How to Watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2023

NBC is setting the table for a holiday favorite: the 97th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with all the trimmings. The time-honored tradition returns to the streets of New York City with 31 floats, 25 classic and new balloons, 18 big-name entertainers, 11 marching bands, 7 groups of performers, 1 Santa Claus... and a partridge in a pear tree. With the Thanksgiving Day Parade starting a half-hour early this year, there's extra time for Cher to unveil a new holiday song, plus appearances by characters from Disney, Snoopy and the Peanuts gang, Baby Shark, Elf on the Shelf, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, and many more.

Read on for more details, including everything you need to know about how to watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade this year: 

What Time Is the Thanksgiving Day Parade 2023?

The parade starts at 8:30 am ET/PT on Thursday, November 23, and ends at 12:00 p.m.

How to Watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade

You can watch the 97th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade live at 8:30 am in all time zones on NBC, followed by an encore at 2 pm.

How to Stream the Thanksgiving Day Parade

You can stream the Thanksgiving Day Parade live on Peacock by tuning into the simulcast with a Peacock Premium account. According to the streamer, the parade won't be available for replay on Peacock.

You can watch the parade on Peacock on most devices, including web browsers, mobile and tablet devices, game consoles (including PlayStation 5 and XBox Series X and Series S), connected TVs, Smart TVs, and streaming devices (including Roku, Chromecast, Fire TV, and Apple TV).

Is There a Peacock Free Trial?

Peacock does not currently offer a Peacock free trial. Peacock plans start at $5.99/month for Premium or $11.99/month for Premium Plus (which includes ad-free streaming and your local NBC channel live 24/7).

How to Watch Countdown to Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2023

Hosted by Amber Ruffin with appearances by TODAY anchors Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and Al Roker, NBC kicks off the holiday season live from the famous starting line on the eve of the iconic Thanksgiving Day parade. Viewers will get a sneak peek at the incredible stories behind the floats, balloons and bands on their journey to the streets of New York. Tune in Wednesday, November 22, from 8 — 9 pm on NBC.

Thanksgiving Day Parade 2023 Balloon Lineup

25 balloons are featured during the 97th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. They include:

• Beagle Scout Snoopy (Peanuts Worldwide)
• Bluey and her Keepy Uppy Balloon (BBC Studios' Bluey)
• Blue Cat & Chugs (Digital collectibles)
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Abrams Book's Diary of a Wimpy Kid)
• Dino and Baby Dino (Sinclair Oil)
• Goku (Dragon Ball Z)
• Grogu (Star Wars: The Mandalorian)
• Kung Fu Panda's Po (Kung Fu Panda 4)
• Leo (Netflix's Leo)
• Monkey D. Luffy (One Piece)
• PAW Patrol (Nickelodeon & Spin Master's PAW Patrol)
• Pillsbury Doughboy (Pillsbury)
• Pikachu & Evee (The Pokémon Company)
• Red Titan (Ryan's World)
• Ronald McDonald (McDonald's USA)
• SpongeBob SquarePants & Gary (Nickelodeon)
• Smokey Bear (U.S.D.A. Forest Service)
• Stuart the Minion (Illumination)
• Tiptoe (Macy's)
• Uncle Dan (Illumination's Migration)

Thanksgiving Day Parade 2023 Floats

31 floats lead this year's parade route. They include:

• 1-2-3 Sesame Street (Sesame Workshop)
• Big City Cheer! (Spirit of America Productions)
• Big Turkey Spectacular (Jennie-O)
• Birds of a Feather Stream Together (Peacock)
• The Brick Changer (The LEGO Group)
• Camp Snoopy (Peanuts Worldwide)
• Celebration Gator (Louisiana Office of Tourism)
• Colossal Wave of Wonder (Kalahari Resorts and Conventions)
• Deck the Halls (Balsam Hill)
• Elf Pets (The Lumistella Company)
• Fantasy Chocolate Factory (Kinder)
• Geoffrey's Dazzling Dance Party (Toys "R" Us)
• Harvest in the Valley (Green Giant)
• Heartwarming Holiday Countdown (Hallmark Channel)
• Igniting Memories (Solo Stove)
• Macy's Singing Christmas Tree (Macy's)
• Magic Meets the Sea (Disney Cruise Line)
• Mutant Mayhem (Nickelodeon & Paramount)
• Palace of Sweets (Brach's)
• Pinkfong Baby Shark (Nickelodeon)
• People of First Light (Macy's)
• Santa's Sleigh (Macy's)
• Tom Turkey (Macy's)
• Winter Wonderland in Central Park (Macy's)
• The Wondership (Wonder)
• The Deliciously Delectable World of Wonka (Warner Bros.' Wonka Movie)
• Big Red Shoe Car (McDonald's)
• Good BurgerMobile (Paramount+'s Good Burger 2)
• A Merry Moment (Universal Holiday Parade Featuring Macy's)

Thanksgiving Day Parade 2023 Performers

18 big names, music icons, and rising stars are set to perform or appear, including:

• Alex Smith
• Amanda Shaw
• Ashley Park
• Bell Biv Devoe
• Brandy
• Cher
• Chicago
• David Foster & Katharine McPhee
• Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors
• Enhypen
• En Vogue
• Jabari Banks
• Jessie James Decker
• Jon Batiste
• Manuel Turizo
• Miss America Grace Stanke
• Paul Russell
• Pentonix

What Is the Macy's Parade Route?

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will begin on W 77th St & Central Park West and follow Central Park West to Columbus Circle. The parade will continue down 6th Ave through Midtown and finish in front of the 34th St Macy's location. There will be 2.5 miles of public viewing along the New York City route.

Also reference our guide to NBC's 2023 holiday programming schedule to find out when and where to watch A Saturday Night Live Thanksgiving Special, A Saturday Night Live Christmas Special, the National Dog Show 2023, Christmas in Rockefeller Center, and more holiday-themed specials and events.