It’s almost turkey time, which can mean only one thing — football, food, family and feasting your eyes on one of the year’s biggest spectaculars. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual tradition for families all over the country, and you won’t want to miss a second of the action from NYC. Here’s how to watch the 99th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade online from anywhere with a VPN.
The 99th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will air Thanksgiving Day — Thursday, November 27 — at 8.30 am ET/PT.
• U.S. — Watch on NBC via Sling / Peacock
• Watch anywhere — try NordVPN 100% risk free
And 2025 is set to be no different with new balloons featuring the likes of Buzz Lightyear, PAC-MAN, Shrek and Mario. There will also be smaller balloons from smash-hit “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” sending Derpy Tiger and Sussie floating through Manhattan.
As for new floats, look out for The Land of Ice & Wonder, Lindt’s Master Chocolatier Ballroom, The Counting Sheep’s Dream Generator and Friends-giving in POPCITY alongside Brick-tastic Winter Mountain from LEGO. There’s also set to be a special “Stranger Things” float dubbed Upside Down Invasion.
As always, there’ll be plenty of performances throughout, with the Radio City Rockettes kicking things off alongside an assortment of Broadway stars and Cynthia Erivo set to get the parade underway with a special performance. Lainey Wilson will take to the stage in front of Macy’s, delivering a medley of hits.
During the parade, you’ll be able to catch music and dance numbers from Colbie Caillat, Ciara, Gavin DeGraw, Foreigner, Debbie Gibson, Jewel, Lil Jon, Kool & the Gang, Darlene Love, Taylor Momsen, Tiler Peck, Busta Rhymes, Calum Scott, Shaggy, Lauren Spencer Smith, Luísa Sonza and Teyana Taylor and more.
It’s set to be another jam-packed morning of entertainment, so whether you’re up early prepping the Thanksgiving table or enjoying a slow morning in your pyjamas, make sure you know how to watch the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade from anywhere in the world. We've got all the information you'll need below.
How to watch the 99th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade online in the U.S.
As it has for over 70 years, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is airing on NBC. Thursday's action kicks off at 8.30 am ET/PT on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, November 27). NBC will air a replay at 2 p.m. ET/PT the same day. Replays and a live stream will also be available on-demand via the Peacock streaming service.
There are several ways you can access NBC, the most obvious one being to pull it down with one of the best TV antennas. Plus, it is common to most cable plans.
Alternatively, NBC is also in the channel line-ups of a good few of our picks for the best streaming services. That includes Sling TV, YouTube TV and Hulu with Live TV.
Overall, Sling TV is our favorite cable replacement of the lot from just $40/month. Its Blue plan includes local NBC channels in a number of territories (double check that yours is included before you buy). Hulu with Live TV from $89.99 after a 3-day free trial are great options, too.
How to watch Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2025 from anywhere
Just because Peacock isn't available everywhere doesn't mean you have to miss Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2025 if you're spending Thanksgiving in a country where the service isn't provided.
With the right VPN (virtual private network), you can stream the show from wherever you go. We've evaluated many options, and the best VPN is NordVPN– and you can find out why in our NordVPN review.
Can I watch Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in Canada, the U.K. and Australia?
With Thanksgiving being exclusively a U.S. holiday, there are no plans to air Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade outside of the States.
U.S. viewers spending Thanksgiving overseas can still tune in as they usually would by using a VPN, such as NordVPN.
All you need to know about the 99th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2025 sneak peek
You can take a sneak peek at what's in store for the 2025 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade courtesy of "The Today Show":
When is Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2025 airing?
The 99th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade airs on Thanksgiving Day – that's Thursday, November 27. Coverage starts at 8.30 a.m., with an encore presentation scheduled for 2 p.m.
What balloons are in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2025?
- Beagle Scout Snoopy (Peanuts Worldwide)
- Bluey (BBC Studios and Ludo Studio)
- Buzz Lightyear (Pixar Animation Studios) NEW for 2025
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Abrams Books)
- Gabby and Pandy Paws (Gabby's Dollhouse)
- Goku (Dragon Ball/Toei Animation)
- Mario (Nintendo) NEW for 2025
- Marshall from PAW Patrol (Spin Master and Nickelodeon)
- Minnie Mouse (The Walt Disney Company)
- Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece/Toei Animation)
- Noorah (The Lumistella Company)
- PAC-MAN (Bandai Namco Entertainment America, Inc.) NEW for 2025
- Pikachu & Eevee (The Pokemon Company International)
- Pillsbury Doughboy (Pillsbury)
- Shrek's Onion Carriage (Universal Pictures' DreamWorks Animation) NEW for 2025
- Spider-Man (Marvel)
- SpongeBob SquarePants & Gary (Nickelodeon)
- Stuart the Minion (Illumination)
- Derpy Tiger (Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation's KPop Demon Hunters) NEW for 2025
- DORA (Nickelodeon)
- Goldbear (HARIBO)
- Smokey Bear (U.S.D.A. Forest Service)
- Acorn (Macy's)
- Blue & White Macy's Stars (Macy's)
- Bluey's Keepy Uppy Balloon (BBC Studios and Ludo Studio)
- Gold Macy's Stars (Macy's)
- Green Macy's Stars (Macy's) NEW for 2025
- Ice Crystals (Macy's)
- Poinsettia Ornaments (Macy's)
- Pumpkins (Macy's)
- Rainbow and Greybow Trouts (Macy's) NEW for 2025
- Red "Believe" Stars (Macy's)
- Red & Green Candy Cane (Macy's)
- Red Macy's Star (Macy's) NEW for 2025
- Soccer Ball (Macy's)
- Yellow Macy's Stars (Macy's)
Which marching bands are in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2025?
