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Alas, Thanksgiving is finally here! In case you haven’t heard the news, we’ll all be saying hello to one superstar of a little gremlin who’ll be making their debut at the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Of course I’m talking about Labubu! The fuzzy POP MART character that has taken Gen Z, as well as all of our handbags and backpacks, by storm this year is making its first-ever appearance during one of our favorite Thanksgiving Day traditions. And we have all the info on how you can witness this remarkable sight for free online.
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Since 1924, when the department store first sent out its employees to march down Herald Square, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been an integral tradition for millions of Americans across the country and beyond. Since then, hundreds of friendly characters have made their way into the parade as balloons and on floats. And this year, during its 99th year, it’s Labubu’s turn to strut down the streets of New York with the rest of her POP MART pals.
In fact, POP MART released an adorable video on TikTok featuring Labubu herself, and it’s getting fans hyped for the big event.
How to stream Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2025
Watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
To celebrate POP MART’s 15th anniversary, the Chinese toy company will have a “Friendsgiving in POP CITY” float. On it, you’ll find well-known characters like Skullpanda, Molly, Dimoo, Peach Riot, and of course, our favorite little Monster, Labubu. However, nothing will be “little” about them; our small bag charms will be standing nice and tall so they can wave hello to everyone in the crowd and on TV.
And if you’re like the rest of us who haven’t had a cable bill in decades, you might be wondering how you can say hello to Labubu and the rest of the POP MART squad that day. Below, find everything you need to know to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for free.
When Does the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Air?
This year, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be broadcast live on Thursday, November 27, from 8:30 a.m. ET to 12 p.m. ET on NBC.
How Can I Stream the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
As always, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is available on NBC. But if you don’t have cable, it can be frustrating figuring out where you can stream it. Services like DirecTV Stream, Peacock Premium, and Hulu with Live TV offer the NBC channel and will allow you to stream the parade straight from your laptop, phone, or television. And while all are great platforms we broke down the options below so you can decide which one works best for you.
how to watch the macy’s thanksgiving day parade 2025
DirectTV Stream
Top Pick
Watch this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with DirectTV. They offer a free five-day trial so you can enjoy the parade in the morning and football in the afternoon. Aside from NBC, you could have access to up to 160 different channels so you won’t miss live events again.
After the trial, stream your first month and have access to Disney+, Hulu & ESPN for $50.
how to watch the macy’s thanksgiving day parade 2025
Hulu with Live TV
Next Fave Pick
Hulu with Live TV is another great option to stream the parade. Depending on your area you could have access to close to a 100 channels while still being able to stream your favorite shows from Hulu as well as Disney+ and ESPN. However, with this option you only have a three-day trial and then after that it’ll be $90 a month.
how to watch the macy’s thanksgiving day parade 2025
Peacock Premium
Your next best bet is Peacock Premium, NBC’s home. This might be the easiest platform to watch the parade, as it’ll be the first option that pops up as soon as you log in. Considering Peacock is the most affordable option of the two, it makes sense that they don’t offer a free-trial. However, you’ll still get access to a ton of great shows and live events.
Who’s Going to Be in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
A whole slew of people! Aside from our favorite furry little monsters, you can expect to see over 30 balloons, 24 floats (including new additions from Labubu, Goldfish, and LEGO), and 11 marching bands. But it doesn’t stop there — you’ll also see fun performances from artist like Ciara, Cynthia Erivo, and HUNTR/X from K-Pop Demon Hunters. Considering how quickly the Netflix Original became a phenomenon it’s only right that we they help usher in the holiday season during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Remember, you can only catch the new “Friendsgiving in POP CITY” float during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade happening on this morning at 8:30am EST on NBC. Happy Thanksgiving, folks!
Before you go, check out our top foolproof holiday gifts for absolutely everyone on your list:
