How to watch Ciara, Kool & the Gang, Cynthia Erivo, Shaggy, Busta Rhymes, Lil Jon & more perform at 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Two of 2025’s biggest cultural obsessions — Labubu and Netflix’s breakout sensation KPop Demon Hunters — are about to dominate the skies and streets of Manhattan as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade storms back into New York on Nov. 27. Add superstar performers Ciara, Cynthia Erivo, Mickey Guyton, and Lil Jon to the mix, and this year’s parade is shaping up to be one of the most star-packed spectacles in its long history.

Rolling out rain or shine, the parade launches from Manhattan’s Upper West Side at 8:30 a.m. Eastern and marches its way down to Macy’s iconic Herald Square store on 34th Street — where the floats, balloons, and performers transform the heart of NYC into a full holiday stage.

The lineup is massive: 34 giant balloons, 4 mini-balloons, 28 floats, 33 clown crews, 11 marching bands — all leading the way to Santa’s official arrival.

How to Watch the Parade

Time: 8:30 a.m. Eastern, airing simultaneously across all U.S. time zones
Where: NBC
Streaming: Peacock (simulcast + 2 p.m. encore)
Spanish Broadcast: Telemundo

Last year’s event drew 31+ million viewers, the most in parade history — and this year is expected to top that.

The Weather

Expect classic fall chill:
48 degrees, partly cloudy, winds around 12–13 mph.
NYC law will ground the balloons if sustained winds hit 23 mph or gusts exceed 35 — a rule that has occasionally reshaped the parade on windy years.

A Star-Loaded Performance Lineup

Cynthia Erivo (Wicked) will open the show, with a huge range of artists performing along the route and on floats, including:

• Ciara

• Foreigner

• Lil Jon

• Kool & the Gang

• Shaggy

• Busta Rhymes

• Mickey Guyton

• Teyana Taylor

• Audrey Nuna, EJAE & Rei Ami of HUNTR/X from KPop Demon Hunters

• Ballet star Tiler Peck

• Hot Ones host Sean Evans

Broadway is fully represented too, with performances from Buena Vista Social Club, Just in Time, and Ragtime, alongside the iconic Radio City Rockettes.

Figure skating phenom Ilia Malinin and U.S. Paralympian Jack Wallace will also appear, and LaGuardia High School’s famed arts program will honor the 50th anniversary of A Chorus Line.

The 2025 Balloon Lineup Goes Wild

New giant balloons include:

• Buzz Lightyear

• Pac-Man

• Mario

• A towering 32-foot “Shrek” onion carriage

• Derpy Tiger & Sussie from KPop Demon Hunters

New Floats Making a First Appearance

This year’s new floats include:

• Pop Mart’s first-ever float featuring Labubu, Skullpanda, Dimoo, Molly, Duckoo, Peach Riot and Mokoko

• Holland America Line

• LEGO

• Lindt Chocolate

• Stranger Things x Foreigner

• Serta’s sleep-struggling sheep

• A tiny Goldfish float (just 14 crackers long!)

Marching Bands From Across America

Bands will represent:

• South Carolina

• California

• Texas

• Arizona

• New Hampshire

• Mississippi

• Alabama

• Pennsylvania

• Santiago, Panama

• The NYPD Marching Band

Spirit of America Dance and Spirit of America Cheer will join with hundreds of dancers and cheerleaders.

Get your coffee, turn on NBC or Peacock, and buckle up — because New York City is about to be swallowed whole by Labubu mania, K-Pop energy, and the kind of holiday magic only the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade can deliver.