See ‘Stranger Things,’ Labubu Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade floats
Take a look at seven new floats and five new balloons joining this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, one of the largest in the world, is all set to kick off the 2025 holiday season as it returns to the streets of Manhattan on Thursday, Nov. 27.
Thirty-two balloons, three balloonicles, 27 floats, four specialty units, 33 clown groups, 11 marching bands, performance groups and musical stars will parade down the streets of New York City to welcome “Santa Claus and the holiday season,” according to Macy’s.
Macy’s organizers keep the nearly century-old tradition fresh by adding new features each parade, usually based on recent pop culture moments and fan-favorite properties. Seven new floats, including a Labubu-themed one, will make their debut in 2025, along with five new balloon characters.
“Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is the official kickoff to the holiday season and has been part of the nation’s stories and traditions for generations,” executive producer Will Coss said in a statement. “On Thanksgiving morning, larger-than-life character balloons, awe-inspiring floats and showstopping performances will create unforgettable moments and lasting holiday memories for millions of spectators in New York City and across the country.”
Here’s what you need to know about this year’s parade, including what time it starts, where to watch and which balloons to look for.
What time is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
The parade begins at 8:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, Nov. 27.
How long is the parade?
The parade will run 3½ hours, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, a parade spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade begins on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and ends at Macy’s flagship store at Herald Square.
How to watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade
The event will be telecast on NBC starting at 8:30 a.m. in all time zones. It will also stream on Peacock, and Fubo subscribers will also be able to watch. An encore on NBC will follow at 2 p.m. ET/PT.
Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker of NBC’s “Today” show will return as telecast hosts, NBC said. Despite bidding farewell to “Today” in early January, Kotb is coming back for one day to host the parade.
Three different camera angles will be presented in Multiview on Peacock, allowing viewers to immerse themselves in all the day’s festivities:
Traditional Programming (primary view): The Parade, as fans know and love it, will feature commentary from NBC hosts, live performances, and more.
Float View: Ride aboard the classic Tom the Turkey float through the streets of Manhattan and truly feel like a part of the Parade.
High-Rise View: Get a bird’s eye view of all the excitement from high above the parade route.
To create a more inclusive experience for blind and visually impaired viewers, Macy’s said, the full NBC broadcast will be presented with live audio description on the Secondary Audio Program channel (SAP), provided by Descriptive Video Works.
New 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade balloons
This year’s parade will introduce four new featured balloons:
- Buzz Lightyear by Pixar Animation Studios
- PAC-MAN by Bandai Namco Entertainment America, Inc.
- Shrek’s Onion Carriage from Universal Pictures’ DreamWorks Animation
- Mario by Nintendo
New floats at the 2025 Thanksgiving Day Parade
Seven new floats are slated to appear in the parade this year:
- The Counting Sheep’s Dream Generator by Serta: A dreamy float is decorated with stars, moons, cloud fluff and some of the iconic sheep flock featured in Serta mattress commercials.
- Friends-giving in POPCITY by Pop Mart float, aka the Labubu float: The Labubu-themed float will feature other Pop Mart characters, including Skullpanda, Peach, Riot, Dimoo, Molly, Duckoo and Mokoko.
- Upside Down Invasion: Stranger Things by Netflix: A float set in the Hawkins National Laboratory and featuring an eight and a half foot tall Demogorgon puppet.
- LEGO’s Brick-tastic Winter Mountain: A wintery scene on Yeti Mountain where every component corresponds to an existing LEGO brick, piece and character.
- The Land of Glaciers, Wildlife & Wonder by Holland America Line: An icy scene meant to capture “the grandeur of Alaska” with images of glaciers, wildlife and Denali National Park.
- Master Chocolatier Ballroom by Lindt: An extravagant red and gold ballroom complete with all the chocolate trimmings.
- The Littlest Float from Goldfish: The tiniest float, standing at just under 8 inches tall and adorned with to-scale Goldfish crackers.
Who will perform at the 2025 Thanksgiving Day Parade?
Tony Award-winning “Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo will open this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, USA TODAY exclusively revealed earlier. Erivo will deliver an opening number to kick off the festivities one week after the release of the highly anticipated musical sequel “Wicked: For Good.”
Country artist Lainey Wilson, meanwhile, will perform in front of the Macy’s in Midtown Manhattan, as per NBC.
Here’s the full list of stars expected to perform this year:
- Drew Baldridge
- Matteo Bocelli
- Colbie Caillat
- Ciara
- Gavin DeGraw
- Meg Donnelly
- Mr. Fantasy
- Foreigner
- Debbie Gibson
- Mickey Guyton
- Christopher Jackson
- Jewel
- Lil Jon
- Kool & the Gang
- Darlene Love
- Roman Mejia
- Taylor Momsen
- Tiler Peck
- Busta Rhymes
- Calum Scott
- Shaggy
- Lauren Spencer Smith
- Luísa Sonza
- Teyana Taylor
Contributing: Mary Walrath-Holdridge / USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
