The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is back and this year’s parade is injecting some serious star power into the proceedings. Jennifer Hudson, fresh off her holiday album tour and talk show hosting duties, will grace the parade with her presence. International pop icon Kylie Minogue will also be there, presumably not on a giant inflatable bottle of Pinot Grigio, but one can dream. And rounding out the headliners is the always-fabulous Billy Porter, who I’m hoping will arrive on a float that’s essentially a giant, moving Tony Award.
Joining these luminaries are Cynthia Erivo and Cole Escola in special appearances. Choreographer Shay Latukolan will be responsible for the dance moves of Tom Turkey, Santa Claus, and various floats, because apparently even inanimate objects need to be rhythmically coordinated these days. I just hope Santa doesn’t attempt any of Porter’s signature moves. That could get awkward. Let’s not forget the “TODAY” show crew – Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, and Al Roker – who will be back to provide their brand of enthusiastic commentary.
For those keeping score, this year’s spectacle will feature the usual parade of oversized balloons (17 character balloons and 15 heritage and novelty balloons, if you’re a stickler for details), 22 floats, over 700 clowns (still not sure why), 11 marching bands, and 10 performance groups. Plus, over 5,000 volunteers will be on hand to ensure everything runs smoothly, or as smoothly as a parade with giant inflatable cartoon characters can run. It’s a whole thing.
And yes, before you ask, Loud Luxury is also scheduled to perform. Because nothing says Thanksgiving like… well, I’m not entirely sure what Loud Luxury says about Thanksgiving, but they’ll be there.
The 98th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade airs live on NBC and streams on Peacock Thursday, November 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET/PT, with an encore presentation on NBC at 2 p.m. ET/PT.
The parade will air on NBC and Peacock on Thursday, November 28, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET/PT with an encore presentation at 2 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
