The 99th edition of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will officially usher in the 2025 holiday season when it airs live across all U.S. time zones on NBC and Peacock on Thursday, Nov. 27, at 8:30 a.m. ET.
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Hosted by TODAY anchors Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker, the nationally televised broadcast will feature the annual mix of larger-than-life balloons, celebrity-packed performances, marching bands and floats — plus the arrival of Santa Claus.
This year’s musical highlights include the daytime debut of the singing voices of HUNTR/X, the fictional K-pop girl group featured in Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters. Additional performances are scheduled from EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI, along with Broadway productions Buena Vista Social Club, Just in Time and Ragtime.
The full lineup of musical artists and guests also includes Drew Baldridge, Matteo Bocelli, Colbie Caillat, Ciara, Gavin DeGraw, Meg Donnelly, Mr. Fantasy, Foreigner, Debbie Gibson, Mickey Guyton, Christopher Jackson, Jewel, Lil Jon, Kool & the Gang, Darlene Love, Roman Mejia, Taylor Momsen, Tiler Peck, Busta Rhymes, Calum Scott, Shaggy, Lauren Spencer Smith, Luísa Sonza and Teyana Taylor. Appearances will also be made by Nikki DeLoach, Kristoffer Polaha, U.S. Olympian Ilia Malinin, U.S. Paralympian Jack Wallace and special correspondent Sean Evans.
In celebration of their centennial year, the Radio City Rockettes will once again perform, joined by a range of national and international performance groups. These include the EVIDENCE Dance Company, Native Pride Productions, Circus Vazquez, and A Chorus Line: The Next Generation, led by creative director and original cast member Baayork Lee. More than 1,200 dancers and cheerleaders will also perform as part of Spirit of America Dance and Spirit of America Cheer.
The marching band roster features musicians from across the globe, including Banda de Musica La Primavera (Panama), Catawba Ridge High School Marching Band (South Carolina), Damien Spartan Regiment (California), L.D. Bell Blue Raider Band (Texas), Northern Arizona University Lumberjack Marching Band, Alcorn State University Sounds of Dyn-O-Mite (Mississippi), Spartans Jr Drum and Bugle Corps (New Hampshire), The Marching Pride of North Alabama, Temple University Diamond Band (Pennsylvania), the Macy’s Great American Marching Band, and the NYPD Marching Band (New York).
This year’s parade will showcase 32 massive character balloons, 27 floats, 3 “ballonicles,” 4 specialty units, 33 clown crews, and more than 5,000 volunteers. Among the new balloon and float debuts for 2025: Buzz Lightyear (Pixar), PAC-MAN (Bandai Namco), Shrek’s Onion Carriage (DreamWorks Animation), and Mario (Nintendo), alongside KPop Demon Hunters characters Derpy Tiger and Sussie.
New floats include The Land of Ice & Wonder (Holland America), Brick-tastic Winter Mountain (LEGO), Master Chocolatier Ballroom (Lindt), Upside Down Invasion: Stranger Things (Netflix), Friends-giving in POPCITY (Pop Mart), and The Counting Sheep’s Dream Generator (Serta).
Additional elements returning this year include revamped legacy balloons from Macy’s archives — including Rainbow and Greybow Trouts, Happy Hippo Triple Stack, Wigglefoot, and Freida the Dachshund — as well as new collaborations like Goldfish crackers and the Elf on the Shelf Santaverse float.
Big Brothers Big Sisters matches will ride atop the Tom Turkey float, celebrating Macy’s ongoing “Mission Every One” initiative, which has raised over $13 million since launching in 2022.
The parade broadcast will re-air at 2 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and stream in Spanish via Telemundo, hosted by Andrea Meza, Aleyda Ortiz and Clovis Nienow.
A primetime special, Countdown to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, will air Nov. 26 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the balloons, bands and performers preparing to hit the streets of Manhattan.
The Parade’s 100th edition is set for 2026.
