The 2026 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will be a Norway Spruce sourced from West Edmeston, near Syracuse, New York. The tree is scheduled to be cut down on November 5 and transported approximately 200 miles to Midtown Manhattan on November 7, where it will be decorated with 50,000 lights and topped with a Swarovski star.

The annual tree lighting ceremony will be broadcast live on December 2, with the spruce remaining on display through January 9, 2027. Following the holiday season, the tree will be repurposed into lumber and donated to Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that builds homes for families in need.

The tradition of displaying a Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center dates back to 1931, with the official annual lighting ceremonies commencing in 1933. In 1936, a second tree was installed to celebrate the opening of the rink in the plaza area of the complex.

Historically, the tallest tree ever exhibited at Rockefeller Center was a Norway Spruce from Connecticut in 1999, which reached 100 feet. This year’s tree is notably shorter, standing 76 feet tall. The iconic Swarovski star topper, weighing 550 pounds and embedded with 25,000 crystals, was first introduced in 2004. It was later replaced by a new design featuring 3 million crystals created by architect Daniel Libeskind in 2018.

Erik Pauze, head gardener at Rockefeller Center, has described the search for the ideal tree as a continuous process. In a 2024 interview, Pauze explained that selecting the annual tree involves constant consideration, often planning years in advance to ensure the perfect specimen is chosen each season.