The beloved Chicago holiday tradition of lighting the Christmas tree that towers over Millennium Park will kick off on November 21, 2025. This live event will fill Millennium Park with music, fireworks and thousands of twinkling lights.
A 53-foot-tall Colorado blue spruce was selected for this year’s Christmas tree, making it the 112th City of Chicago Christmas tree. The tree lighting ceremony will unfold with a pre-show at 5 p.m., featuring performances from local singers and dancers at the main stage along Washington Street.
Broadcast anchors from CBS Channel 2 will emcee the event. The lighting of the tree will start at approximately 6:00 p.m., followed by a fireworks display. Arrive early from the South Promenade on Monroe Street for the best views.
The ceremony will be broadcast live on CBS News Chicago from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. The tree will be illuminated and on display through January 11, 2026.
Millennium Park Tree Lighting Ceremony
Millennium Park, Michigan Avenue at Washington Street
November 21, 2025, 6- 7 pm
Free
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Pam Schwetz says
Since it is in Millenium Park it would be more earth friendly and make more sense to plant an evergreen tree that would grow every year and live there year round and just be decorated for Christmas rather than continue the barbaric tradition of killing trees. We need trees for oxygen and they are just beautiful and deserve to live. It is such a waste to kill a magnificent tree so people can look at it for a month or two before it gets chopped up into little pieces. Really is a senseless tradition that should be corrected. Just in general that tradition should be scrapped. People should plant an evergreen tree they can decorate if they want to. If they can’t plant a tree then they should get a fake tree they can put together every year and take down without hurting any real trees.
Carol says
I wish they would do that.