NEW YORK — The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is nearly here. Familiar faces are back for the 99th installment of the iconic New York parade.
Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker are coming back to host this year’s show Thursday, Nov. 27 at 8:30 a.m. in all time zones on NBC and Peacock.
Here’s a little more about the parade hosts:
Who is Savannah Guthrie?
Savannah Guthrie is a broadcast journalist and main co-anchor for “TODAY” at NBC News. She has been the co-host since 2012, according to NBC News.
Guthrie began her career as a local news anchor, legal analyst and White House correspondent before fully joining NBC News. She also serves as NBC News’ chief legal correspondent.
She has been a co-host for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade since 2012.
Who is Hoda Kotb?
Hoda Kotb is a broadcast journalist and former “TODAY” co-anchor. She left the show in January, explaining then that part of her decision included thinking about how her young children — 8-year-old Haley Joy and 6-year-old Hope Catherine — deserve a bigger piece of her “time pie.”
Craig Melvin replaced her as co-host earlier this year.
Kotb has been with NBC for 26 years, including 17 years on “TODAY.” She co-anchored with Guthrie since 2018, filling in after Matt Lauer was fired amid sexual harassment allegations. She first joined NBC News as a correspondent for “Dateline” in 1998, and later joined “TODAY” in 2007.
She now has her own wellness business, Joy 101, and occasionally returns to “TODAY” to give life updates.
Kotb has served as co-host of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade since 2018.
Who is Al Roker?
Al Roker is the longtime co-host and weatherman for NBC’s “TODAY” show. He joined in 1996.
With a career spanning more than 40 years, Roker has worked for various local news stations, including The Weather Channel, and on radio shows, as well as with NBC News.
Rokers has served as a co-host of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade since 1995, only missing 2022 due to a medical issue. He has also co-hosted the annual Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting since 1985.
Who will be at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?
They’re not the only familiar faces that will be visible on Thursday, though. Several balloons from previous years will also return, including Rainbow Trout, Happy Hippo Triple Stack, Wigglefoot and Freida the Dachshund.
Don’t worry though, there’s plenty new to see with 32 balloons, 27 floats and 11 marching bands — all leading to Santa Claus.
Among new faces (and voices) to the parade are “KPop Demon Hunters.”
Organizers revealed Monday that EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI, the singing voices of HUNTR/X from Netflix’s hit animated original film, will be performing as part of this year’s parade lineup. Plus, two characters from the movie — Derpy Tiger and Sussie — will join the parade lineup as a mid-sized balloon and balloonicle.
The 99th edition of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will also feature performances by Ciara, Gavin DeGraw, Mickey Guyton, Foreigner, Kool & the Gang, the Radio City Rockettes and many more.
There will also be performances by the hit Broadway shows “Buena Vista Social Club”, “Just in Time” and “Ragtime.”
Ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics, there will be appearances by U.S. Olympian Ilia Malinin and U.S Paralympian Jack Wallace.
This year, four new featured character balloons will debut, including Buzz Lightyear, Pac-Man, Mario from Super Mario Brothers and a 32-foot-tall balloon onion carriage featuring eight characters from the world of “Shrek.”
The marching bands will hail from South Carolina, California, Texas, Arizona, New Hampshire, Mississippi, Alabama, Pennsylvania and Santiago, Panama. The New York Police Department’s marching band will also join.
