The Holiday Almanac · Thanksgiving Parade

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2026: Where to Watch

The 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, November 26, 2026: where the public can watch, when to arrive, balloon inflation the day before, and what's still to be announced.

Checked on the organizers’ own pages, October 17, 2026

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The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade turns 100 on Thursday, November 26, 2026. It steps off at 8:30am and travels a 2.5-mile route through Manhattan to Macy's flagship at Herald Square, with what Macy's calls a record 100 inflatables: new balloons including Sorcerer's Apprentice Mickey, Billie Brightpaw and Tom Jr., and Underdog flying again for the first time since 1984.

Watching from the street is free, but Macy's has not yet posted the 2026 route map, the public viewing areas, or the details for balloon inflation the day before. Where this guide gives specifics such as street corners, arrival times or subway changes, they are from the 2025 parade and labeled that way. We'll update the page when the 2026 details are out, usually in early to mid November.

Upper West Side to Herald Square, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

The 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

The hundredth parade has a record lineup of 100 inflatables, with Bluey, Hello Kitty, Mario, Pikachu & Eevee, SpongeBob and Spider-Man among the balloons, more than 25 floats including Tom Turkey and Santa's Sleigh, and seven marching bands. Public viewing is along the parts of the route the NYPD designates.

When: Thu Nov 26, 2026, from 8:30am
Hours: Steps off at 8:30am. In 2025 it ended around noon.
Cost: Free to watch from public viewing areas
Where: A 2.5-mile route ending at Macy's Herald Square, W 34th St and Sixth Ave

Macy's posts the route map at macys.com/parade, usually in November. In 2025 the parade started at W 77th St and Central Park West, ran down Central Park West, across Central Park South and down Sixth Avenue to 34th Street.

Source: Organizer ↗

2026TBA

Upper West Side, Manhattan2026 not yet announced

Watching on Central Park West

The first stretch of the route, where the balloons come into view first and the crowds are a little thinner than on Sixth Avenue. Families with small children tend to come here early for a spot against the barriers.

When: Thu Nov 26, 2026
Hours: In 2025, people started lining up as early as 6am
Cost: Free
Where: In 2025: the west side of Central Park West between W 60th and W 77th Sts. There was no public viewing at the start (W 77th St) or between 59th and 60th.
Subway: In 2025 the MTA suggested 72 St (1/2/3) and 79 St (1); C trains skipped 81 St–Museum of Natural History from 4 to 11am

Arrive by 6am for the front row. In 2025 the NYPD searched bags and banned coolers, chairs, umbrellas, strollers, oversized bags, pets and alcohol.

Source: Press ↗ · On LovelyNYC →

2026TBA

Midtown, Manhattan2026 not yet announced

Watching on Sixth Avenue

After Central Park South, the parade turns down Sixth Avenue between office towers, where the balloons look biggest. This is the busiest stretch, and the last place the public can watch before Herald Square.

When: Thu Nov 26, 2026
Hours: The parade reaches Sixth Avenue later in the morning than Central Park West
Cost: Free
Where: In 2025: Sixth Ave between W 38th St and Central Park South. Below 38th St, the route was closed to the public.
Subway: In 2025 F trains skipped 57 St from 4 to 11am; B/D/F/M to 42 St–Bryant Park or 47–50 Sts–Rockefeller Center are good alternatives

Stay north of 38th Street: in 2025, Sixth Avenue from 34th to 38th was not open for public viewing.

Source: Press ↗

Upper West Side, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

Balloon Inflation, the day before

Macy's confirms the balloons will be inflated on Wednesday, November 25 on the Upper West Side, and says details on public access will come later. Seeing the giant characters half-filled under nets, a few feet away, is a New York tradition of its own.

When: Wed Nov 25, 2026
Hours: 2026 hours not yet announced. In 2025: 1–6pm, with the line opening at noon and entry closing at 6pm.
Cost: Free in 2025; 2026 access not yet announced
Where: Around the American Museum of Natural History. In 2025 the balloons were laid out between W 77th and W 81st Sts, with the public entrance at W 72nd St and Columbus Ave.
Subway: 1/2/3 to 72 St; 1 to 79 St

The line is long; in 2025 it opened an hour before inflation began. Go early in the afternoon rather than after work.

Source: Organizer ↗ · On LovelyNYC →

Herald Square, ManhattanConfirmed for 2026

Herald Square: not for walk-ups

The parade ends at Macy's flagship, where the performances are staged for television. Macy's says its seating areas "are not available to the general public & tickets are not for sale."

When: Thu Nov 26, 2026
Cost: Seats are not sold
Where: Macy's Herald Square, W 34th St between Sixth and Seventh Aves

Ignore anyone selling grandstand tickets. In 2025, W 34th St between Sixth and Seventh Aves was closed to public viewing.

Source: Organizer ↗

AnywhereConfirmed for 2026

Watching on TV or streaming

The Herald Square performances are made for the broadcast, so TV is the only way to see them properly. Many New Yorkers watch the balloons pass on the street, then head home for the show.

When: Thu Nov 26, 2026, from 8:30am
Hours: From 8:30am in every US time zone. In 2025 coverage ran until noon, with an encore at 2pm.
Cost: Free on NBC; Peacock by subscription
Where: NBC, Peacock and Telemundo

Source: Organizer ↗

2026TBA

Along the route2026 not yet announced

Getting there and what to bring

Streets along the route close from the night before, so the subway is the only practical way in. In 2025, the city expected more than 3.5 million spectators, and the NYPD inspected bags and banned drones.

When: Wed Nov 25 – Thu Nov 26, 2026
Hours: In 2025, subways ran a Sunday schedule, with stations skipped near the route from 4 to 11am
Cost: Standard subway fare
Where: Stations near Central Park West and Sixth Avenue
Subway: In 2025: C trains skipped 81 St–Museum of Natural History and F trains skipped 57 St, and some entrances along the route were closed to prevent overcrowding

Dress in layers: in 2025 it was about 42°F at parade time, with strong gusts. Bring a rain jacket, since umbrellas weren't allowed.

Source: Official site ↗

Notes on the dates

Macy's has not yet published the 2026 route map, public viewing areas, street closures or balloon inflation access. Details marked as 2025 show last year's pattern, not this year's.
Full-size balloons can be grounded in high wind: city rules keep them down when sustained winds exceed 23 mph or gusts exceed 35 mph.
The MTA posts Thanksgiving service changes the week of the parade. Check mta.info before you go.
Herald Square seating is by invitation only; Macy's says no tickets are sold.

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