The Midtown tradition officially commenced as of Tuesday, November 22, in a dazzling spectacle that’s sure to be remembered!
Saks has teamed up with Sir Elton John for this year’s holiday campaign to support the British singer’s AIDS foundation, The Rocket Fund, which includes a $1 million donation and dedicated holiday window displays. People can also shop the Elton John x Saks Fifth Avenue special holiday collection where $500,000 in proceeds will go towards The Rocket Fund, regardless of sales.
“At Saks, we are committed to connecting with our customers through unique experiences and impactful partnerships,” says Marc Metrick, Saks CEO. We’re pleased to work with this incredible organization to provide our customers with an opportunity to give back this holiday season and look forward to sharing this meaningful campaign across the total Saks Fifth Avenue experience.”
The unveiling of the windows and light show featured a special live performance by Sir Elton John himself! You can watch the ceremony back if you missed it here.
Last year, the six iconic Fifth Avenue windows “[were] inspired by the theme of reconnecting with family and loved ones during the holiday season.” They asked NYC children (including members of the Madison Square Boys & Girls Club) to draw & describe their holiday dreams with loved ones, and then the incredible artists and engineers at Saks brought it all to life in amazing holiday wonder.
This year, the windows are inspired by both special gifts from years past and the partnership with The Rocket Fund. Rocket ships and nostalgic games can be seen within the six windows, creating scenes that are best described as “whimsy” and full of “brilliant colors.”
And for the first time ever, the Saks Fifth Avenue windows will actually light up from within, matching the music being played throughout the light show.
The 2022 light show features more than 600,000 lights on the ten-story-tall facade of the building. The musical accompaniment includes tunes from Elton John, such as “Step Into Christmas,” “Cold Heart PNAU Remix,” “Your Song” and “Merry Christmas.”
The dazzling holiday windows will be viewable through January 3, 2023 at the Saks Fifth Avenue New York flagship.
Want to catch even more light shows in NYC? Check out NYBG GLOW or Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s ‘Lightscape.’
Also published on Medium.