Mary Gilmore, Staff Writer
For years, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been the kickoff to the holiday season. First launched in 1924, the parade has grown into one of the largest and most-watched spectacles in the world. This year’s parade will be the 99th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It will take place on Thursday, November 27, 2025 at 8:30am EST in New York City. The parade will air live on NBC and stream on Peacock.
This year’s parade will feature 34 balloons, 28 floats, 11 marching bands, 600 clowns, and three Broadway performances. Santa will also be there to close out the celebration. The parade will begin on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and travel down Central Park West. It will then turn onto 6th Avenue before concluding at Macy’s Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street.
The executive producer of the parade, Will Coss, spoke about the importance of the parade in a statement,“Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is the official kickoff to the holiday season and has been part of the nation’s stories and traditions for generations. The most wonderful stories start at the parade. On Thanksgiving morning, larger-than-life character balloons, awe-inspiring floats and showstopping performances will create unforgettable moments and lasting holiday memories for millions of spectators in New York City and across the country.”
The most magical part of the parade consists of numerous giant balloons flying through the streets of Manhattan. While there will always be classics, like Pikachu, Smokey Bear, Snoopy, Spider-Man and the Pillsbury Doughboy, some new balloons are also being introduced. These new stars include Buzz Lightyear, Mario, Pac-Man, Shrek, and Derpy Tiger from KPop Demon Hunters.
Not only will there be new balloons this year, but there will also be new floats. This includes floats for Labubu, Stranger Things, LEGO, The Land of Glaciers, Wildlife & Wonder, Lindt Chocolate, and Counting Sheep by Serta.
Another new float is the most impressive, which will be the Goldfish float entitled, “The Littlest Float.” This float is just under 8-inches tall and is to scale for a Goldfish-sized person! The tiny float is pulled by an RC car and is bound to turn heads at the parade.
One of the most anticipated aspects of this year’s parade is the opening act. Wicked and Wicked: For Good star Cynthia Erivo is set to kick off the celebration with a powerhouse performance. Wicked: For Good was released on November 21, 2025, making the parade performance all the more enticing.
Other performances throughout the day include Ciara, Jewel, Matteo Bocelli, Gavin DeGraw, Debbie Gibson, Shaggy, Colbie Caillat, Busta Rhymes, Kool & the Gang, Meg Donnelly, Lauren Spencer Smith, and Teyana Taylor. Erivo’s production will excitingly set the tone for a continuation of great artists.
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