It’s curtains: World-famous NYC holiday show canceled for 2024

The holiday season in NYC will be a little less merry and bright in 2024, as one world-famous festive light show will not be returning to the Big Apple, amNewYork Metro learned on Monday.

New Yorkers will miss out on Saks Fifth Avenue’s iconic holiday light show this year, which has been reworked, the luxury department store said. The show has traditionally delighted New Yorkers and tourists with its eye-catching displays of colorful lights for years, but was subtly omitted from the company’s holiday experiences itinerary online.

The reason? To recognize the flagship store’s “architectural significance” of its Fifth Avenue building during its centennial anniversary. 

“For many years, the holidays at Saks Fifth Avenue included a light show at our flagship store, and, for some time we have contemplated changing our approach,” a Saks Fifth Avenue spokesperson told amNewYork Metro. “In our 100th year, which also marks the anniversary of the flagship, we are celebrating the season by honoring the architectural significance of this iconic building, elegantly illuminating the facade and framing the holiday windows, as well as highlighting the fashion for which Saks Fifth Avenue is known.”

While the spokesperson did not say money played a role in canceling the show, NYC tour guide Megan Marod posted otherwise on her Instagram page

“Financial struggles have forced them to change their 2024 holiday presentations,” Marod wrote in a video post with New York history Instagrammer, John Friia. 

A “real-life Scrooge”

Meanwhile, as Saks celebrates a milestone anniversary, the cancelation of its holiday light show sparked tears and very few cheers across the city.

Rob Terranova of the Upper West Side said the light show was worth the trip when it got too crowded by the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.

“What a travesty,” he said. “When you couldn’t get close enough to the tree because of the volume of people, the light show always delivered and made the trip into the chaos worth it. Whoever let this happen is a real-life Scrooge.”

For other New Yorkers, the cancelation is just another lump of coal for NYC.

“One of the few things that we look forward to in this city,” Sandra Hormozi, a Manhattan resident, said. “It just makes things more bleak.”

Saks fans said the cancellation speaks volumes to the detriment of online shopping to economies local and beyond.

“Amazon is killing the planet, the economy, NYC Christmas and possibly the Thanksgiving parade in the near future,” an Instagram user commented. “Get your azz up and go to the store. NYC has it all.”

Last year, the Saks show theme was “Dior’s Carousel of Dreams at Saks,” which took over the facade of the iconic store at 611 Fifth Ave. A light show powered by nearly 300,000 LED played throughout the holiday season until Jan. 5, 2024.

“For decades we have presented our holiday windows and light show as our gift to New York City, and this year we are honored to do so in partnership with Dior to further elevate the unique and inspiring experience we deliver to our customers,” Marc Metrick, CEO of Saks, said in a press release last year.

In brighter news, the famously festive holiday window displays that compliment the light show will continue this season, set to delight New Yorkers and visitors who enjoy taking in Fifth Avenue‘s holiday decor each year.

The Saks Fifth Avenue spokesperson said dates for the window displays would be announced later this month.

“We look forward to welcoming customers to our holiday windows throughout the season and invite them to discover inspiring gifts and unique holiday offerings within the Saks Fifth Avenue New York flagship,” she said.

Saks’ holiday windows and light show have been a tradition in NYC for at least 14 years.

Not everyone in NYC is sad about the lights getting axed this year though. Some prefer to take in a more low-key holiday experience reminiscent of simpler times in the Big Apple.

“Honestly, I prefer the times when it was beautiful windows at all these stores without the hub hub of a light show,” a nostalgic Instagram user posted.