2018 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: Who’s Performing and How to Watch
Whether your a kid or a kid at heart, there's something nostalgic and magical about waking up Thanksgiving morning, pouring a big cup of coffee or juice, and turning on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Whether you're with family, friends, or home solo before heading out for holiday plans, knowing you can tune in and see those giant, majestic balloons floating through New York City is the definition of a true American tradition.
Each year some of the biggest names in music and entertainment take part in the parade, braving the often-freezing temperatures to wave and perform from floats. Of course it wouldn't be the Macy's Thanksgiving parade without Santa bringing up the back, alerting everyone that the holiday season is officially here! It's enough to warm even the coldest Scrooge's heart. The 2018 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will be no different.
Don't wake up Thanksgiving morning clueless. Check out our guide to the 92nd annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, featuring celeb performers, any new and returning classic balloon floats (everyone's got their favorite), and how to watch, even if you've cut the cord.
Where and when is the 2018 Thanksgiving Day Parade?
The 2018 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade goes down Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 22 in New York City, starting at 9AM ET and running until Noon.
NBC will air their coverage from 9AM to Noon in all time zones, with Today show anchors Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie and Al Roker hosting. CBS will also cover the festivities, from a different spot on the parade route, starting their coverage live at 9AM on the East Coast, but delayed until 1PM PT the West Coast.
Who's performing at the 2018 Thanksgiving Day Parade and on which floats?
- Ally Brooke (formerly of Fifth Harmony) - Shimmer and Shine float by Nickelodeon
- Bad Bunny - Sour Patch Kids float
- Ella Mai - Splashing Safari Adventure float by Kalahari Resorts
- John Legend - Build-a-Bear float
- Kane Brown - Mount Rushmore float by South Dakota Department of Tourism
- Pentatonix - Everyone's Favorite Bake Shop float by Entenmann's
- Rita Ora - Fun House float by Krazy Glue
- Bazzi - Frozen Fall Fun float by Discover/NHL
- Mackenzie Ziegler and Johnny Orlando - Big City Cheer! float
- Tegan Marie - Girl Scouts of the USA float
- Diana Ross and family - Heartwarming Holiday Countdown float by Hallmark Channel
- Sugarland - Ocean Spray float
- Anika Noni Rose - Sesame Street float
- Leona Lewis - On the Road Again float by Homewood Sweets/Hilton
- Ashley Tisdale - Fantasy Chocolate Factory float by Kinder
- Barenaked Ladies - Aloha Spirit float from King's Hawaiian
- Martina McBride - Deck the Halls float by Balsam Hill
- The Radio City Rockettes
- Broadway casts of Mean Girls, My Fair Lady, The Prom and Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
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How can I watch/can I stream the 2018 Thanksgiving Day Parade?
Traditional TV (basic cable or digital antenna): Tune into your local NBC and/or CBS channels at the times above.
Smart TV and streaming apps: NBC and CBS apps on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire. You can also watch the channels' coverage via live TV streaming apps like Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, and PlayStation Vue.
Online: Watch on NBC.com and CBS.com, or the NBC and CBS mobile apps. Additionally, NBC and Verizon have teamed up for free, live 360-degree coverage on Verizon's YouTube channel.
What balloons and floats will be at the 2018 Thanksgiving Day Parade?
While there is a chance the famous parade balloons could be grounded, due to expected high winds and bad weather, look out for Pikachu, Charlie Brown, Olaf from Frozen, Chase from Paw Patrol, the Grinch, Ronald McDonald, the Pillsbury Doughboy, the Red Ranger from Power Rangers, Spongebob Squarepants, and more!
New balloons for 2018? Goku from Dragon Ball, Fleck, Bjorn, JoJo and Hugg elves from The Christmas Chronicles, and the adorable Little Cloud from FriendsWithYou.
What is the 2018 Thanksgiving Day Parade route?
If you plan to brave the large crowds and forecasted blustery, near-zero temperatures to catch the famous parade in person, here's the parade's full route, with tips on what areas to avoid:
The parade kicks off at West 77th Street & Central Park West at 9AM, however it's noted there is no or limited view here. The parade will continue from 75th Street and Central Park West down to 59th Street, and views along this whole stretch are pretty great. You can camp out as early at 6AM to get a spot.
Once at Columbus Circle/59th Street, the parade will move across 59th/Central Park South until 6th Avenue, where it will turn and head downtown to 38th Street. Views along 6th Ave. on this stretch are also good.
AVOID 6th Ave. between 34th and 38th Streets, and on West 34th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues, as that's where NBC will be broadcasting and there is no or limited public viewing.
The parade makes its final stop at Macy's Herald Square. There is no public viewing here, as it's sure to be the most crowded and difficult area to access.