The event airs on November 28th on NBC and Peacock
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will officially usher in the holiday season on Thursday, November 28th at 8:30 am for its 98th march throughout New York City. Each year, the parade brings together millions of people to celebrate the joy and magic of the season with the nation’s premier holiday experience, featuring a world-class lineup of iconic character balloons, fantastical floats, music’s biggest talents, and the one-and-only Santa Claus.
Joining the celebration to cut the ribbon and kick off the parade, will be a special appearance by acclaimed actress Alison Brie, the star of the Macy’s 2024 holiday campaign. Brie is the Macy’s Gift Guide, and with Matt Bush as her Mentee, she curates the perfect gift for friends and family.
The 98th Macy’s Parade lineup will be the largest yet with more than 5,000 volunteers, 17 featured character balloons, 22 floats, 15 heritage, and novelty balloons, more than 700 clowns, 11 marching bands, ten performance groups, and music’s biggest stars, all welcoming Santa Claus and the holidays.
Although it began in 1924, the Parade was canceled in 1942, 1943, and 1944 due to World War II. During that time, materials that would have been used in the celebration, including rubber, were dedicated to war efforts. The 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will occur in 2026.
This year’s Macy’s Parade will feature the biggest stars in entertainment, including Bishop Briggs, Kylie Cantrall, Chlöe, Dan + Shay, Dasha, Jimmy Fallon & The Roots, Coco Jones, Walker Hayes, Ariana Madix, Joey McIntyre, Idina Menzel, Natti Natasha, T-Pain, Rachel Platten, Lea Salonga, The Temptations, The War and Treaty, Alex Warren and Sebastián Yatra. Dance sensation Charli D’Amelio and ballet dancers Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia, will join the lineup with captivating performances. Stars Jonathan Bennett, Liza Colón-Zayas, Tom Kenny, Ginna Claire Mason and members of WNBA Champions, New York Liberty with Ellie the Elephant will also make special appearances.
Every year casts from must-see Broadway shows step onto the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade stage to entertain fans nationwide. This year’s official national broadcast will include performances from “Death Becomes Her,” “Hell’s Kitchen” and “The Outsiders” as well as the iconic Radio City Rockettes.
Since their 1927 debut, Macy’s Parade’s larger-than-life character balloons have delighted fans of all ages as they take to the skies and soar down the streets of New York City on Thanksgiving morning. A collaborative effort between Macy’s Studios artisans and partners, these iconic creations average more than six months to bring these beloved characters to life.
This year, six new featured character balloons will debut, including Disney’s Minnie Mouse by The Walt Disney Company; Extraordinary Noorah & The Elf on the Shelf by The Lumistella Company; Gabby by DreamWorks Animation; Goku by Dragon Ball/Toei Animation; Marshall by Nickelodeon and Spin Master; and Spider-Man by Marvel.
Gifted musicians from around the country will join the line of march, celebrating excellence in music education. Featured marching bands include University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band (Amherst, MA), Avon Marching Black & Gold (Avon, IN), East Tennessee State University Marching Buccaneers (Johnson City, TN), Flower Mound High School Marching Band (Flower Mound, TX), The Lake Hamilton High School Marching Band (Hot Springs, AR), Sioux Falls Lincoln High School “Patriot” Marching Band (Sioux Falls, SD), The Majestic Marching Cardinals of Jonesboro High School (Morrow, GA), Macy’s Great American Marching Band (United States), The Carolina Band of the University of South Carolina (Columbia, SC) and “the Pride of West Virginia”-The Mountaineer Marching Band (Morgantown, WV). NYPD Marching Band (New York, NY) will also join the festivities.
Closing out the entertainment lineup are energetic performance groups who will bring joy and delight to crowds along the Parade route, before delivering a best-in-class performance on 34th Street. These groups include Circus Vazquez; Riverdance (North American Tour and Academy), AUM Dance Creations (Bridgewater, NJ), Black Haus Creative (New York, NY), BOSS Kids (New York, NY), Indigenous Enterprise (Phoenix, AZ), Kilgore College Rangerettes (Kilgore, TX), MOVE NYC (New York, NY) and 700 talented dancers and cheerleaders of Spirit of America Dance and Spirit of America Cheer.
Audiences nationwide can watch only on the official telecast on NBC and simulcast on Peacock, from 8:30 am until noon, in all time zones. An encore telecast at 2 pm ET/PT. Today‘s Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and Al Roker will return as hosts of the Emmy Award-winning celebration. A Spanish language simulcast on Telemundo will be hosted by the network’s Carlos Adyan and Andrea Meza.
To create a more inclusive experience for blind and visually impaired viewers, NBCUniversal is proud to present the full NBC broadcast with live audio description on the Secondary Audio Program channel (SAP), provided by Descriptive Video Works. The broadcast will be available with additional audio narration describing the rich visuals of the Parade.
The 98th procession will depart from the starting line at 77th Street, march down a 2.5-mile route, and arrive at Macy’s iconic Herald Square flagship. Public viewing will be available along designated portions of the route and is managed by the NYPD. Spectators should avoid bringing large bags, umbrellas, backpacks, and strollers. Public entering viewing streets may be subject to a security search.