- Alcorn State University "Sounds of Dyn-O-Mite"
- Banda de Música La Primavera
- Catawba Ridge High School Marching Band
- Damien Spartan Regiment
- L.D. Bell Blue Raider Band
- Macy's Great American Marching Band
- The Marching Pride of North Alabama
- Northern Arizona University Lumberjack Marching Band
- NYPD Marching Band
- The Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps
- The Temple University Diamond Band
Who is hosting Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2025?
The event is being hosted by "The Today Show" co-hosts Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie, and Al Roker.
Who are the guest stars of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2025?
- Busta Rhymes
- Calum Scott
- Captain Minnie Mouse, Captain Mickey Mouse and Friends
- Christopher Jackson and The Cast of "Sesame Street"
- Ciara
- Colbie Caillat and Gavin DeGraw
- Conan Gray
- Cynthia Erivo
- Darlene Love
- Debbie Gibson
- Drew Baldridge and Mickey Guyton
- EJAE, AUDREY NUNA and REI AMI as HUNTR/X
- Foreigner
- Ilia Malinin and Jack Wallace
- Jewel
- Kool & The Gang
- Lainey Wilson
- Lauren Spencer Smith
- Lil Jon
- Luisa Sonza
- Matteo Bocelli
- Meg Donnelly
- Mr. Fantasy
- Nikki DeLoach and Kristoffer Polaha
- Roman Mejia and Tiler Peck
- Russell Dickerson
- Santa Claus
- Sean Evans
- Shaggy
- Taylor Momsen
- Teyana Taylor
What floats are in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2025?
- 1-2-3 Sesame Street (Sesame Workshop)
- Big City Cheer! (Spirit of America Productions)
- Big Turkey Spectacular (Jennie-O)
- Birds of a Feather Stream Together (Peacock)
- Brick-tastic Winter Mountain (LEGO) NEW for 2025
- Camp Snoopy (Peanuts Worldwide)
- Candy Cosmos (HARIBO)
- Colossal Wave of Wonder (Kalahari Resorts and Conventions)
- The Counting Sheep's Dream Generator (Serta) NEW for 2025
- Deck the Halls (Balsam Hill)
- DORA's Fantastical Rainforest (Nickelodeon and Paramount)
- Fantasy Chocolate Factory (Kinder)
- Friends-giving in POPCITY (POPMART) NEW for 2025
- Geoffrey's Dazzling Dance Party (Toys"R"Us)
- Harvest in the Valley (Green Giant)
- Heartwarming Holiday Countdown (Hallmark Channel)
- Jolly Polly Pirate Ship (Macy's)
- The Land of Ice and Wonder (Holland America Line) NEW for 2025
- The Littlest Float (Goldfish) NEW for 2025
- Macy's Winter Wonderland in Central Park (Macy's)
- Magic Meets the Seas (Disney Cruise Line)
- Master Chocolatier Ballroom (Lindt) NEW for 2025
- Palace of Sweets (Brach's)
- PINelope (GoBowling!)
- Pasta Knight (Rao's Homemade)
- Santa's Sleigh (Macy's)
- Tom Turkey (Macy's)
- Upside Down Invasion: Stranger Things (Netflix) NEW for 2025
- Wondrous World of Wildlife (Bronx Zoo)
- World of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Nickelodeon and Paramount+)
Who are the pre-parade acts at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2025?
- The Radio City Rockettes
- Cast of "Buena Vista Social Club"
- Cast of "Just in Time"
- Cast of "Ragtime"
Is there a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2025 pre-show?
Countdown to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade", a one hour preview special, will air the night before Thanksgiving on Wednesday, November 26 at 8 p.m. on NBC and Peacock.
NBC tease: "Hosted by Melissa Peterman of Happy's Place, the special will be broadcast live from the famous starting line on the eve of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, giving viewers an exclusive first look at the stories behind the floats, balloons, and bands as they prepare to make their way through the streets of New York City. [The show] will feature interviews with Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade performers Colbie Caillat, Gavin DeGraw and Jewel. It will also offer a behind-the-scenes look at an exciting performance from EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami, the singing voices of HUNTR/X from Netflix’s "KPop Demon Hunters". And look out for segments on the Radio City Rockettes’ 100th anniversary, a cool LEGO float, and a California marching band making their debut in the parade."
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