The 2018 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony is set to take place on Wednesday, November 28 at the world-famous Rockefeller Center. The event will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. EST.
Aside from the lighting of the 72-foot-tall Norway spruce to officially start the holiday season New York City, The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will feature performances from a star-studded lineup including John Legend, Pentatonix, and the legendary Diana Ross.
The tree will be lit for the first time this year at 9:33 p.m., but if you’re planning to attend the 2018 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, you should arrive early and be prepared for packed streets and several closures in the area surrounding Rockefeller Center.
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony street closures
According to the New York City Transportation Department, Wednesday, November 28 has already been classified as a gridlock alert day, so if you’re traveling in Midtown Manhattan tomorrow, be prepared for street closures and traffic diversions because of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. Be prepared.
The following streets will close beginning around 3:30 p.m.:
— 46th Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue
— 47th Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue
— 48th Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue
— 49th Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue
— 50th Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue
— 51st Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue
— 52nd Street between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue
— Rockefeller Plaza between 48th Street and 51st Street
— Sixth Avenue between 46th Street and 52nd Street
— Fifth Avenue between 46th Street and 52nd Street
MTA info for Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
In normal situations, getting to Rockefeller Center is easy. The B, D, F, M trains bring you to the Rockefeller Center 47-50th stop and the E and M trains bring you to Fifth Ave-53rd St. stations, which is a few blocks away from Rockefeller Center. But due to the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, expect serious overcrowding at these stations and others near Rockefeller Center. You may want to consider getting off at another station and relying on your feet to bring you to the event.
Weather Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
According to accuweather.com, it will be 44 degrees during the day with an 8 percent chance of rain. If you’re heading to the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, make sure you bundle up. The weather service reports it will be cloudy and breezy at night with lows around 36 degrees but it will feel more like 25 degrees with wind gusts reaching as high as 29 miles per hour.
