Macy’s is known for being behind two of the most iconic holiday shows in the United States annually: The first is the Fourth of July fireworks show, and the second is the Thanksgiving Day parade, which is finally here.
This year is actually the 99th iteration of the parade, which was held in 1924. (If you’re wondering why the years are skewed, it’s because the parade was suspended in 1942, 1943, and 1944 during World War II because rubber and helium were needed for the war effort.) The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade show is free and open to the public for anyone to attend. But if you can’t make it to New York City, you can easily watch them on TV or online.
How to watch
The parade airs on NBC and streams on Peacock. A Peacock subscription is available through two main plans: Premium ($10.99 per month or $109.99 per year) and Premium Plus ($16.99 per month or $169.99 per year). Both plans include movies, TV shows, sports, and live sporting events, while Premium Plus offers an ad-free experience (with a few exceptions) as well as the ability to download content with access to a live local NBC channel. This last one is imperative if you want to watch the Thanksgiving Day parade via Peacock. You can sign up for a subscription directly through the Peacock website, app, or through third-party platforms like Roku, Apple TV, or Amazon Prime.
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An encore presentation usually runs later in the day at 2 p.m. local time after the National Dog Show, which traditionally airs right after the Thanksgiving Day Parade from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
When to watch
Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie, and Hoda Kotb in front of the Macy’s flagship in New York’s Herald Square in 2024. NBC – Getty Images
The parade starts at 8:30 a.m. eastern on Thursday, November 27. TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and Al Roker are doing the hosting duties again, and the show will run through noon, live on NBC. You can look up your local NBC affiliate for channel details.
What to expect
Erivo attends the Wicked: For Good New York premiere. Dia Dipasupil – Getty Images
It’s going to be hard for everyone else in the parade to follow up this act. Cynthia Erivo, fresh off the Wicked: For Good press tour, is set to kick off the broadcast with what NBC promises will be a “a show-stopping opening number.”
The lineup will also feature performances from EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and REI AMI, the singing voices behind the fictional K-Pop group HUNTR/X in Netflix’s biggest hit of the year, K-Pop Demon Hunters, along with music from the Broadway productions Buena Vista Social Club, Just in Time, and Ragtime. Additional musical and dance acts include Ciara, Gavin DeGraw, the Radio City Rockettes, and many others.
Looking forward to the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will be hosted on NBC, the program will also feature appearances by two-time World Champion figure skater Ilia Malinin and Jack Wallace, a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. para ice hockey team at the 2018 and 2022 Winter Paralympics.
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