Christmas in July? Santas to Rally Outside Radio City to Stop Live-Animal Nativity Scenes

For Immediate Release:
July 17, 2026

Contact:
Alex Payne 202-483-7382

“It’s Not Too Late to Make the Nice List! Drop Animal Acts Now!” That’s the message PETA supporters dressed as Santas will bring to Radio City Music Hall on Tuesday, urging the venue to stop using live camels, donkeys, and sheep in the Nativity scene in the Christmas Spectacular. The Santas will unfurl a naughty list scroll that officially adds Radio City Music Hall to their roster for subjecting animals to disorienting lights and loud music and for confining them backstage—some reportedly in the basement—during the show’s months-long run every winter.

“The Christmas Spectacular is anything but merry for the animals, who are treated like living props and deprived of everything natural and important to them,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is calling on Radio City Music Hall to make the ‘nice list’ this year by reinventing the iconic show to be animal-free and align it with the true spirit of Christmas.”

Where: Outside Radio City Music Hall, 1260 Avenue of the Americas (Sixth Avenue), Manhattan, New York

When: Tuesday, July 21, 12:30 p.m.

Why: Camels are social animals who express their feelings with groans, moans, and roars; donkeys can recognize the faces of animals they haven’t seen for years; and sheep’s heart rates increase when they can’t find their family or are approached by strangers. Animals used in live Nativities face a constant barrage of activity and unwanted touches and are often tethered and made to stand on hard surfaces for hours. Their handlers commonly threaten and intimidate them—many use abusive tools to make them obey commands out of fear of physical punishment.

PETA is also calling on the Christmas Spectacular’s sponsors—including Chase, Lexus, and Verizon—to stop supporting the show until it ends the use of live animals. PETA points out that some of New York’s most successful productions—including Broadway’s The Lion King—rely solely on brilliant puppetry and creative tech to bring animal characters to life.

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.