Saks Fifth Avenue says it won’t have its usual holiday light show this season

Fifth Avenue may be looking a little less cheerful this holiday season.

A spokesman for Saks Fifth Avenue, the retailer behind the iconic store across from Rockefeller Center in Manhattan, said the flagship location will not host a holiday light show this year due to “changes.” [its] “Approaching the Holiday Windows,” seen toward the end of each year. The show, full of lights and music, has long been an annual draw for tourists and shoppers in Midtown.

“For many years, Saks Fifth Avenue has featured a holiday light show at our flagship store, and we have been thinking about changing our approach for some time,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “In our 100th year, which also marks the flagship’s anniversary, we celebrate the season by honoring the architectural significance of this iconic building, elegantly illuminating the façade and framing the holiday windows, and highlighting the fashion that Saks Fifth represents.” Avenue is well known.

According to the statement, the store’s Christmas windows will continue to be on display starting later this month. They will feature pieces from luxury brands in front of snowflake fragments, vinyl and other materials while “magical jingles” play, the company said in a press release last month.

News of the cancellation initially circulated on social media from influencers quoting workers at the store.