Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and that means it’s time for one of the largest celebrated parades in the US to kick off: the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Personally, this is my favorite part of Thanksgiving Day; I always look forward to seeing the floats, balloons and performances each year.
This year’s broadcast includes a few small tweaks to the Thanksgiving Day typical agenda; expect an earlier start time (see below), and some additional camera angles. Otherwise, the parade will function the same way it has for years. It will feature classic parade staples, like live performances from popular artists, floats, marching bands and Broadway performances.
If you’re a fan like me, or if you’re just looking to kill time while cooking Thanksgiving dinner, you’re in luck, as it will be pretty easy to stream the parade. Regardless of whether you plan to watch the festivities live in New York City or from the comfort (and warmth) of your own home, here’s everything you’ll need to know.
What time does the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade start?
The 97th Macy’s parade will take place on Nov. 24th, from 8:30 a.m. ET (5:30 a.m. PT) until 12:00 p.m. ET. If you’re not into an early wake-up on Thanksgiving Day, NBC will air an encore of the parade at 2 p.m. ET (11 am PT).
How to stream the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
The parade will air on NBC and will be simulcast on Peacock and as a Spanish-language broadcast on Telemundo.
To catch the Parade on Peacock, you’ll need to have the Peacock Premium Subscription. Peacock Premium will run you $6 a month, and Peacock Premium Plus (the ad-free tier) is about $12 a month. Usually, Peacock will have a Black Friday special to discount prices. It hasn’t been announced yet, but we’ll update this story once the deal is live.
If you’ve ditched cable, you can still catch this year’s parade. Subscribers to live TV streaming services like Youtube TV, Hulu Plus Live TV, Fubo TV, Sling Blue or DirectTV Stream (or any other live TV streaming service that gets NBC) will be able to watch the parade live on NBC with their subscription.
Who’s performing at the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
Just like last year, the parade will be hosted by TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker. Performers will include Jon Batiste, Brandy, Chicago; En Vogue, Ashley Park with the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street, Pentatonix and many others.
Fans of Broadway will be treated to performances by the cast of & Juliet, Back to The Future: The Musical, How to Dance in Ohio, Shucked, Spamalot and, as per usual, the Radio City Rockettes.
Alongside all of the performances and floats, fan-favorite balloons like Bluey, Grogu and Pikachu will be returning to the parade this year, with new additions like Beagle Scout Snoopy and Kung Fu Panda’s Po joining the line-up.
For more, here’s how to prepare for your Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping this year.
