Jennifer Hudson, Kylie Minogue & Billy Porter Join Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Lineup – Update

Denise Petski

14 November 2024 at 10:40 am·5-min read

UPDATE: EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson, Grammy winner Kylie Minogue and Tony, Grammy and Emmy winner Billy Porter have joined the roster of performers for the 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The Parade also will feature appearances by Tony, Emmy, Grammy, and 2X Oscar Nominee Cynthia Erivo, and Cole Escola. Additionally, for the first time, choreographer Shay Latukolan has come on board to choreograph dance performances for the arrivals of Tom Turkey and Santa Claus, and more.

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NBC’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is set to air live Thursday, Nov. 28 from from 8:30 a.m. until 12 p.m. ET/PT. It will also simulstream on Peacock and have an encore on NBC at 2 p.m. ET/PT.

PREVIOUS, Nov. 1: It’s that time of year again. NBC’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is set to air live Thursday, Nov. 28 from from 8:30 a.m. until 12 p.m. ET/PT. The parade, which begins on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and ends at Macy’s Herald Square flagship store, will also simulstream on Peacock and have an encore on NBC at 2 p.m. ET/PT.

Hosted again by Today‘s Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker, the 98th Macy’s Parade lineup is being billed as the largest yet.

GLOW and Community alumna Alison Brie will cut the ribbon and kick off the parade.

Last year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade drew the most viewers in the history of the event with nearly 30 million viewers across NBC, Peacock and the encore telecast.

“The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is second to none when it comes to world-class entertainment during the holiday season,” said Jen Neal, Executive Vice President, Live Events and Specials, NBCUniversal Media Group. “It’s truly an honor to bring such an iconic event to our viewers year after year and partake in one of the country’s most beloved traditions.”

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcast is produced by Silent House Productions. Baz Halpin, Mark Bracco, Linda Gierahn serve as executive producers, and Sacha Mueller as co-executive producer.

See the details below:

Stars

This year’s Macy’s Parade will feature Bishop Briggs, Kylie Cantrall, Chlöe, Dan + Shay, Dasha, Jimmy Fallon & The Roots, Coco Jones, Walker Hayes, Ariana Madix, Joey McIntyre, Idina Menzel, Natti Natasha, T-Pain, Rachel Platten, Lea Salonga, The Temptations, The War and Treaty, Alex Warren and Sebastián Yatra. Dance sensation Charli D’Amelio and ballet dancers Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia will perform. Jonathan Bennett, Liza Colón-Zayas, Tom Kenny, Ginna Claire Mason and members of WNBA Champions, New York Liberty with Ellie the Elephant will also make special appearances. This year’s official national broadcast will include performances from Broadway’s Death Becomes Her, Hell’s Kitchen and The Outsiders as well as the Radio City Rockettes.

High-Flying Inflatables

This year, six new featured character balloons will debut, including Disney’s Minnie Mouse by The Walt Disney Company; Extraordinary Noorah & The Elf on the Shelf by The Lumistella Company; Gabby by DreamWorks Animation; Goku by Dragon Ball/Toei Animation; Marshall by Nickelodeon and Spin Master; and Spider-Man by Marvel.

Floats

This year six 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; Pasta Knight by Rao’s Homemade; Masterfeast by Netflix; and Wondrous World of Wildlife by Bronx Zoo. New specialty units for the 2024 Macy’s Parade include Strikes Again by Go Bowling!™; The Garriage by Nickelodeon, a whimsical carriage modeled after SpongeBob’s pet snail; and The Grannies Car from BBC Studios’ Bluey. Towed by Ram Trucks, the official truck of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the debuting floats will join a lineup of fan favorites including Santa’s Sleigh. Universal’s Merry Moment by Universal Orlando Resort, complete with stilt walkers, drums and dancers will also delight crowds.

Macy’s Winter Wonderland in Central Park will host a special performance by Sebastián Yatra with a holiday choir comprised of Macy’s colleagues with and Bigs and Littles from Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS). The performance celebrates a partnership between Macy’s and BBBS, to empower young people through mentorship opportunities and experiences through the brand’s social purpose platform, Mission Every One.

Featured Performances

Featured marching bands include University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band (Amherst, MA), Avon Marching Black & Gold (Avon, IN), East Tennessee State University Marching Buccaneers (Johnson City, TN), Flower Mound High School Marching Band (Flower Mound, TX), The Lake Hamilton High School Marching Band (Hot Springs, AR), Sioux Falls Lincoln High School “Patriot” Marching Band (Sioux Falls, SD), The Majestic Marching Cardinals of Jonesboro High School (Morrow, GA), Macy’s Great American Marching Band (United States), The Carolina Band of the University of South Carolina (Columbia, SC) and (Morgantown, WV). NYPD Marching Band (New York, NY) will also join the festivities.

Closing out the entertainment lineup are performance groups including Circus Vazquez; Riverdance (North American Tour and Academy), AUM Dance Creations (Bridgewater, NJ), Black Haus Creative (New York, NY), BOSS Kids (New York, NY), Indigenous Enterprise (Phoenix, AZ), Kilgore College Rangerettes (Kilgore, TX), MOVE NYC (New York, NY) and 700 talented dancers and cheerleaders of Spirit of America Dance and Spirit of America Cheer.

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