The 2020 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is now just a few days away, and a number of country stars are set to appear as part of the annual broadcast. Dolly Parton, Lauren Alaina, Brett Young and Jimmie Allen will all perform, with Allen joined by Noah Cyrus for their turn on a float.
Other performers will include Ally Brooke, Sofia Carson, CNCO, Jimmy Fallon and the Roots, Karol G, Christopher Jackson and the cast and Muppets of “Sesame Street,” Tori Kelly, Patti LaBelle, Ella Mai, Miss America 2020 Camille Schrier, Leslie Odom Jr., Keke Palmer, Pentatonix, Bebe Rexha, Jordin Sparks and Sebastián Yatra. There will also be performances by the Broadway casts of Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of The Temptations, Hamilton: The Musical, Jagged Little Pill and Mean Girls, which will all be filmed ahead of time.
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There will be a number of changes made to this year’s parade due to the coronavirus pandemic, including the fact that the traditionally included high school and college marching bands have been deferred to 2021. According to Today, all of this year’s performers will be tested for COVID-19 and undergo wellness checks ahead of their performances, and other participants will wear protective equipment and practice social distancing.
The parade is also broadcast-only, which means the usual thousands of spectators along New York City’s streets will be absent. The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade airs Thursday, Nov. 26 starting at 9 a.m. in all time zones on NBC and will be hosted by Today show anchors Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker. Balloons and floats will travel just one block down 34th street near Macy’s flagship store, and balloons will be pulled with special anchor vehicles rather than handles.
In September, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio shared that this year’s parade “will be a different kind of event.” “They’re reinventing the event for this moment in history, and you’ll be able to feel the spirit and the joy of that day on television, online,” he said, via PEOPLE. “Not a live parade but something that will really give us that warmth and that great feeling we have on Thanksgiving Day.”
“The Macy’s team meticulously reviewed every area of the Thanksgiving Day playbook to put in place enhanced health and safety practices that align with CDC guidelines, as well as local and state government protocols,” Macy’s said in a statement. “The safety of participants and spectators is Macy’s number one priority and this year’s 94th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade celebration will be produced solely as a television event allowing millions of New Yorkers and the nation to safely experience it from the comforts of home.”
