The World-Famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® Kicks Off the Holiday Season
The 97th edition of the beloved tradition will be extended by 30 minutes, offering the nation more entertainment and spectacle than ever before
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE).- The World-Famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® Kicks Off the Holiday Season.- Returning for its 97th edition this year, The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® will officially welcome the holiday season on Thursday, November 23 at 8:30 A.M. at the sound of the time-honored phrase 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…Let’s Have A Parade™! For the first time in its long history, the iconic holiday tradition will begin 30 minutes early in New York and on the official national broadcast. Showcasing an exciting lineup of featured character balloons, magical floats, the finest marching bands from across the country, dynamic performance groups, imaginative clowns, the nation’s biggest musical talents and the one-and-only Santa Claus, this is the nation’s premiere Thanksgiving celebration.
“For nearly 100 years, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been synonymous with the beginning of the holiday season, celebration and togetherness,” said Will Coss, Executive Producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “Our talented team of Macy’s Studios artisans and production specialists work year-round to deliver the nation’s most beloved holiday event, live on Thanksgiving morning. We are proud to hold this responsibility and look forward to sharing our unbelievable designs, larger-than-life character balloons and first-class entertainment, all sure to create lifelong memories for Parade fans nationwide.”
The 97th Macy’s Parade lineup will include 5,000 volunteers, 16 featured character balloons, 26 fantastic floats, 32 heritage and novelty balloons, more than 700 clowns, 12 marching bands and nine performance groups. Joining these Macy’s Parade fixtures are some of the biggest stars in music, all welcoming in Santa Claus and the holidays.
Stars on 34th Street
The Macy’s Parade is an all-star celebration, hosting some of the nation’s most talented and iconic performers. For the 97th Macy’s Parade, the legendary star of music, film, stage and television, Cher, will perform a new holiday hit and kick off the season at 34th Street.
The broadcast will begin at 8:30 A.M., featuring a showstopping performance by Jon Batiste. Throughout the streets of New York City and on-board Macy’s signature floating stages will be exhilarating performances from artists including Bell Biv DeVoe; Brandy; Chicago; En Vogue; ENHYPEN; David Foster and Katharine McPhee; Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors;Jessie James Decker; Ashley Park with the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street®; Pentatonix; Paul Russell; Amanda Shaw and Alex Smith; and Manuel Turizo. U.S. Olympic Silver Medalist Jordan Chiles (Gymnastics), U.S. Paralympian Ezra Frech (Track and Field), U.S. Paralympic Gold Medalist Jessica Long (Swimming) and Miss America 2023 Grace Stanke will also join the festivities. Additional stars to be announced.
Ballooning Icons
Taking flight on Thanksgiving will be the Parade’s signature character balloons. Since their introduction in 1927, these larger-than-life balloons showcase some of the world’s most beloved and iconic characters. This year, seven new featured balloons will debut, including Beagle Scout Snoopy by Peanuts Worldwide; Blue Cat & Chugs by Cool Cats, a digitally native character; Kung Fu Panda’s Po by Universal Pictures’ Dreamworks Animation; Leo by Netflix, Inc.; Monkey D. Luffy by Toei Animation Inc.; Pillsbury Doughboy™ by Pillsbury™; and Uncle Dan by Illumination.
Making a return appearance are featured character balloons including Bluey, joined for the first time by her favorite “Keepy Uppy” red balloon, by BBC Studios; Diary Of A Wimpy Kid® by Abrams Books; DINO and Baby DINO by HF Sinclair; Goku by Toei Animation Inc.; a Funko Pop!-inspired Grogu™ by Funko ; Chase from Paw Patrol® by Spin Master & Nickelodeon; Pikachu™ & Eevee™ by The Pokémon Company International; Red Titan from “Ryan’s World” by Sunlight Entertainment and pocket.watch; Ronald McDonald® by McDonald’s® USA; SpongeBob SquarePants & Gary by Nickelodeon; and Stuart The Minion by Illumination.
The inflatable lineup also includes HF Sinclair’s Baby DINOs, the Go Bowling™ balloonicles; Smokey Bear by the USDA Forest Service; A Merry Moment by Universal Orlando Resort featuring candy cane & poinsettia balloons, stilt walkers and dancing Christmas trees; and Macy’s very own special reindeer Tiptoe.
