The iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is set to return on 27 November, promising new floats and balloons alongside musical performances from Conan Gray and Lainey Wilson.
Kicking off on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, the parade will conclude at Macy’s Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street, rain or shine.
This year’s spectacle features 34 balloons, four mini-balloons, 28 floats, 33 clown groups, and 11 marching bands, all preceding Santa Claus.
Here are the key things to know about the parade and how to watch it.
What time does the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade start?
It starts at 8:30 a.m. Eastern and airs at that time in all time zones.
It will be on NBC, available with an antenna or through cable and satellite providers.
For cord cutters, the parade is being simulcast on Peacock and an encore telecast begins at 2 p.m. EST/PST. A Spanish language simulcast will also be on Telemundo.
Last year, more than 31 million people tuned in on NBC and Peacock, up 10 per cent from the previous year and marking the biggest audience ever for the parade.
The Weather Channel predicts a high of 48 degrees and a partly cloudy day, with winds up to 13 mph.
AccuWeather also predicts 48 degrees with intervals of clouds and winds at 12 mph. New York City law prohibits Macy’s from flying the full-size balloons if sustained winds exceed 23 mph or wind gusts are over 35 mph.
Who are some of the stars performing?
In addition to Gray and Wilson singing, Wicked star Cynthia Erivo will kick off the starry moving show.
Audrey Nuna, EJAE and Rei Ami of HUNTR/X, the fictional girl group at the heart of the Netflix hit KPop Demon Hunters, will feature alongside Ciara, Foreigner, Lil Jon, Kool & the Gang, Busta Rhymes, Mickey Guyton and Teyana. An eclectic group of stars — from ballet dancer Tiler Peck to YouTube’s Hot Ones host Sean Evans — will join the annual holiday kick-off.
Broadway will be represented by cast members from Buena Vista Social Club, Just in Time and Ragtime, while the Radio City Rockettes will be there and some serious athletes — three-time U.S. national champion figure skater Ilia Malinin and U.S Paralympian Jack Wallace. Alumni and students at LaGuardia High School in New York City — the school featured in the movie and TV series Fame — will help celebrate the 50th anniversary of “A Chorus Line.”
Others on hand will be Alison Brie, Jewel, Debbie Gibson, Drew Baldridge, Matteo Bocelli, Colbie Caillat, Gavin DeGraw, Meg Donnelly, Christopher Jackson, Darlene Love, Roman Mejia, Taylor Momsen, Calum Scott, Shaggy, Lauren Spencer Smith and Luísa Sonza.
Who is hosting the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
For those watching on TV or computers, the trio of hosting stalwarts — Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker from “Today” and their former colleague Hoda Kotb. On Telemundo, the hosts will be Andrea Meza, Aleyda Ortiz and Clovis Nienow.
Kotb, who stepped down from “Today” in January, says working the parade was something she wanted to continue to do even after leaving the network, “One was the Olympics and the other were these parades because they’re just such fun, this one especially.”
The timing is good this year for the Kotb family. Her youngest daughter, Hope, is obsessed with “KPop Demon Hunters,” maybe even more than with Taylor Swift or Labubu. “This one is next level,” Kotb jokes. “I’ve never seen anything like it honestly. Labubu does not hold a candle to ‘KPop Demon Hunter' stuff.”
What are the new balloons?
This year, four new featured character balloons will debut, including Buzz Lightyear, Pac-Man, Mario from Super Mario Brothers and a 32-foot-tall (9.8-meter) balloon onion carriage featuring eight characters from the world of Shrek. KPop Demon Hunters will also be represented in the sky with the characters Derpy Tiger and Sussie.
Several new floats will debut this year, including the first Pop Mart float, with Labubu, Skullpanda, Peach Riot, Dimoo, Molly, Duckoo and Mokoko.
There will also be floats from Holland America Line, Lego, Lindt chocolates, Stranger Things featuring members of Foreigner, and a bunch of whimsical sheep trying to get to sleep courtesy of Serta. The fish-shaped snack Goldfish is returning to the parade with a tiny float that measures just 14 Goldfish crackers long.
The marching bands will hail from South Carolina, California, Texas, Arizona, New Hampshire, Mississippi, Alabama, Pennsylvania and Santiago, Panama. The New York Police Department’s marching band will also join. There will also be dancers and cheerleaders from Spirit of America Dance and Spirit of America Cheer.
