On Thursday, November 24, beginning at 8:45 am, the 96th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will kick off live in NYC and on NBC TV, and will stream on Peacock from 9 am-noon in all time zones, to mark the traditional start of the holiday season with the sound of “5, 4, 3, 2, 1 . . . Let’s Have A Parade!” Established in 1924, the event, which has only been cancelled three times in its nearly ten-decade history (from 1942-44, during WWII), draws approximately three-and-a-half million spectators to the parade route in Manhattan and another 50+ million viewers nationwide.
The procession runs a length of two-and-a-half miles, from 77th Street and Central Park West to Columbus Circle, then south down 6th Avenue to Herald Square, culminating in front of Macy’s flagship store at 34th Street and 7th Avenue. If you plan to go in person, please be advised that viewing is limited on 6th Avenue between West 34th-38th Streets and on West 34th Street between 6th-7th Avenues, in the television broadcast area.
Along with more than 5000 volunteers, sixteen giant character helium balloons, another 40 novelty and heritage inflatables, 28 floats, twelve marching bands, more than 700 clowns, and Santa Claus, who closes the Thanksgiving Parade and launches the Christmas season, are ten performance groups – Ballet Hispánico, Big Apple Circus, Boss Kids, Fusion Winter Guard, Kilgore Rangerettes, Phantom Limb, The Sigma Gamma Rho Centennial Steppers, St. John’s Dance Team, and Spirit of America Cheer and Spirit of America Dance Stars – that will entertain the crowds along the way.
Featured among the 2022 line-up of luminaries on the Macy’s 34th Street stage and for the national broadcast audience is a roster of stars from Broadway’s A Beautiful Noise, Some Like It Hot, Disney’s The Lion King, and Lea Michele and the cast of Funny Girl, along with the iconic Radio City Rockettes presenting a signature synchronized dance number from their annual Christmas Spectacular. Other special celebrity guests appearing and performing in this year’s parade include Paula Abdul; Big Time Rush; Blanco Brown; Cam; Jordan Davis; Blue’s Clues & You! host Josh Dela Cruz; Gloria, Sasha, and Emily Estefan; Jimmy Fallon & The Roots; Fitz and the Tantrums; Kirk Franklin; Mario Lopez and family; Ziggy Marley; Miss America 2022 Emma Broyles; the cast of Muppets of Sesame Street; Sean Paul; the cast of Peacock’s Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin (Adam Devine, Sarah Hyland and Flula Borg); Joss Stone; Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue; Jordin Sparks; Dionne Warwick; and Betty Who.
Serving as hosts are NBC’s TODAY Show anchors Hoda Kotb (for the 5th time), Savannah Guthrie (in her 11th year), and Al Roker (now marking his 28th year). And if you missed it live, or want to watch all the excitement again, it will be re-broadcast from 2-5 pm, in all time zones, on NBC, which has been the Parade’s official national broadcast partner for 70 years, since 1952.
