The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is the long-running holiday stage show starring the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. First staged on December 21, 1933, just a year after the Music Hall itself opened, it has grown into one of the most enduring live entertainment traditions in the United States.
Produced today by MSG Entertainment, the roughly 90-minute show blends precision dance, original music, and elaborate staging, anchored by two numbers that have appeared in nearly every edition since the beginning: the “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” and “The Living Nativity.” The 2025 season, marking the Rockettes’ 100th anniversary, drew more than 1.2 million visitors across 216 performances, and the 2026 season expands to a record 230 shows.
Stats at a Glance
- Venue: Radio City Music Hall, New York City
- First performed: December 21, 1933
- Producer: MSG Entertainment
- Run time: About 90 minutes
- Venue capacity: About 5,960 seats
- Typical season: Early November to early January
- Performances per season: 216 in 2025; a record 230 in 2026
- Famous for: Parade of the Wooden Soldiers and The Living Nativity
The Rockettes and the Show
The show’s signature performers, the Rockettes, are a precision dance company that began performing at Radio City Music Hall in 1932 and has anchored the Christmas Spectacular ever since. The troupe is built around multiple casts of dancers plus trained swings who can step into any role, letting the production stage several performances in a single day throughout the run.
Choreographer Russell Markert staged the Rockettes’ signature kick lines and the “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” routine, which, along with “The Living Nativity” tableau, has remained part of the show through its many revisions, including a full 75th-anniversary redesign in 2007 and a new Rockettes number added for the 2026 season.
A New York Holiday Tradition
Beyond its stage history, the show is woven into New York City’s broader Christmas identity, performed inside the Art Deco Radio City Music Hall near Rockefeller Center and its famous tree. The production’s scale has grown steadily, from 216 performances in the Rockettes’ centennial 2025 season to a record 230 performances scheduled for 2026, the most since the show debuted in 1933.
The production paused in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a televised special airing on NBC that year in its place, before returning to the stage in subsequent seasons.
Explore more: Explore more seasonal events and venues.
Keeps your phone strapped to you, not in a loose-article bin. Zip it before the lift hill and walk straight off the exit ramp.
Rapids, log flumes and splash zones without the rice-bag aftermath. The touchscreen still works through the window, so you can still take photos.
Cheaper than the $15 poncho at the gift shop and you get a whole bag. Toss one in every backpack for water rides and pop-up storms.
Radio City Christmas Spectacular FAQs
When did the Radio City Christmas Spectacular start?
It was first performed on December 21, 1933, one year after Radio City Music Hall opened, making it one of the longest-running holiday shows in the United States.
Who performs in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular?
The show stars the Rockettes, a precision dance company, alongside a cast of other performers, singers, and dancers at Radio City Music Hall.
How many performances does the Radio City Christmas Spectacular put on each season?
The show typically runs from early November through early January. The 2025 season featured 216 performances, and the 2026 season expands to a record 230 performances, the most since the show’s 1933 debut.
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Photo: Bob Jagendorf / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.