Renée Rapp, Darren Criss and Mickey Guyton and More to Perform at National Christmas Tree Lighting (original) (raw)

Country star Guyton will also host the annual ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Published on November 21, 2023 12:15PM EST

Renee Rapp; Darren Criss; Mickey Guyton. Photo:

Taylor Hill/Getty; Emma McIntyre/WireImage; Tiffany Rose/Getty

‘Tis the season for some holiday cheer in the nation’s capital!

Country star Mickey Guyton will take the reins as host of the National Christmas Tree Lighting, an hour-long CBS special that will feature star-studded performances in Washington, D.C.

She’ll be joined by Renée Rapp, Darren Criss, Dionne Warwick, Joe Walsh, Samara Joy, Ledisi and St. Vincent, who, in addition to Guyton herself, will hit the stage to perform holiday classics.

The official lighting of the tree on the Ellipse at The White House and President’s Park will take place on Nov. 30, and the special will air Dec. 15 on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT, as well as on Paramount+.

Guyton is well-equipped for the night’s festivities, as she and Michael Bolton recently teamed up on the new track “Christmas Isn’t Christmas.” Criss, meanwhile, released a holiday album in 2021, while Warwick did the same in 2019.

The National Christmas Tree in December 2021. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty

Ledisi put out a holiday record of her own in 2008, while Joy, who won best new artist at the 2023 Grammy Awards, released a holiday EP in October.

Walsh, meanwhile, famously had a holiday hit with the Eagles in 1978, with “Please Come Home for Christmas.”

The United States Coast Guard’s Guardians Big Band will also perform at the ceremony, which has been a holiday staple since it was first celebrated by President Coolidge in 1923.

This year’s event is sponsored by the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation.

Previous hosts include LL Cool J, Reese Witherspoon and Eva Longoria.