A feast for your eyes! The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is just as iconic as the turkey day menu, and this year’s lineup is no exception.
The holiday spectacular takes place every year in New York City on Thanksgiving morning while also broadcasting live in all time zones across the United States. This year, viewers can watch the iconic holiday tradition on TV via NBC and online via Peacock, which will livestream the event. The 2022 spectacle is the 96th production of the event.
“Since its first march in 1924 and through the decades, [the] Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has served to bring joy to the millions who gather nationwide each year to experience it with friends and family,” Will Cross, an executive producer for the annual event said in a statement on Tuesday, November 1. “This November, as we once again set the stage for the start of the holiday season, we are thrilled to showcase another spectacle full of magic and wonder that will help create everlasting memories with loved ones during this special time of year.”
Today stars Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker will return to host the official Emmy Award-winning broadcast of the parade.
“Save the date! Join me along with @SavannahGuthrie & @hodakotb as we bring you all the parade fun at this year’s 96th Annual @Macys #ThanksgivingDay Parade – three weeks from today on @nbc and @peacock – 9am all time zones. #MacysParade #NYC,” the weatherman tweeted on Thursday, November 3.
The parade enlists the help of more than 5,000 volunteers to assist with the 16 giant iconic character balloons, 28 extravagant floats, 40 novelty and heritage inflatables and more. Some of this year’s balloons include fan favorites Astronaut Snoopy, Chase from Paw Patrol, Pikachu, SpongeBob SquarePants, Grogu (also known as Baby Yoda) and more. Bluey and Diary of a Wimpy Kid will make their debut in the parade this year.
There are also more than 700 clowns, 12 marching bands, 10 performance groups, an array of celebrities and the one-and-only Santa Claus set to make an appearance — and that’s not all! Paula Abdul, Jimmy Fallon, Mario Lopez, Gloria Estefan and the cast of the Peacock original series Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin are some of the few stars who will appear on one of the many parade floats.
Some big names that are going to play at this year’s parade include Big Time Rush, Jordin Sparks, Fitz and the Tantrums, Ziggy Marley and more. Some of the biggest names from Broadway will also perform numbers from some of the current shows, including A Beautiful Noise, Some Like It Hot, The Lion King, Lea Michele and the cast of Funny Girl and more. Of course, the stars are all opening acts for the big finale when Santa Claus closes out the parade.
Keep scrolling to see everything to know about the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2022:
