Megan Hilty, Leslie Odom Jr. & More Will Make Appearances at the 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

On Thursday, Nov. 26, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will deliver holiday magic – celebrating entertainment, artistry and imagination – with its landmark 100th march. The most-watched entertainment program of the year across broadcast television will kick off the holiday season at 8:30 a.m. in all time zones across NBC and Peacock. It will also air live on Telemundo.

For its 100th celebration, the Parade will once again bring millions together nationwide and feature an all-star lineup of music’s biggest names, alongside iconic character balloons, imaginative floats and a special appearance by the one-and-only Santa Claus.

‘TODAY’s’ Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker will return as hosts of the broadcast, which will have an encore on NBC at 2 p.m. ET/PT.

‘Few holiday traditions capture the excitement of Thanksgiving morning quite like Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,’ said Jen Neal, Executive Vice President, Live Events & Specials, NBC & Peacock. ‘As NBC celebrates its centennial anniversary and the parade hits its historic 100th march, we’re proud to build on our partnership with Macy’s and carry this extraordinary legacy forward, bringing the iconic performances, grandeur and magic of this beloved event to millions of homes across the country.’

‘Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade brings the extraordinary together: iconic entertainers and emerging talent, artistry and imagination, hometown pride, cherished traditions and the thrill of discovering something new,’ said Sharon Otterman, Macy’s chief marketing officer. ‘For our 100th Parade, we’re creating a celebration of unprecedented scale and will deliver an unforgettable Thanksgiving for millions across the country.’

Founded by Macy’s colleagues, their friends and families, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has grown from its 1924 debut into a beloved national tradition. With the exception of a three-year break during World War II, the Parade has delivered a century of unforgettable moments. This year, more than 11,000 volunteers and participants will bring the spectacle to life before the Parade reaches its climactic finale: the arrival of Santa Claus and the official start of the holiday season.

A Stage for Entertainment and Discovery

Macy’s will set the stage for an unforgettable kick-off to the holiday season, transforming the Parade route and 34th Street into the nation’s biggest stage for holiday magic, with multi-platinum country-sensation Megan Moroney and Grammy Award-nominated artist Teddy Swims set to deliver showstopping performances from Macy’s iconic Herald Square flagship.

Float performances will include Baha Men, Natasha Bedingfield, Blues Traveler, DEVO, Feid, Mckenna Grace, Icona Pop, Il Volo, Indigo Girls, Jimmy Fallon & The Roots, JoJo, Wyclef Jean, Queen Latifah, Natalie Merchant, Jamie Miller, Ryan Peter Murphy, Leslie Odom Jr., Keke Palmer, Anthony Ramos, RIIZE and Smash Mouth; with special appearances by Melissa Joan Hart, Jack McBrayer, Janet McTeer, Holly Robinson Peete and Rodney Peete; a tribute to Dolly Parton led by Megan Hilty; and a featured performance by EJAE. Additional talent, including Broadway performances, will be announced in the coming weeks.

Created by Macy’s

Inside Macy’s Studios, more than 50 artisans turn bold ideas into the larger-than-life stories that define the holiday. Designed, produced and hand-built by Macy’s colleagues, each creation combines time-honored craftsmanship with fearless imagination and an unmistakable signature style. Each float and balloon reflects the people and creativity that have made the Parade a beloved tradition for millions. The Parade’s craftsmanship, creativity and innovation, reflects Macy’s in this next chapter.

New floats in the 2026 Parade lineup include Dashing All the Way with DoorDash; Hogwarts Holiday with HBO; Mr. Peanut Power Plant with Planters; Purina Dog Chow Salute to Service Dogs with Purina Dog Chow; Road Trip to Parade with GEICO; and Macy’s Tony Sarg’s Amazing Marionettes.

Highlighting more than a century of history, the new Macy’s All Stars float will feature iconic characters from past Parades, including Angry Birds’ Red, Arthur, Bugs Bunny, Bullwinkle J. Moose, Curious George, Adventure Time’s Finn & Jake, Jimmy Neutron, Popeye & Olive Oyl & Swee’Pea, Pink Panther, Poppy from Trolls, Scooby-Doo, Sonic the Hedgehog, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Wild Thing.

Macy’s will fill the skyline by bringing together a record-breaking 100 inflatable elements including larger-than-life classics and bold new characters, in a celebration of Parade imagination and discovery.

