It just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!
The cherished annual tradition will be back once again to kick off the holiday season — and we’ve got all the info you need to know ahead of the event so you can plan accordingly. As the parade makes it way through the streets of New York City, viewers will be treated to four new balloons, five new floats, 12 marching bands, and 25 performers — including the Queen of Christmas herself: Mariah Carey, who will sing her classic holiday tune “All I Want for Christmas Is You” ahead of Santa’s arrival at Macy’s.
“My childhood dream is coming to life! I’m going to be opening for the one and only, SANTA CLAUS,” Carey wrote on Instagram after the news was announced.
Read on for more details on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2022:
What time does it start?
The 96th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off Thursday, Nov. 24, at 9 a.m. ET local time.
How can I watch it?
You can watch the parade on NBC starting at 9 a.m. ET/PT. If you don’t have cable, you can also watch the live broadcast streaming on Peacock from 9 a.m. to noon in all time zones.
Who is hosting the parade?
Today show co-anchors Savannah Guthrie, and Hoda Kotb will be returning as hosts for the parade. Al Roker was also set to take part until last week, when he revealed he had been hospitalized for multiple blood clots.
Kotb addressed his absence at the beginning of the parade: “For the past 27 parades, at this moment, we’d turn to Al Roker, our Today show colleague and our best pal, but, as a lot of you have heard, Al’s recovering and he’s recovering very well from a recent medical issue. We just want to say we love you, Al. Wonder if you’re watching? But, we wish you a full recovery.”
Peter Kramer/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is here
Who will be performing this year?
As usual, there’s a packed slate of performers. The 2022 lineup includes Paula Abdul, Jordin Sparks, Dionne Warwick, Betty Who, Big Time Rush, Gloria Estefan with her daughter Emily and grandson Sasha, Sean Paul, Jimmy Fallon and the Roots, and Fitz and the Tantrums. The stars from Peacock’s upcoming series Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin — Adam Devine, Sarah Hyland, and Flula Borg — will also make an appearance.
Broadway fans will be treated to a performance from Lea Michele and the cast of Funny Girl. The casts of The Lion King, Some Like It Hot, and A Beautiful Noise, will also do numbers from their respective shows, as will the Radio City Rockettes.
For the grand finale, Mariah Carey will belt out her iconic Christmas anthem, “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” just before Santa Claus and his sleigh land in front of Macy’s on 34th Street in Manhattan.
Bruce Glikas/WireImage Lea Michele in Broadway’s ‘Funny Girl’
Are there any new balloons and floats to watch out for?
There sure are! Four balloons will be making their first trip down the parade route, including Bluey, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Striker, the U.S. Soccer Star, Dino and Baby Dino, and Stuart the Minion.
Spectacular new floats include Geoffrey’s Dazzling Dance Party by Toys “R” Us, Baby Shark by Pinkfong and Nickelodeon, People of First Light by Macy’s, the Wondership by Wonder, and Supersized Slumber by Netflix, which will celebrate the magical world of the upcoming Netflix movie Slumberland.
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