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Consider your coffee stirred by a drumline: the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade rolls out Thursday, November 27 at 8:30am and the talent list is stacked like a float full of stuffed animals. Big pop names, Broadway casts, a YouTube hot-sauce interrogator, Olympic-level skaters and the Rockettes will all clock in before you’ve carved the first crescent of pie.
Headliners this year include Ciara, Foreigner, Lil Jon, Kool & the Gang, Busta Rhymes, Shaggy, Mickey Guyton and Teyana Taylor, plus Matteo Bocelli, Colbie Caillat, Gavin DeGraw, Christopher Jackson, Lauren Spencer Smith, Calum Scott, Jewel, Debbie Gibson, Meg Donnelly and Taylor Momsen. From the dance world, look for New York City Ballet principal Tiler Peck and ABT star Roman Mejia. Sean Evans of Hot Ones appears as a special correspondent, which feels like excellent foreshadowing for your afternoon wings.
Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters makes a takeover bid, with the singing voices of HUNTR/X—EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI—performing in Herald Square and the film’s cutie mascots, Derpy Tiger and Sussie, joining the lineup as a mid-sized balloon and a balloonicle. It’s a neat pop crossover flex for a movie whose soundtrack topped the Billboard 200.
Broadway is also bringing three productions to the street-stage: Buena Vista Social Club, Just in Time and Ragtime, while the Radio City Rockettes mark their centennial with that precision kickline you can spot from space.
“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,” said Macy’s executive producer Will Coss said in an official 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.”
Balloons this year include four new scene-stealers: Buzz Lightyear, PAC-MAN, Mario and Shrek’s Onion Carriage. Vintage stars float back in, too, with Rainbow and Greybow Trouts, Happy Hippo Triple Stack, Wigglefoot and Freida the Dachshund. New floats roll out from Holland America Line, LEGO, Lindt, Netflix’s Stranger Things, Pop Mart and Serta. Kool & the Gang will bring a burst of nostalgia with “Celebration” atop the Bronx Zoo’s Wondrous World of Wildlife float. “'Celebration' is the perfect soundtrack to the Bronx Zoo’s holiday programming and is a great way to kick off the season at one of New York’s most celebrated parks,” Robert “Kool” Bell said.
Marching bands arrive from across the U.S. (and Panama), TODAY’s Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker steer the broadcast and Santa seals the finale. Lace up, pour another mug and hum along—the holiday season is officially on.