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How to watch the 2024 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for free
Thanksgiving is a holiday for food, family and a monstrously sized Snoopy balloon parading its way towards Macy’s Herald Square. That’s right, it’s almost time for the 98th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! The 2024 Macy’s Parade kicks off at 8:30 a.m. ET this Thursday on NBC. This year's parade will feature 32 floats, 22 balloons and performances by Jennifer Hudson, Ariana Madix, Idina Menzel, Kylie Minogue, T-Pain, Charli D’Amelio and Broadway shows Death Becomes Her, Hell’s Kitchen and The Outsiders. Wicked Star Cynthia Erivo will also make an appearance in the parade this year — though whether we will get to hear her sing alongside her fellow Elphaba actress is yet to be revealed.
So before you sit down for your Turkey Day dinner with the family and get ready to do some Black Friday shopping, make sure you check out the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch the parade this year.
When is the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
As the name suggests, the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be held, well, on Thanksgiving Day. The parade will begin at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT on Thursday, Nov. 28.
How long is the Macy's Parade?
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will last roughly 3.5 hours, ending at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT before replaying on NBC in an encore at 2 p.m. ET.
What channel is the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on?
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade will air on NBC and stream on Peacock on Thanksgiving Day from 8:30 a.m. to noon in all time zones. An encore airing of the parade will also begin at 2 p.m. on NBC. If you have access to live TV, you may have NBC free over the air. If not, here’s what we recommend for how to watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade.
An ad-supported Peacock subscription lets you stream live sports and events airing on NBC, including Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the 2024 NFL season on NBC (including one Thanksgiving Day game).
Plus, you'll get access to thousands of hours of shows and movies, including beloved sitcoms such as Parks and Recreation and The Office, every Bravo show and Hallmark holiday movie, and even recent theatrical releases like Despicable Me 4 and Twisters.
Right now ahead of Black Friday, Peacock is offering new subscribers a whole year subscription for just $20, or a monthly subscription for $1.99/month for six months.
For $14/month ($140 annually) you can upgrade to an ad-free subscription which includes live access to your local NBC affiliate (not just during designated sports and events) and the ability to download select titles to watch offline.
Who is performing at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
Bishop Briggs, Kylie Cantrall, Chl?e, Dan + Shay, Dasha, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon host Jimmy Fallon and the show's house band, The Roots, Jennifer Hudson, Coco Jones, Walker Hayes, Ariana Madix, Joey McIntyre, Idina Menzel, Kylie Minogue, Natti Natasha, T-Pain, Rachel Platten, Lea Salonga, The Temptations, The War and Treaty, Alex Warren, and Sebastián Yatra. Dancers Charli D’Amelio, Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia will also perform.
Actress Alison Brie will cut the ribbon this year, Cynthia Erivo and Cole Escola will make appearances and members of the WNBA's New York Liberty (and Ellie the Elephant) will be in this year's parade.
The parade will feature Broadway performances from Death Becomes Her, Hell’s Kitchen and The Outsiders.
What floats are in the Macy’s parade this Thanksgiving?
There will be 22 floats in this year’s Macy’s parade, 17 featured character balloons and 15 heritage and novelty balloons.
2024 Macy's Thanksgiving Parade new floats
Six new floats are debuting at this year's parade.
Candy Cosmos by Haribo
Dora’s Fantastical Rainforest by Nickelodeon & Paramount
Magic Meets the Seas by Disney Cruise Line
Pasta Knight by Rao’s Homemade
Masterfeast by Netflix
Wondrous World of Wildlife by Bronx Zoo.
2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade balloons
In 2024, there will be six new balloons making their debut in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade:
Minnie Mouse
Extraordinary Noorah & The Elf on the Shelf
Gabby from Gabby's Dollhouse
Goku from Dragon Ball
Marshall from PAW Patrol
Spider-Man
Who is hosting this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
Today's Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker of The Today Show will host NBC’s broadcast of the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade again this year. It may be Hoda's last year hosting the show, as the journalist stepped away from the long-running show earlier this year.
Ways to watch the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade free:
Want to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Thanksgiving football and more on live TV this holiday season for free? Here are a few platforms offering free trials around this time of year.
