The city of Beverly Hills officially ushered in the start of the 2022 holiday season on Nov. 17 with the annual Rodeo Drive Holiday Lighting Celebration, a highly anticipated event that drew in a crowd of 6,000 people, according to city officials. The evening included musical performances by 16-time Grammy Award-winning musician, songwriter and producer David Foster and singer Katharine McPhee, whimsical photo opportunities, an appearance from Santa Claus, and of course, a fireworks finale. The City Council took to the stage and led the crowd in a countdown before illuminating the palm trees that line the center median with dripping lights and tree trunks covered in warm, white lights, revealing the track for the “Beverly Hills Express” on Rodeo Drive. Centered around a glittering bright red train engine and caboose, the “Beverly Hills Express” stationary train display runs from Wilshire Boulevard to Santa Monica Boulevard and includes luxury vintage passenger cars with sparkling wrapped holiday presents and ornaments to match.
McPhee and Foster, who married in 2019, headlined the event and played holiday classics and songs from their new album called “Christmas Songs,” which comes out on Nov. 25. McPhee introduced herself as a native Angeleno and led fans in a few seconds of Weezer’s “Beverly Hills,” while Foster gave shoutouts to the likes of Mayor Lili Bosse and tennis legend Tommy Haas, both of whom were in the audience. Entertainment that evening also included a cappella carolers and the Grammy-winning all-female mariachi band, Mariachi Divas. While last year’s celebration also drew in around 6,000 attendees, other years have seen as many as 10,000 visitors.
