Can a Life-Size Camel Puppet Steal the Show—and Replace Live Animals in Radio City’s Christmas Spectacular?

For Immediate Release:
October 14, 2026

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

The Rockettes may soon have some competition for the spotlight: a life-size, beautifully crafted camel puppet, courtesy of PETA. Ahead of this year’s Christmas Spectacular, PETA this morning sent a letter to the show’s director and choreographer, Julie Branam, offering to fund the custom creation if Radio City Music Hall retires the live camels, sheep, and donkeys from its Nativity scene. The switch would let Radio City create Christmas magic through imaginative stagecraft rather than subjecting animals to disorienting lights and loud music—and, as PETA points out, Broadway’s The Lion King has already proved that sophisticated puppetry can bring animals to life and captivate audiences.

“Radio City must stop dragging stressed camels, sheep, and donkeys across the stage and leave this cruel, archaic practice in the past, where it belongs,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA stands ready to fund a life-size camel puppet that can deliver a showstopping Nativity scene without treating living, feeling animals like props.”

When they’re not being forced to perform, animals used in the Christmas Spectacular are confined backstage, with some reportedly kept in the basement, during the show’s months-long run every winter. Nearly 40,000 PETA supporters have called on Chase, Lexus, and Verizon to not sponsor the show until it stops using live animals. PETA is also taking its “Camels Aren’t Props” message across New York City, with a giant camel towering over Times Square and additional displays appearing on a massive wallscape and kiosks.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

PETA’s letter to Branam follows.

October 14, 2026

Julie Branam

Director and Choreographer

Christmas Spectacular

Dear Ms. Branam:

For generations, the Christmas Spectacular has captivated audiences, but one part of the production remains stuck in the past: the continued use of camels, sheep, and donkeys. I’m writing on behalf of PETA with a solution—if Radio City Music Hall commits to ending the use of live animals in the show, PETA will pay for the creation of a stunning, world-class camel puppet to take their place. Here’s what we have in mind for your truly spectacular puppet:

Imagine breathtaking puppetry that’s lifelike, awe-inspiring, and leaves audiences speechless. Radio City could embrace innovation befitting of its iconic stage, saving real animals from being subjected to bright lights, loud music, and unfamiliar environments night after night. Some of New York’s most successful productions creatively work animals into their shows using innovative alternatives, and just this year, The Royal Ballet and Opera banned live animals from their productions and opted for a beautifully crafted prop instead.

I look forward to hearing from you about this exciting option that would bring special Christmas magic to Radio City Music Hall.

Sincerely,

Tracy Reiman

President