Every holiday has corresponding must-watch TV associated with it, from It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown at Halloween, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer at Christmas, and the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade airing on the last Thursday in November.
This year marks the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the festivities begin at 8:30 a.m. ET this Thursday, Nov. 27. The parade will be broadcast on NBC and streams live – with a three-angle multi-view option – on Peacock. Performers will include Wicked‘s Cynthia Erivo, Lainey Wilson, Ciara, and more. Oh, and if you’ve got KPop Demon Hunters fans in your life, not only will there be balloons featuring Derpy and Sussie, the parade will feature a performance by EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and REI AMI, the singing voices of HUNTR/X.
Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade live this week, and how to catch the encore if you miss it.
When is the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
The 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is held this year – and every year – on Thanksgiving Day. This year, the parade is on Thursday, November 27, starting at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT. There will be an encore broadcast at 2 p.m. ET/PT.
How long is the Macy’s Parade?
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will last roughly 3.5 hours, ending at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT. An encore broadcast will air on NBC at 2 p.m. ET/PT.
What channel is the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on?
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade will air on NBC and stream on Peacock on Thanksgiving Day from 8:30 a.m. to noon in all time zones. An encore airing of the parade will also begin at 2 p.m. on NBC. If you have access to live TV, you may be able to watch NBC for free over the air. If not, here’s what we recommend for how to watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade.
How to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade without cable:
Walmart+ members get free Peacock Premium (or Paramount+ Essential) included in their membership at no additional cost. A monthly subscription to Walmart+ costs $12.99, and an annual plan usually costs $98, but right now, you can get half off an annual membership. That means you’ll pay just $49 for Peacock and perks like five free months of Apple Music, discounts on Cinemark movie theater memberships, free shipping and delivery on Walmart purchases, discounts on gas and more.
Peacock is home to all kinds of original content, from Emmy Award-winning reality series The Traitors to Poker Face and Twisted Metal. The platform has an impressive library of shows from NBC and Bravo, thousands of movies, and live sports, including the 2026 Super Bowl.
While a regular Peacock subscription is $10.99 for a Premium Plan and goes up to $16.99 for the ad-free Premium Plus plan, you get an ad-supported subscription for free if you’re a Walmart+ subscriber.
Who is performing at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
Wicked star Cynthia Erivo will open the parade, which will also feature performances from Country artist Lainey Wilson, EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and REI AMI (the singing voices of HUNTR/X from Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters), 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, the Radio City Rockettes, Busta Rhymes, Calum Scott, Shaggy, Lauren Spencer Smith, Luísa Sonza and Teyana Taylor.
There will also be performances from the Broadway casts of Buena Vista Social Club, Just in Time and Ragtime.
What floats are in the Macy’s parade this Thanksgiving?
There will be 32 balloons, three “balloonicles,” 27 floats, 33 clown groups, 11 marching bands and plenty of performances at the 2025 Macy’s parade.
2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade new floats
Six new floats are debuting at this year’s parade:
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The Land of Ice & Wonder by Holland America Line
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Brick-tastic Winter Mountain by The LEGO Group
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Master Chocolatier Ballroom by Lindt
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Upside Down Invasion: Stranger Things by Netflix
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Friends-giving in POPCITY by Pop Mart
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The Counting Sheep’s Dream Generator by Serta.
2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade balloons
In 2025, there will be four new featured character balloons making their debut in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade:
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Buzz Lightyear by Pixar Animation Studios
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PAC-MAN by Bandai Namco Entertainment America, Inc.
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Shrek’s Onion Carriage from Universal Pictures’ DreamWorks Animation;
Derpy Tiger and Sussie from Netflix’s K-Pop Demon Hunters will also join the line-up as a mid-sized balloon and balloonicle.
Who is hosting this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
Today’s Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker of The Today Show will host NBC’s broadcast of the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade again this year.
Ways to watch the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade free:
Want to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Thanksgiving football and more on live TV this holiday season for free? Here are a few platforms offering free trials around this time of year.
