Back Bay gets its holiday sparkle back on Monday, November 30, 2026, when the Boston Parks and Recreation Department hosts the annual Copley Square Tree Lighting from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 560 Boylston Street. The free celebration, presented in partnership with the Friends of Copley Square, is also a homecoming: the lighting returns to a newly renovated Copley Square.
The hour-long program mixes classic holiday warmth with a first look at the renewed square. Families can join a guided tour of the renovated Copley Square, make arts and crafts, and say hello to two very special guests — Santa Claus and Rudolph. The music lineup brings vocalist Joelle James together with the Boston Children’s Chorus and the Emerson College Symphonic, setting the scene as the tree lights up the heart of Back Bay.
And the evening does not end at 6 p.m.: afterwards, everyone is invited inside the Fairmont Copley Plaza for cookies and pictures with Santa. It is one of Boston’s sweetest, simplest holiday traditions — a free hour of music, lights and community in one of the city’s most beautiful squares. Arrive a little early, grab a warm drink, and welcome the season in Copley Square.
Photo: City of Boston
