Grammy Award-winning recording artist and New York Times bestselling author Mariah Carey, lovingly known as the Queen of Christmas, is set for an exclusive magical performance in the 96th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Nov. 24 at 9 a.m. ET/PT on NBC and Peacock.
As the clock nears noon, Carey will join the celebration in a historic parade finale to perform her iconic anthem “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
The three-hour Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® will air an encore telecast at 2 p.m.
For decades, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been one of the nation’s most anticipated and watched holiday celebrations. “TODAY’s” Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker will be back to host the Emmy Award-winning celebration.
The magic comes together with Macy’s signature ingredients. This year’s parade will feature more than 5,000 volunteers, 16 giant character balloons, 28 floats, 40 novelty and heritage inflatables, more than 700 clowns, 12 marching bands and 10 performance groups and an array of musical stars.
Joining the festivities will be Paula Abdul; Big Time Rush; Cam; Jordan Davis; Blue’s Clues & You! host Josh Dela Cruz; Gloria, Sasha and Emily Estefan; Jimmy Fallon and The Roots, Fitz and the Tantrums; Kirk Franklin; Mario Lopez and family; Ziggy Marley; Miss America 2022 Emma Broyles; the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street®; Sean Paul; the cast of Peacock’s Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin (Adam Devine, Sarah Hyland and Flula Borg); Joss Stone; Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue; Jordin Sparks; Dionne Warwick; Betty Who; and Santa Claus. The treats keep coming when the stars of Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock on Apple TV+, appear throughout the broadcast; join Uncle “Travelling” Matt as he goes on an epic journey away from Fraggle Rock friends and family to learn the meaning of the “Macy’s Thanksgiving Day” holiday and the impossible to answer question: “What is a parade?” Additional talent to be announced.
Broadway’s best shows will also perform for the national broadcast audience. The show will kick off with a spectacular opening number from Lea Michele and the cast of Broadway’s Funny Girl. Additional Broadway performances will include showstoppers A Beautiful Noise, Some Like It Hot, and in celebration of its 25th Anniversary Disney’sThe Lion King. Rounding out the theatrics will be the iconic Radio City Rockettes®.
Ballooning Icons
Conceived during the Parade’s infancy, the giant character balloons have become a signature of the annual celebration. Since 1927, the world’s most popular characters have been transformed into high-flying art in the sky. Originally inspired by marionettes, the Parade’s balloons first debuted as upside down puppets filled with air which were carried down the Parade route on sticks.
New giants joining the line-up this year include Bluey by BBC; Diary of A Wimpy Kid®by Abrams Books; DINO and Baby DINO by Sinclair Oil; and Stuart the Minion from Illumination.
Making return appearances to the skies above New York City are giant balloon favorites including Ada Twist, Scientist by Netflix; Astronaut Snoopy by PEANUTS Worldwide;The Boss Baby from DreamWorks Animation; Goku by Toei Animation; a Funko Pop!-inspired Grogu™ by Funko and in partnership with Lucasfilm; Chase from PAW Patrol®by Nickelodeon; Pillsbury Doughboy™ by Pillsbury™; Red Titan from “Ryan’s World” by Sunlight Entertainment and pocket.watch; Ronald McDonald® by McDonald’s®USA; Papa Smurf from The Smurfs™ by Nickelodeon; Pikachu™ & Eevee™ by The Pokémon Company International; and SpongeBob SquarePants & Gary by Nickelodeon.
The inflatable lineup also includes a new balloonicle of Striker, the U.S. Soccer Star by FOX Sports. Returning inflatables include Sinclair’s Baby DINOs, the Go Bowling™balloonicles; Hot Air Dolly by Universal Orlando Resort, Smokey Bear by the USDA Forest Service; and Macy’s very own special reindeer Tiptoe and Toni the Bandleader Bear.