New balloons and inflatable elements include Bluey by BBC; Buckaroo Bob the Minion by Illumination; Earl the Squirrel by Universal Orlando Resort; Hello Kitty Big Apple by Sanrio; Joe Cool & Woodstock by Peanuts Worldwide; Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey by Disney; Underdog by DreamWorks Animation; and a new balloonicle, Fuzzyeti’s Fur Wheel Drive by Levi’s. Also, joining this year’s centennial balloon lineup is Billie Brightpaw, a cheerful and curious bear created by Macy’s Studios, who will take the skies this Thanksgiving in search of adventure as she soars above the streets of Manhattan.

Out of the archives and into the New York City skyline, a selection of Macy’s Blue Sky Gallery balloons return to showcase imaginative designs from world-renowned artists and creatives, including Tim Burton, Keith Haring, Jeff Koons and Yayoi Kusama. Designed in collaboration with Macy’s Studios, acclaimed artists and artist estates, these vibrant, larger-than-life balloon masterpieces highlight the intersection of art, culture, and innovation, transforming the Parade route into a soaring gallery of art and imagination. Sharing the sky with new and classic Parade characters, they show how the Parade mixes high art, popular culture and childhood wonder.

An Inside Look with Special Programming

A new documentary, ‘America’s Parade: 100 Years of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,’ is set to air Nov. 20 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and begin streaming next day on Peacock. The film will pull back the curtain on Macy’s landmark 100th Parade, celebrating the people, artistry and imagination behind the tradition. It will blend archival moments with an inside look at preparations for the milestone march and an exploration of how Macy’s brings generations together each Thanksgiving morning. Rare footage from the earliest days of the Parade will be unveiled, as well as an exclusive behind-the-scenes look inside Macy’s Studios where every balloon and float is crafted by hand. The documentary will also share the incredible origin story of the giant balloons and rare footage from the earliest days of the parade and those balloons in flight. The hour-long program includes interviews with Parade co-anchors Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker, previous performers Billy Porter and Andrew Rannells, artisans from Macy’s Studios, and Parade superfans. The documentary also features a look at the star-studded musical performers and Broadway stars who helped make the Parade memorable for generations of viewers. ‘America’s Parade: 100 Years of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade’ is directed by Alex Browne and produced by Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning RadicalMedia. Jon Kamen, Dave Sirulnick, Karla Zambrano and Alex Browne serve as executive producers.

NBC’s annual ‘Countdown to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade’ special will return for the fifth year and air on Nov. 25 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and simulcast on Peacock.

Hometown Pride on a National Stage

Each Thanksgiving, Macy’s brings hometown pride to one of the nation’s largest stages, giving extraordinary musicians and performers from across the country the opportunity to represent their communities before millions. From Hawaii to Connecticut, and with students representing all 50 states, the Parade showcases hometown America on a national stage.

This year’s marching bands will showcase the pride and spirit of their hometowns, including Concord Community High School’s The Marching Minutemen (Elkhart, Indiana); Dobyns-Bennett High School Band (Kingsport, Tennessee); James F. Byrnes High School Band (Duncan, South Carolina); Nā Koa Aliʻi Aloha All-State Marching Band (Hawaii); Pearland High School’s Pride of Pearland Band (Pearland, Texas); University of Alabama’s Million Dollar Band (Tuscaloosa, Alabama); University of Connecticut’s Pride of Connecticut Band (Storrs, Connecticut); University of Illinois Marching Illini (Champaign, Illinois); Macy’s Great American Marching Band (representing students from all 50 states); and NYPD Marching Band (New York, NY).

Completing the talented lineup are captivating performance groups from across the country, including Maria Verdeja School of the Arts, The Divine Nine Unity Step Team, Native Pride Productions, Spirit of America Cheer and Spirit of America Dance, who will ignite the route with energy and artistry.

Watch the Parade Come to Life

Whether lining the streets of Manhattan or gathering at home, audiences nationwide will have a front-row seat to history as the 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade comes to life. The 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade begins at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 26, traveling 2.5 miles from Manhattan’s Upper West Side to Macy’s Herald Square. Public viewing will be available at designated locations along the route.

Audiences nationwide can watch Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade only on the official telecast on NBC and Peacock, starting at 8:30 a.m. in all time zones. An encore telecast will air at 2 p.m. ET/PT. ‘TODAY’s’ Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and Al Roker will return as hosts of the Emmy-winning broadcast. A Spanish-language simulcast on Telemundo will be hosted by the network’s Andrea Meza, Aleyda Ortiz and Clovis Nienow.

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. For more information on public viewing, visit here.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcast is produced by Universal Television in conjunction with Done + Dusted Inc. Katy Mullan and Liz Kelly serve as executive producers, with RJ Durrell, Nick Flores, and Patrick Menton serving as co-executive producers.