Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Adds 4 New Balloons for 2025

An annual Thanksgiving event is getting even bigger.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, now in its 99th iteration, comes around every year to celebrate the start of the holiday season.

Every year, families all across the world tune in to NBC to watch various floats, balloons, and live performances saunter down the streets of Manhattan in New York City since the parade began in 1924. It normally begins early in the morning and ends just outside of Macy’s department store at Herald Square, NYC.

This year’s parade will have 27 floats, 11 marching bands, and dozens of performances from big names like Kool & The Gang and Foreigner. This year, though, four brand-new giant balloons will take the stage.

The four new balloons are all well-known household names. Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story character Buzz Lightyear, Nintendo’s iconic plumber mascot Mario, Bandai Namco’s pellet-muncher Pac-Man, and DreamWorks’ lovable ogre Shrek will all appear in giant balloon form at this year’s parade.

Beloved favorites like Spider-Man, the Pillsbury Doughboy, and Snoopy are expected to make their return this year as well.

The 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade begins at 8:30 AM EST. It will be available to watch on NBC and Peacock.

@todayshow

Mario, Pac-Man, Shrek and Buzz Lightyear are the new balloons joining the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade lineup! 😍 #TODAYShow

♬ original sound – TODAY Show