What would Thanksgiving be without the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade? Now in its 99th year, the parade is one of the most enduring traditions for many families—whether that means getting up before dawn to attend in person or watching on TV.
On Thursday, November 27th, 2025, viewers will get to see 29 floats, 34 massive balloons and four wheeled "balloonicles" making their way along the 2.5-mile route. This year’s parade also includes 11 marching bands, 33 clown crews, nine performance groups, 15 specialty units, and more than 5,000 volunteers.
After a record-breaking 2024 viewership of more than 31 million people around the globe, we can expect similar numbers in 2025 that will be tuning in to NBC and Peacock to see Snoopy, Santa Claus and a galaxy of superstars. It is said that for the past three years, more people watch the parade on TV than the New Year's Eve festivities or the Oscars.
Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker are back as hosts of the shindig, which starts at 8:30 a.m. in all time zones and features nonstop entertainment, including musical and dance numbers from the Broadway shows Buena Vista Social Club, Just in Timeand Ragtime. Also featured will be EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and REI AMI, aka the singing voices of HUNTR/X from Netflix’s smash hit movie KPop Demon Hunters.
NBC is also highlighting performances and appearances from Drew Baldridge, Matteo Bocelli, Colbie Caillat, Ciara, Gavin DeGraw, Meg Donnelly, Mr. Fantasy, Foreigner, Debbie Gibson, Mickey Guyton, Christopher Jackson, Jewel, Lil Jon, Kool & the Gang, Darlene Love, Roman Mejia, Taylor Momsen, Tiler Peck, The Radio City Rockettes, Busta Rhymes, Calum Scott, Shaggy, Lauren Spencer Smith, Luísa Sonza and Teyana Taylor, Nikki DeLoach, U.S. Olympian Ilia Malinin, Kristoffer Polaha, U.S. Paralympian Jack Wallace, and special correspondent Sean Evans.
More than a century after it began, the parade continues to be an important part of the way we celebrate the holiday. Here are some fun facts about the iconic Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Facts
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (2024)Wang Fan/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images
The parade started more a century ago, in 1924, by Macy’s employees. While helium balloons were not included, they did have a menagerie of animals from the Central Park Zoo like bears, elephants, monkeys and camels.
How long was the original Macy's Thanksgiving Parade route?
The first parade route was considerably longer at six miles. With an estimated 250,000 people lining the streets. Macy’s placed ads in New York newspapers the following day to make sure that everyone knew the parade would be back next year.
Massive balloons made their debut three years later in 1927. The first balloons to make an appearance in the parade were Felix the Cat, a toy soldier and a dragon.
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What are the new balloons for 2025?
In 2025, several new character balloons will be featured:
Buzz Lightyear by Pixar Animation StudiosPAC-MAN by Bandai Namco Entertainment America, Inc.Shrek’s Onion Carriage from Universal Pictures’ DreamWorks AnimationMario by Nintendo. Derpy Tiger and Sussie from Netflix’s K-Pop Demon Hunters will also appear (Derpy as a mid-sized balloon and Sussie as a balloonicle).There will also be six new floats making their debut in 2025:
The Land of Ice & Wonder by Holland America LineBrick-tastic Winter Mountain by The LEGO GroupMaster Chocolatier Ballroom by LindtUpside Down Invasion: Stranger Things by NetflixFriends-giving in POPCITY by Pop MartThe Counting Sheep’s Dream Generator by Serta.The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade was first broadcast on the radio in 1932, but it wasn't until 1946 that the parade was shown on television and that was only in local New York markets. The parade was finally shown nationally on NBC in 1947.
What is the largest float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade?
The largest float is Santa’s sleigh that extends 60 feet long, 22 feet wide and 3.5 stories tall. Santa has closed the Macy’s Parade every year with the exception of 1932, when he led the official parade march.
For three years during World War II, Macy’s paused the parade because of helium and rubber shortages. The parade donated 650 pounds of scrap rubber to the government to aid the war effort.
What is the tallest balloon at the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade?
In 2024, the Minnie Mouse balloon held the distinction of being the tallest balloon in the parade, measuring 60 feet tall and 34 feet wide. But the tallest balloon in parade history was 102-foot Olive Oyl holding her baby Swee’Pea in 1986. The 80-foot Superman balloon was the second tallest balloon in the parade’s history, which appeared in 1980.
Every year, approximately 400,000 to 700,000 cubic feet of helium are used to inflate the balloons for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. That staggering amount makes Macy's the second largest consumer of helium in the U.S.—after the government.
Related: 75 Thanksgiving 'Would You Rather' Questions
How big is the Pillsbury Doughboy balloon?
If you created a "dough-sized" version of the Pillsbury Doughboy balloon, it would take more than four million Pillsbury Crescent Rolls.
Smokey Bear who celebrated his 80th anniversary in 2024 returned as a balloon that same year. The bear who is the face of wild fire prevention awareness made his parade debut as a giant character balloon in 1966.
Who's the longest-serving Macy's Parade host?
The NBC Today show anchors have a long connection with the parade. This is Savannah Guthrie’s 14th and Hoda Kotb’s eighth year as hosts. And 2025 marks Al Roker's 31st year hosting the parade.
It takes a village to put on a parade! The Macy's Parade Studio Team is made up of around 27 painters, carpenters, animators, sculptors, welders, scenic/costume designers, electricians and engineers, who spend over 8,000 hours working on the parade.
How much paint, glitter and confetti are used in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade?
That's a lot of paint, glitter and confetti! In 2024, around 2,000 gallons of paint, 300 pounds of glitter, 200 pounds of confetti and over 375 paint brushes were used to pull off the parade.
Snoopy is back for his close-up! A parade regular since 1968, Snoopy has appeared in 43 parades and this year he celebrates his 44th float in the sky. The Snoopy we'll see this year will be Beagle Scout Snoopy and best friend Woodstock for an ongoing 50th anniversary celebration of the Beagle Scouts in 2023. Snoopy is 55 feet tall or as high as a 5-story building. 42 feet long or as long as 6 bicycles and 34 feet wide or as wide as 5 taxi cabs. And his massive green hat is as long as 17 beagles lined up end to end!
How long does it take to create a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade float?
A Parade float takes approximately four months to construct (with added time for ideation and design).
Related: 40 Best Movies To Watch While Curled Up in Your Comfiest Pants (Or PJs!) This Thanksgiving
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