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Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2023: all confirmed performers

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The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade returns in 2023 for its 97th edition on Thursday, November 23. The parade is a New York City tradition that originated in 1924. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade begins on West 77th Street & Central Park West. The parade marches to Columbus Circle, turning into Central Park West and continuing down 6th Avenue. The 2.5-mile route ends at the iconic Macy’s Herald Square on 7th Avenue.

The parade is known for its iconic balloons and floats that soar next to the city’s high-rise buildings. Featured balloons in the 2023 parade include Beagle Scout Snoopy, Paw Patrol, Pikachu, Ronald McDonald, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Stuart the Minion. The other standout moments in the parade are the performances from some of the most popular musical acts in the world. Below, you’ll find a list of all the confirmed performers in the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

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Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2023: all confirmed performers

First Look: New Balloons for the 97th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (2023)

Kicking off the performances will be Jon Batiste. The former bandleader on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert won a Grammy for Album of the Year with 2021’s We Are and an Oscar for his work on Pixar’s Soul. To promote her new Christmas album, the iconic Cher will perform during the parade. Cher will sing one of her new holiday hits from her 27th album, Christmas.

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Other performers for the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade are Alex Smith, Amanda Shaw, Ashley Park with the Muppets of Sesame Street, Bell Biv DeVoe, Brandy, Chicago, David Foster & Katharine McPhee, Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors, Enhypen, En Vogue, Jessie James Decker, Manuel Turizo, Miss America Grace Stanke, Paul Russell, and Pentatonix.

Performance groups include the Big Apple Circus, Cornell Bhangra, Harlem Globetrotters, Maria Verdeja School of  theArts, Spirit of America Cheer, Spirit of America Dance Stars, St. John’s Dance Team, the Tap Dancing Christmas Trees, and Tiptoe Winter Guard.

Cher - Christmas (Official HD Trailer)

Eleven marching bands from around the country will perform during the parade. They are: Alabama A&M University Marching Maroon & White Band, the Band Directors Marching Band, Fishers High School Marching Tiger Band, Greendale High School Marching Band, Jenison High School Marching Band, Macy’s Great American Marching Band, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Eagle Regiment Marching Band, Mercer Island High School Marching Band, O’Fallon Township High School Marching Panthers, Rutgers University Marching Scarlet Knights, and Texas Tech University Goin’ Band from Raiderland.

How to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2023

People walk down the street giant parade balloons in New York City.
John Prato / Flickr

The 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade begins at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT on Thanksgiving morning. The 2023 parade starts 30 minutes earlier than its usual start time. The parade will air on NBC and be hosted by Today’s Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie, and Al Roker. NBC will air an encore telecast at 2 p.m. ET.

Watch the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC

Additionally, the parade can be streamed live on Peacock starting at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT. Peacock Premium costs $6/month, and Peacock Premium Plus costs $12/month. Peacock does not offer a free trial. However, Peacock offers live coverage of the NFL, PGA Tour, and Premier League, alongside hit movies and TV shows such as The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Yellowstone.

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Dan Girolamo
Dan Girolamo
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Thanksgiving is not only reserved for turkeys. New York City will be the site of the famous Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The 2023 version marks the 97th edition of the parade. The parade route starts on West 77th & Central Park West, marches down to Columbus Circle and Central Park West, and continues onto 6th Avenue before finishing at Macy's Herald Square on 7th Avenue.

The parade is known for its giant balloons of iconic characters and musical performances. Some of the characters in the 2023 parade include Snoopy, Paw Patrol Pikachu, and SpongeBob SquarePants. Cher, Jon Batiste, Brandy, Chicago, Jessie James Decker, and Pentatonix are on the list of performers scheduled for the parade. Keep reading for information on how to watch the parade.
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