Floating Fantasy
The skilled artisans of Macy’s Studios work year-round to create the whimsical designs that will float down the streets of New York City on Parade morning. Conceived, designed, engineered and built at the Macy’s Parade Studio – a design and production facility that includes carpenters, engineers, electricians, painters, animators, balloon technicians, sculptors, metal fabricators, scenic and costume designers – these magical stages are created to transport Parade fans across the country to fantastical places.
This year four new floats will debut in the Macy’s Parade celebration. The floating stages, along with their scheduled performers, include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem by Nickelodeon & Paramount (Bell Biv DeVoe); Palace of Sweets by Brach’s® (Brandy); Igniting Memories by Solo Stove (Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors); and The Deliciously Delectable World of Wonkaby Warner Bros. Pictures.
Returning floats and respective scheduled performers include 1-2-3 Sesame Street® by Sesame Workshop™ (the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street® & Ashley Park); Big City Cheer! by Spirit Of America Productions (Miss America 2023 Grace Stanke); Big Turkey Spectacular by Jennie-O (Paul Russell); Birds Of A Feather Stream Together by Peacock® (with an appearance by U.S. Olympic Silver Medalist Jordan Chiles and U.S. Paralympic Gold Medalist Jessica Long); The Brick-Changer by The LEGO Group (Manuel Turizo); Camp Snoopy by Peanuts Worldwide; Celebration Gator by Louisiana Office of Tourism (Alex Smith & Amanda Shaw); Colossal Wave Of Wonder by Kalahari Resorts and Conventions (En Vogue); Deck The Halls by Balsam Hill® (Jessie James Decker); Elf Pets® by The Lumistella Company®; Fantasy Chocolate Factory by Kinder® (Pentatonix); Geoffrey’s Dazzling Dance Party by Toys“R”Us; Harvest In The Valley by Green Giant®; Heartwarming Holiday Countdown by Hallmark Channel (David Foster & Katharine McPhee); Magic Meets The Sea by Disney Cruise Line(Captain Minnie Mouse, Captain Mickey Mouse and Friends); Pinkfong Baby Shark by The Pinkfong Company & Nickelodeon (ENHYPEN); People Of First Light ; Santa’s Sleigh (Santa Claus); Tom Turkey; Winter Wonderland in Central Park; and The Wondership by Wonder (Chicago).
Specialty units for the 2023 Macy’s Parade include Big Red Shoe Car ® by McDonald’s® and the Good Burgermobile by Nickelodeon & Paramount+.
Completing the float lineup will be a special appearance by the Macy’s Singing Christmas Tree, featuring a holiday choir comprised of Macy’s colleagues with Bigs and Littles from Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS). The creation of this special ensemble furthers Macy’s commitment to youth empowerment through its social purpose platform, Mission Every One, celebrating the power of mentorship and a multiyear partnership between Macy’s and BBBS.
Strike Up the Band
The Macy’s Parade holds a cherished and longstanding tradition of showcasing the nation’s finest marching bands. This November gifted musicians joining the line of march include Alabama A&M University Marching Maroon and White (Huntsville, AL); The Band Directors Marching Band™ (United States); Fishers High School Marching Tiger Band (Fishers, IN); Greendale High School Marching Band (Greendale, WI); Jenison High School Marching Band (Jenison, MI); Macy’s Great American Marching Band (United States); Mercer Island High School Marching Band (Mercer Island, WA); NYPD Marching Band (New York, NY); O’Fallon Township High School Marching Panthers (O’Fallon, IL); Rutgers University Marching Scarlet Knights (Piscataway, NJ); Marjory Stoneman Douglas Eagle Regiment High School Marching Band (Parkland, FL); andTexas Tech University Goin’ Band from Raiderland (Lubbock, TX).
Performance Spotlight
Completing the entertainment lineup are dynamic performance groups, charged with entertaining the crowds along the streets of Manhattan and delivering a show-stopping performance on 34th Street. These groups include the Big Apple Circus;Cornell Bhangra from Ithaca, NY; Tiptoe’s Winter Guard, accompanying Tiptoe; the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters; Maria Verdeja School of Arts (MVSA) dancers from Miami; St. John’s Dance; and the Tap Dancing Christmas Trees from California.
