2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: Here’s how to watch, livestream the iconic event

New York’s Staten Island. The 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will begin at 8:30 a.m. Thursday on West 77th Street and Central Park West in New York City, and millions of people will make room for this holiday tradition in addition to enjoying the turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.

Rain or shine, the parade is an in-person event for the brave among us—3.5 million, to be exact. And starting early on Thursday, Nov. 28, the masses of fans will form a queue along the 2.5-mile Manhattan route.

More than 30 million women, however, prefer to watch the parade from the comfort of their own homes, where they can enjoy the high-flying balloons, costumes, floats, celebrities, and marching bands.

Only the official NBC telecast and Peacock simulcast will be available to viewers nationally from 8:30 a.m. to noon in all time zones, as well as during an encore airing at 2:00 p.m.

The Emmy Award winning celebration will once again be hosted by Today Show stars Al Roker, Hoda Kotb, and Savannah Guthrie.

Carlos Adyan and Andrea Meza of the network will present a simulcast in Spanish on Telemundo. In order to provide a more inclusive experience for viewers who are blind or visually impaired, NBCUniversal will use Descriptive Video Works to deliver live audio description of the entire NBC broadcast on the Secondary Audio Program channel. Additional audio narration explaining the parade’s stunning sights will be available on the broadcast.

Check out visitmacys.com/parade for additional details.or follow the hashtag #MacysParade and visit @macys on social media.

Global pop icon and Grammy winner Kylie Minogue, Tony, Grammy, and Emmy winner Billy Porter, and Grammy, Oscar, Emmy, and Tony Award winner Jennifer Hudson, host of The Jennifer Hudson Show, will all dazzle viewers in person and parade fans at home with their incredible performances throughout this year’s broadcast.

On November 23, 2023, McDonald’s Ronald McDonald float makes an appearance at the 97th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. (Macy’s courtesy)Apple Inc.’s Getty Images.

The parade, which is in its 98th year, will include 4,500 costumes, 11 marching bands, 28 clown crews, 24 entertainers, and 39 vibrant inflatables and 22 floats.

Additionally, a brand-new Bronx Zoo wildlife float will be shown for the first time.

Over 5,000 volunteers will assist in the procession, which will greet Santa Claus and the 2024 holiday season with 17 character balloons, 15 heritage and novelty balloons, over 700 clowns, 10 performance groups, and the biggest names in music.

Best public viewing sites

On the west side of Central Park West, from West 75th to West 61st streets, people typically start to assemble around 6 a.m. to watch and applaud in person.

The NYPD-managed route will snake its way down to Macy’s landmark Herald Square flagship store, with certain sections open to the public for viewing. It is not recommended for spectators to bring strollers, big luggage, umbrellas, or backpacks. Anyone accessing viewing streets could be searched by security.

The parade will turn onto Columbus Circle once the marching starts, but no public watching will take place there. The parade will travel south on Sixth Avenue from Columbus Circle, with excellent views from West 59th Street all the way down to West 38th Street.

Because national television broadcasting crews will restrict viewing, spectators are advised not to attempt to watch the procession on Sixth Avenue between West 34th Street and West 38th streets, or on West 34th Street between Sixth Avenue and Seventh Avenue.

After that, the parade will make its last turn and come to a stop in front of Macy’s Herald Square, where no one is allowed to watch.

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