2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: Time, route, balloons, more

NEW YORK CITY - The 98th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is here, and it's the largest yet.

This year’s parade will feature 17 giant character balloons, 22 floats, 15 novelty and heritage inflatables, 11 marching bands, 700 clowns and 10 performance groups. And, of course, Santa will close out the celebration.

The parade began at 8:30 a.m. on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and ends 2.5 miles away around noon at Macy’s Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street, which serves as a stage and backdrop for performances.

And despite the weather, the parade is happening – rain or shine! But organizers will be monitoring wind speeds throughout the festivities to make sure it's safe for the big balloons to fly. Check here for the parade weather forecast.

Here's everything you need to know about the parade route, this year's floats, performances and more:

JUMP TO PARADE ROUTE | STREET CLOSURES | HOW TO WATCH | BALLOONS | FLOATS | PERFORMANCES AND SPECIAL GUESTS 

Parade route 

The parade's 2.5-mile route starts at West 77th Street and Central Park West on Manhattan's Upper West Side.

• The parade will first head south down Central Park West for 18 blocks to Columbus Circle.
• From Columbus Circle, the parade turns onto Central Park South and heads east to 6th Avenue.
• From Central Park South and 6th Avenue, the parade turns onto 6th Avenue and heads south to 34th Street.
• The parade then marches south from 6th Avenue for 25 blocks to 34th Street.
• From 34th Street, the parade turns west onto 7th Avenue.
• The parade's ending point is Macy's Herald Square at 34th Street and 7th Avenue.

For more details, click here.

Street closures

The following streets will be closed for this year's parade:

Formation:

• Columbus Avenue between 72nd Street and 83rd Street
• Central Park West between 81st Street and 86th Street
• 83rd Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• 82nd Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• 81st Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• 77th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• 76th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• 75th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• 74th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• 72nd Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• 71st Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• 68th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• 62nd Street between Central Park West and Broadway
• 61st Street between Central Park West and Broadway
• 59th Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue

Route:

• Central Park West between 81st Street and East Side of Columbus Circle/59th Street
• Columbus Circle (Entire Circle)
• 59th Street between Columbus Circle and 6th Avenue
• 6th Avenue between 59th Street and 34th Street
• 34th Street between 6th Avenue and 7th Avenue

Dispersal:

• 33rd Street between 5th Avenue and 10th Avenue
• 34th Street between 7th Avenue and 8th Avenue
• 34th Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 35th Street between 5th Avenue and 8th Avenue
• 36th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue
• 37th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue
• 38th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue
• 39th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue
• 40th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue
• 41st Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue
• 7th Avenue between 31st Street and 41st Street
• Broadway between 45th Street and 34th Street

Miscellaneous (Formation and Dispersal):

• 58th Street between 9th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 43rd Street between 6th Avenue and 7th Avenue
• 40th Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue
• 39th Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue
• 38th Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue
• 37th Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue
• 36th Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue
• 32nd Street between Broadway and 7th Avenue
• 6th Avenue between 32nd Street and 34th Street
• 8th Avenue between 41st Street and 33rd Street
• Broadway between 32nd Street and 34th Street
• Broadway between Columbus Circle and 58th Street
• 8th Avenue between Columbus Circle and 58th Street
• Grand Army Plaza between 59th Street and 5th Avenue

Additional Locations

• 86th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• 85th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• 84th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• 73rd Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• 70th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• 69th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• 67th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• 66th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• 65th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• 64th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• 63rd Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• 62nd Street between Columbus Avenue and Broadway
• 61st Street between Columbus Avenue and Broadway
• 60th Street between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West
• Grand Army Plaza between 59th Street and 58th Street
• 57th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 56th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 55th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 54th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 53rd Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 52nd Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 51st Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 50th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 49th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 48th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• Rockefeller Plaza between 51st Street and 48th Street
• 47th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 46th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 45th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 44th Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 43rd Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 42nd Street between 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 41st Street between Broadway and 6th Avenue
• 40th Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 39th Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 38th Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 37th Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 36th Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 33rd Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue
• 6th Avenue between 33rd Street and 32nd Street
• Columbus Avenue between 86th Street and 83rd Street
• Columbus Avenue between 72nd Street and 59th Street
• 9th Avenue between 59th Street and 58th Street
• Broadway between Columbus Circle and 65th Street

Best spots to watch

On TV

For the second year in a row, Thursday's parade starts at 8:30 a.m., in all time zones. It will be on NBC, available with an antenna or through cable and satellite providers.

