Lincoln Square Holiday Lights 2026: Dante Park & Broadway Malls

Across Broadway from Lincoln Center, the Lincoln Square Business Improvement District lights up Dante Park, Richard Tucker Park and the Broadway Malls from 60th to 70th Streets each December. In 2025 the installation, “Magical Lights,” wrapped 34 trees in lights that respond to music, including recordings from the Metropolitan Opera’s holiday Magic Flute.

The season kicks off with a free evening celebration in early December, with live music, holiday circus performers and hot chocolate from local businesses. The lights then shine nightly into the new year. Lincoln Square BID announces the 2026 date in November.

Quick Facts

What to Expect

The kickoff has featured swing bands, student choruses, stilt walkers and refreshments from neighborhood businesses. Through December, costumed Victorian carolers perform around the neighborhood. The lit trees run up the center of Broadway, so the best views are from the median islands.

Make an Evening of It

You’re steps from NYC Ballet’s Nutcracker and the Met’s holiday Magic Flute. Walk south to Holiday Under the Stars and the Columbus Circle Holiday Market.

About Lincoln Square

Lincoln Square is the Upper West Side neighborhood around Lincoln Center, the world’s largest performing arts complex, home to the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Ballet and the New York Philharmonic. Dante Park, a small triangle at Broadway and 63rd Street, is named for the Italian poet and has a statue of Dante Alighieri.

Make a Lincoln Square Evening

• See the lights on the Broadway malls after dark.
• Catch the Nutcracker, the Met’s Magic Flute or the New York Philharmonic.
• Walk down Broadway to Columbus Circle and its market.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Lincoln Square lighting 2026?

It is held in early December; Lincoln Square BID announces the exact 2026 date in November.

Is the Lincoln Square holiday lighting free?

Yes, the kickoff celebration and the lights are free.