Rounding out the performance lineup are the young dancers and cheerleaders of Spirit of America Dance and Spirit of America Cheer. These two groups together include more than 1,200 of the best dancers and cheerleader performers.
See the Magic Live
The 97th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will step off from its traditional starting line at 77th Street and Central Park West at 8:30 A.M. The procession will march down its signature 2.5-mile route taking it from Central Park West to Columbus Circle, turning onto Central Park South and then marching down 6th Avenue/Avenue of the Americas. At 34th Street, the Parade will make its final turn west and end at 7th Avenue in front of Macy’s iconic Herald Square flagship.
Public viewing will be set up along designated portions of the route and managed by the NYPD. Spectators should avoid bringing large bags, umbrellas, backpacks, and strollers. The public entering viewing streets may be subject to a security search. For additional viewing information, please visit macys.com/parade.
A National Celebration
Last year’s “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade” was the most-watched entertainment program of the 2022-23 season as it brings the nation together like no other broadcast. Parade fans nationwide can watch the official telecast on NBC and simulcast on Peacock, from 8:30 A.M. to 12:00 P.M., in all time zones. The network will air an encore telecast at 2:00 P.M. ET/PT. New for 2023 will be several additional cameras along the route, giving viewers new Parade vantage points never seen before. “TODAY’s” Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker will join as hosts of the Emmy®-Award winning celebration. The Spanish language simulcast on Telemundo will be hosted by the network’s daytime personalities, Carlos Adyan and Andrea Meza.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcast is produced by the Emmy Award-winning Brad Lachman Productions. Brad Lachman and Bill Bracken serve as executive producers and Joe DeMaio directs.
To create a more inclusive experience for blind and visually impaired viewers, NBCUniversal is proud to present the full NBC broadcast with live audio description on the Secondary Audio Program channel (SAP), provided by Descriptive Video Works. The broadcast will be available with additional audio narration describing the rich visuals of the Parade.
Every year, Broadway is put on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade stage for fans around the country to experience. The official national broadcast audience will enjoy performances from the best of Broadway, including “& Juliet,” “Back to the Future: The Musical,” “How To Dance In Ohio,” “Shucked,” “Spamalot,» as well as the iconic Radio City Rockettes®. Stars of Broadway’s “Gutenberg! The Musical!,” Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells will also appear, acting as special live correspondents along the Parade route.
Must-Have Merch
Macy’s Parade fans from coast to coast will have an opportunity to shop exclusive 2023 Parade products, including the iconic annual snow globe, branded ornaments, pajama sets, tote bags, a teddy bear, drinkware, key chains and iconic pins. Additionally, collectible character products, including plush, books, blankets, mugs and toys from Cool Cats, Paw Patrol, Snoopy/Peanuts Worldwide, Pokémon, Grogu, Goku, Bluey and Macy’s very own special reindeer, Tiptoe, will be available at macys.com and select flagship stores.
Metaverse Experience & #MacysParade
Journey to the ballooniverse! This year, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade returns to the metaverse with a special virtual game experience that will take the spectacle to new heights in the digital sphere. Launching Thanksgiving week, the Parade’s virtual experience powered by oncyber, will be accessible from any browser and device at macys.com/mstylelab, and will feature a new interactive game, amidst a high-flying balloon procession surrounding the iconic Macy’s Herald Square flagship store.
As the soaring giants fly down the route, featuring a lineup of balloons showcased across the Parade’s more than 90-year history, players will explore the virtual landscape collecting Macy’s Parade stars and learning about the iconic history of the holiday celebration. The experience will also highlight the Cool Cats NFT project and community who won last year’s public vote to transform an NFT character into the first-ever NFT-inspired Parade balloon in this year’s live spectacle. As an extra special treat, upon completion of the game, fans will be able to collect a Macy’s Parade x Cool Cats digital trophy. More details and surprises to come as Thanksgiving Day approaches!
For an insider’s look at the holiday procession, visit macys.com/parade for regular updates, including behind-the-scenes content, educational activities, and more. Fans can also follow @macys on various social media networks and join the conversation using #MacysParade.
Ram is the official truck of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Remo is the official drumhead provider of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
All information included in this release is subject to change.
PLEASE NOTE: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade media materials including images, video and archival content are available at macyseventmedia.com.
