities will be open to the public for viewing on Wednesday, Dec. 1, the Christmas in Rockefeller Center special will also be broadcast live on NBC starting at 8 p.m ET and streamable on Peacock.

Who's performing at the 2021 Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony?

There may be only one star on the tree, but there will be many stars on the stage! Between celebrity guests and musical performances, this entertaining evening will be far from a silent night.

In addition to Underwood, Guyton and Paisley, Harry Connick Jr., Alessia Cara, Norah Jones and Rob Thomas are on the lineup. The Radio City Rockettes will also be making their Rockefeller return. Even more surprises are to be announced, so stay tuned!

2019 Christmas Spectacular Starring The Radio City Rockettes Opening Night
2019 Christmas Spectacular Starring The Radio City Rockettes Opening Night

Steven Ferdman/Getty The Rockettes at the 2019 Christmas Spectacular show

What are the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree viewing hours?

If you can't make it to the ceremony to watch the lighting live, have no fear! The tree will be viewable at Rockefeller Center between West 49th and 50th streets and Fifth and Sixth Avenues in NYC. It will be lit daily from 6 a.m. to 12 a.m. – while on Christmas Day, the tree is lit for 24 hours and on New Year's Eve it is lit from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

When will the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree come down?

The exact date of when the Rockefeller Christmas tree will come down has yet to be confirmed. More information will be provided in the coming weeks, according to the official Rockefeller Center website.