For cord cutters, the parade is being simulcast on Peacock and an encore telecast begins at 2 p.m. EST/PST. A Spanish language simulcast will also be on Telemundo.

Where you SHOULD watch the parade

According to Macy's, West 59th to West 38th Streets along 6th Avenue will have great views for parade-goers. 

Early birds can also head to the west side of Central Park between West 75th Street and West 61st Street, near the parade's starting point, starting at 6 a.m. for public viewing.

Where you SHOULDN'T watch the parade

The public will not be allowed to view the parade at its start on West 77th Street and Central Park West.

Further south, crowds will not be permitted to gather near the parade's turning point at Columbus Circle.

The national television broadcast will set up shop between West 38th Street and West 34th Street and will be blocked off from the public. Public viewing is also not available at the parade's end at Macy's Herald Square. This includes West 34th Street between Broadway and 7th Avenue.

Macy’s limited grandstand tickets are not for sale to the general public.

Balloons

This year, 17 giant character balloons will be making their way to Macy's. 

Plus, there will be six new featured character balloons, including Minnie Mouse, Extraordinary Noorah" with The Elf on the Shelf, "Gabby’s Dollhouse," "Goku" and "Spider-Man."

Other balloons include:

• Beagle Scout Snoopy
• Bluey
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid
• Kung Fu Panda's Po
• Marshall from PAW Patrol
• Monkey D. Luffy
• Opening Macy's Stars
• Pikachu and Eevee
• The Pillsbury Doughboy
• Pumpkins
• Ronald McDonald
• Sinclair's Dino
• Smokey Bear
• Snow Crystals
• SpongeBob SquarePants and Gary
• Stuart the Minion
• Tip Toe

Floats

One new float will spotlight the Rao’s food brand, featuring a knight and a dragon in battle made with actual pasta elements. Another will celebrate the Bronx Zoo’s 125th anniversary with representations of a tiger, a giraffe, a zebra and a gorilla.

Other new floats will debut in the Macy’s Parade, including Candy Cosmos by Haribo, Dora’s Fantastical Rainforest by Nickelodeon & Paramount, Magic Meets the Seas by Disney Cruise Line and Wednesday’s Feast by Netflix.

Other floats include:

• 1-2-3 Sesame Street
• Big City Cheer
• Big Red Shoe Car
• Big Turkey Spectacular
• Birds of a Feather Stream Together
• The Brick-Changer
• Camp Snoopy
• Colossol Wave of Wonder
• Deck the Halls
• Fantasy Chocolate Factory
• Geoffrey's Dazzling Dance Party
• Gift of Freedom
• Harvest in the Valley
• Heartwarming Holiday Countdown
• Macy's Santaland Express
• Macy's Winter Wonderland in Central Park
• Palace of Sweets
• Rocking Giraffe
• Rocking Horse
• Rocking Flamingo
• Rocking Lobster
• Rocking Moose
• Santa's Sleigh
• Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• Tom Turkey
• Universal's Merry Moment
• The Wondership

Performances and special guests

Organizers revealed Thursday that actor-singer Jennifer Hudson, dance music icon Kylie Minogue and Broadway and "Pose" star Billy Porter will all perform, an upping of the star wattage over previous years.

The trio will be in front of Macy’s iconic Herald Square flagship store, while also added to the parade are "Wicked" star Cynthia Erivo and Cole Escola, the star and writer of "Oh, Mary!," the unconventional smash that’s become the toast of Broadway.

They will join a massive group of already-announced parade stars — including reality TV's Ariana Madix, Broadway belter Idina Menzel, hip-hop's T-Pain, members of the WNBA champions New York Liberty and country duo Dan + Shay.

Music performers scheduled to perform include The War and Treaty, Lea Salonga, Kylie Cantrall, The Temptations, Chlöe, Charli D’Amelio, Jimmy Fallon & The Roots, Coco Jones, Walker Hayes, Rachel Platten, Bishop Briggs, Joey McIntyre, Natti Natasha and ballet dancers Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia.

Broadway will be represented by performances from "Death Becomes Her," "Hell’s Kitchen" and "The Outsiders," as well as the iconic Radio City Rockettes and "Riverdance" dancers.