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For more than a century, theMacy's Thanksgiving Day Paradehas been a Thursday morning tradition, crowding the streets of downtown New York City with sky-high balloons, and show-stopping musical performances. Each year, Santa Claus caps off the festivities to signal the start of the holiday season.
This year promises ample excitement, withWicked: For GoodstarCynthia Erivoheadlining alongside Kool & the Gang and Lainey Wilson. Revelers can also look forward to 34 balloons, 28 floats, 11 marching bands, and nine performance groups lighting up the streets of Manhattan.
Curious about how to tune in? Here's how to watch the 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
What time does the 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade start?
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The 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 12:00 p.m. in all time zones.
The celebration begins on the Upper East Side at West 77th Street and Central Park West, then moves south to Columbus Circle, glides down to 6th Avenue, and wraps up at Macy's Herald Square right at noon.
How can I watch the 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?
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The 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade airs live on NBC and streams simultaneously on Peacock from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in all time zones. If you end up missing out on the fun, don't fret — NBC is replaying the parade at 2 p.m. ET.
For those in New York City on Thanksgiving, you can watch the parade in person. According tothe official website, public viewing areas can be found along Central Park West (West 75th to West 63rd Streets), the south side of West 59th Street (between Columbus Circle and 6th Avenue), and 6th Avenue (West 59th to West 38th Streets).
Macy's warns spectators to avoid the end of the parade route, as setups for the TV broadcast might block your view.
Who is hosting the 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?
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TODAY'sSavannah Guthrieand Al Roker are back to host this year's broadcast with a returning Hoda Kotb.
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Kotb retired fromTODAYin January, but her Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade return was confirmed when NBC shared photos from the parade read-through on Instagram.
Who is performing at the 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?
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This year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is headlined byWickedstar Cynthia Erivo, country singer Lainey Wilson, and funk legends Kool & the Gang, as well as Colbie Caillat, Lil Jon, Shaggy, Ciara,Teyana Taylor, and Busta Rhymes.
The parade will get a dose of old-school rock 'n roll from Foreigner and showcase rising stars like Lauren Spencer Smith, Matteo Bocelli, Mickey Guyton, Luísa Sonza, Mr. Fantasy, and Meg Donnelly.
Other musical performers include Calum Scott, Russell Dickerson, Jewel, Darlene Love, Gavin DeGraw, Christopher Jackson, Drew Baldridge, Taylor Momsen, and Debbie Gibson.
Also on deck? EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami — the singing voices behindKPop Demon Hunters' girl group HUNTR/X.
You can also expect special appearances fromHot Oneshost Sean Evans, actors Nikki DeLoach and Kristoffer Polaha, U.S. Olympian Ilia Malinin, and, of course, the Radio City Rockettes.
Will there be new balloons and floats at the 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?
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Yes, the 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will introduce several new balloons and floats to the roster. New floats this year come from Lego, Lindt, Holland America Line, Goldfish, Serta, and Netflix'sStranger Things. Lovers of the viral Labubu can look forward to seeing the plush creatures on the Pop Mart float.
As for balloons, newcomers include Buzz Lightyear, Super Mario, Pac-Man, Shrek's Onion Carriage, and Derpy Tiger fromKPop Demon Hunters. Fans will also see returning favorites like Spider-Man, Bluey, Pikachu & Eevee, Snoopy, Stuart the Minion, Spongebob Squarepants, the Pillsbury Doughboy, and Minnie Mouse.
A few balloonicles are also making their debut, too, including the self-driving Elf on the Shelf Frost Pips, Macy's Happy Hippo triple stack, and Sussie and Flowerpot fromKPop Demon Hunters.
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