The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will return on Thursday for its 99th year, featuring beloved floats, balloons and live performances along the streets of Manhattan and on televisions nationwide.
This year's parade will include more than 5,000 volunteers, 34 balloons, 28 floats, 11 marching bands, and a host of musical performances by stars like Cynthia Erivo and Darlene Love.
Debuting as the Macy's Christmas Parade in 1924, the first march to its flagship store in Herald Square featured live animals from the Central Park Zoo, in an effort to boost the department store's holiday sales.
Viewers won't see live animals this year; the parade stopped including them in 1927 due to safety concerns. Organizers replaced real lions and tigers (and bears, oh my!) with the now-iconic oversized balloons. This year's parade will include oversized Macy's stars, Minnie Mouse, and Spiderman.
"The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade brings families together like nothing else on television and remains a beloved tradition for millions," said Jen Neal, executive vice president of Live Events and Specials for NBCUniversal Entertainment. "We look forward to working with [Macy's] to produce a spectacular parade that we know so many people love and cherish."
Here's how to watch, and what to watch for.
When and where is it?
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will kick off at 8:30 a.m. in all time zones on Thursday, Nov. 27.
Cynthia Erivo — the Tony, Emmy, and Grammy award-winning star of Wicked and Wicked: For Good — will commence the festivities with a "show-stopping opening number," according to NBC.
The parade will begin on West 77th Street and Central Park West in New York City, taking a 2.5-mile journey towards its endpoint at Macy's Herald Square flagship.
For the best views, live spectators in New York can watch from West 59th to West 38th streets. Here's an interactive map featuring recommended viewing points and areas to avoid.
Heads up: you might want to set an early alarm. Spectators typically begin to line up around 6 a.m.
How can I watch?
NBC and Peacock will stream the parade live Thursday morning, with an encore airing on NBC at 2 p.m. ET/PT.
Telemundo will also air a Spanish-language simulcast beginning at 8:30 a.m., hosted by Andrea Meza, Aleyda Ortiz and Clovis Nienow.
For blind and visually impaired viewers, a full NBC broadcast of the parade will be available on the SAP (Secondary Audio Program) channel.
Also, don't forget about the National Dog Show, airing right after the parade on NBC at 12 p.m.
Who is hosting?
Former NBC Today host Hoda Kotb will return to co-host the parade for her eighth time, along with Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker.
"It just feels like home," Kotb told NPR about her return to NBC. "Every year, Macy's ups the game."
"There are so many surprises and delights" for audiences to look forward to this year, Kotb says. Like many others, she's excited to cover the parade's newest elements, but she also cherishes what hasn't changed.
"What I love so much about [the parade] is there's comfort in knowing that things don't always change so drastically." On Thanksgiving morning, she says, "you get that feeling of a warm blanket" and "all those memories that come along" with the parade and its annual traditions.
Who is performing?
Spectators can expect a wide variety of entertainment to perform in front of Macy's during the parade.
Following Cynthia Erivo's opening performance, EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and REI AMI — the trio of singers behind the Netflix megahit KPop Demon Hunters — will perform, along with Darlene Love, Ciara, Colbie Caillat, Lil Jon, and Busta Rhymes; to name just a few.
Broadway productions set to perform include Buena Vista Social Club, Just in Time and Ragtime. The Rockettes will also celebrate their 100th anniversary with a special and undoubtedly high-kicking performance.
As usual, Santa and his reindeer-pulled sleigh will close the parade to ring in the holiday season.
What about the balloons?
Ahead of the parade's 100th anniversary in 2026, Macy's Studios will reintroduce historic balloon elements from the earliest parades this year, including Rainbow and Greybow Trouts, the Happy Hippo, and Freida the Dachshund.
Also joining the lineup of 32 balloons are some newcomers: Buzz Lightyear, PAC-MAN, Shrek's Onion Carriage, and Mario.
Familiar favorites include Snoopy, SpongeBob SquarePants, the Pillsbury Doughboy, and Bluey.
Can't wait until Thanksgiving?
NBC and Peacock will air the primetime special "Countdown to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade" at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 26.
Broadcast live from the parade's starting point, the special will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the parade's floats, balloons, and bands before they roll through the streets of New York on Thanksgiving Day.
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