The SpongeBob SquarePants balloon is one of the oldest in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade lineup, and the cartoon character made his parade debut in 2004.
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The 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be a special one. Last year, the event celebrated its 100th anniversary, and this year, there will once again be professional and amateur performers, as well as eye-popping balloons, to entertain everyone. The parade began in 1924 as a celebration of Macy’s new space in New York City, dubbed the “world’s largest store.” The first big balloon came in 1927, with a helium-filled Felix the Cat, and once the parade began national TV broadcasts in 1948, it became an institution. Find out how to watch this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and see the 2025 performer lineup.
What Time Is The 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcast will begin at 8:30 a.m.
Who Will Host The 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
As usual at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Today’s Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker will be joined by former Today host Hoda Kotb, who remains very popular with the morning show’s audience after exiting early this year.
How To Watch The 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
NBC has long held rights to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. That means you can watch on your local NBC channel, but you can also tune in via Peacock, the NBC-owned streaming service. In addition to watching the regular livestream featuring hosts of NBC’s Today show, Peacock also offers a “Multiview” stream to see different camera angles.
You can also watch the parade on NBC if you subscribe to Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, Sling or another streaming service that delivers local channels.
Have a turkey trot scheduled for Thanksgiving morning and can’t tune in live? No problem—NBC will also air a rebroadcast of the parade at 2 p.m., though that means you’ll miss the afternoon football game.
“Wicked: For Good” star Cynthia Erivo will open the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
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Who Will Perform In The 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
Two of the biggest Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade headliners come from 2025’s blockbuster movies. Cynthia Erivo, currently starring in the massively successful Wicked: For Good, will perform live to open the broadcast.
The parade will also feature a performance by the group that voiced HUNTR/X in the smash Netflix cartoon KPop Demon Hunters.
Additionally, the parade will include all the usual showstoppers from some of the hottest shows on Broadway. The casts of Buena Vista Social Club, Just in Time and Ragtime.
Other Actors And Artists In the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2025
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade always draws a big group of celebrities past and present. A few blasts from the past include pop stars who became popular more than two decades ago, including Gavin DeGraw, Jewel, Shaggy and Debbie Gibson. Busta Rhymes, Ciara, Kool & the Gang and Lil Jon are also slated to appear.
Brazilian singer Luísa Sonza, Broadway crooner Christopher Jackson, Zombies 4 actress Meg Donnelly and Matteo Bocelli, son of Andrea Bocelli, will also appear at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonifitzgerald/2025/11/26/how-to-watch-the-2025-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade/
