There’s a new way to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year. Along with the NBC broadcast, audiences can now watch the highly-anticipated parade on a live stream through Peacock, NBC’s streaming service. The celebration will be available to stream at 9 AM across all time zones on Thursday, November 25 and will also feature Peacock’s first parade float. Riding the parade float will be the stars of Peacock’s original comedy series Girls5eva, Sara Bareilles, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Paula Pell, and Busy Philipps, who will perform the song "Famous 5eva."
Beloved characters like Pikachu, Snoopy, and Sonic the Hedgehog will return to rise above New York’s Sixth Avenue this year. Joining them in his first year as a parade balloon is Baby Yoda with a design based on his vinyl Funko Pop iteration. The annual balloon inflation will be held on Wednesday, November 24. Those in attendance will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.
As usual, the parade will also feature a variety of performers on the bigger-than-life floats. The talented performers include South Korean girl group Aespa, classic rock band Foreigner, Broadway legend Kristen Chenoweth, all three hosts of children’s show Blue’s Clues Josh Dela Cruz, Steve Burns and Donovan Patton, among many others.
This upcoming Thanksgiving will mark the 95th year of the parade, which began in 1924 and has been televised nationally on NBC since 1953. Last year, the parade was downsized considerably due to the COVID-19 pandemic, featuring 88% fewer participants, and was closed to the public. This year, the event is open once again to public audiences and will kick off in Central Park West before embarking on a six-mile march to the Macy’s Herald Square flagship store.
Following the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Peacock, as usual, is The National Dog Show as well as The National Dog Show Junior, which will feature adorable pups as they compete for Best in Show. Peacock will also stream live NFL coverage of the Buffalo Bills versus New Orleans Saints game during Sunday Night Football. Fans can get a sneak peek at the list of performers and floats featured in the parade at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade website.