NEW YORK  — The heart of Manhattan will soon be ablaze with 45,000 LED lights gracing an 85-foot-tall Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center.

Later today, the air will reverberate with the voices of Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett, Mariah Carey, Cyndi Lauper and other music stars for the nationwide live broadcast.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to stand behind police barricades to watch the annual spectacle.

Since the Great Depression, the Rockefeller Center tree has represented Christmas in New York City.

The lighting ceremony will be broadcast live on NBC starting at 8 p.m. EST.

The Norway spruce from central Pennsylvania will be on display through Jan. 7.

First Published December 3, 2014, 1:01 p.m.