Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2026: Route and Time

As of 4 November 2026: Macy's has posted the date (Thursday 26 November), the TV start (8:30 a.m.), the 2.5-mile route length and the balloon prep day (Wednesday 25 November). Not posted yet are the 2026 route map, the public viewing areas, the street start time, balloon inflation access and the MTA's Thanksgiving service plan.

The 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is on Thursday 26 November 2026. It is free to watch from the street, and you do not need a ticket. Macy's Inc. says the TV start is 8:30 a.m. in all time zones. Macy's own parade FAQ, read on 4 November 2026, confirms a 2.5-mile route to Herald Square, with public viewing managed by the NYPD. Where a detail is from an earlier year, we say which.

The 3 things still to check in the week of the parade:

• Macy's 2026 route and viewing map, at macys.com/parade.

• The MTA's Thanksgiving Day service notice, for station closures along the route.

• The weather forecast for the morning. We have not read a 2026 weather rule from Macy's.

Macy's parade 2026 facts in one table

So, plan around 26 November, a 2.5-mile route and an 8:30 a.m. TV start.

What are the ways to watch the Macy's parade?

Each option in more detail:

• Street viewing: public viewing is on designated parts of the route and is managed by the NYPD. Spectators may face a security search (Macy's Inc., 3 Nov 2025).

• TV: NBC, Peacock and Telemundo carry the parade from 8:30 a.m. in all time zones in 2026. In 2025 there was also an encore at 2 p.m. ET/PT, live audio description on NBC's SAP channel, and a "Countdown" special the night before at 8 p.m. on NBC and Peacock (Macy's Inc., 3 Nov 2025). The 2026 encore and special are not confirmed.

• Balloon prep: Macy's says the featured balloons are prepared on Wednesday 25 November on the Upper West Side, with public access details to come.

So, the street is free but early, and TV at 8:30 a.m. is the easy choice.

When does the Macy's parade start in 2026?

Hours: Thursday 26 November 2026, 100th parade. NBC, Peacock and Telemundo, starting at 8:30 a.m. in all time zones (Macy's Inc. press release, 18 Aug 2026, read 4 Nov 2026)

Hours: In 2025 Macy's said the official kickoff began on Thursday 27 November at 8:30 a.m., leaving the starting line at 77th Street (Macy's Inc. release, 3 Nov 2025, read 4 Nov 2026)

Note: The 2026 lineup has a record 100 inflatable elements. New this year are Disney's Sorcerer's Apprentice Mickey and a new Underdog, on his first flight over New York since 1984. Felix the Cat, who first flew in 1927, returns (Macy's Inc., 18 Aug 2026)

The 8:30 a.m. time is the TV start for 2026. Macy's has not posted a 2026 street time, so plan to be on the street well before 8:30.

So, the parade is on Thanksgiving morning, and 8:30 a.m. is the time to plan around.

What is the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade route?

Note: Start at 77th Street. The parade marches a 2.5-mile route and ends at Macy's Herald Square on 34th Street (Macy's Inc. release, 3 Nov 2025, read 4 Nov 2026; Macy's parade FAQ, read 4 Nov 2026)

Note: Path in recent years: down Central Park West to Columbus Circle, onto Central Park South, down 6th Avenue to 34th Street, and to the front of Macy's Herald Square (NBC New York, updated 23 Nov 2023, and the City of New York parade page, a 2012 page)

Macy's route page returned "not found" on 4 November 2026, so the street-by-street path above is from earlier years.

So, expect the usual 2.5-mile route from 77th Street to Herald Square until Macy's posts a 2026 map.

Where is the best place to watch the Macy's parade?

Note: Public viewing is on designated parts of the route and is managed by the NYPD. Macy's asks you to avoid large bags, umbrellas, backpacks and strollers, and says people entering viewing streets may be searched (Macy's Inc. release, 3 Nov 2025, read 4 Nov 2026)

Note: Accessible viewing: Macy's has partnered with AHRC NYC on accessible viewing areas along the route. Ask at MacysParadeADA@AHRCNYC.org (Macy's parade FAQ, read 4 Nov 2026)

Note: Earlier City of New York guidance: Central Park West, Central Park South and 6th Avenue are the places to stand, people arrive as early as 6 a.m., and 6th Avenue between 34th and 38th Streets and Herald Square are poor choices because the TV broadcast limits viewing there (City of New York parade page, a 2012 page)

Note: In 2023 Macy's said there would be no public viewing at several spots, including the 77th Street kickoff, Columbus Circle and parts of 6th Avenue (NBC New York, 23 Nov 2023)

Our advice: take Central Park West north of Columbus Circle, and arrive early. This is our reading of the older pages, not a 2026 map. The NYPD publishes the open viewing areas close to the day, so check it the week before.

So, Central Park West is the safest bet, and an early start matters more than the exact block.

Do you need tickets for the Macy's parade?

No. There is no ticket for standing on the street. Macy's 2026 FAQ says: "Limited seating areas are not available to the general public & tickets are not for sale" (Macy's parade FAQ, read 4 Nov 2026).

Note: Balloon prep: Macy's says the featured balloons are prepared on Wednesday 25 November on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Details on public access come later (Macy's parade FAQ, read 4 Nov 2026)

Booking: Macy's Inc. wrote on 27 Feb 2026 that its Celebrations Start at Macy's plan, with moments that start in May, includes "an opportunity to attend the 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade live in New York City." The release does not say how places are given out (Macy's Inc. press release, 27 Feb 2026, read 12 Oct 2026)

Be careful with any site that sells "parade tickets" or "parade packages". We did not check them, and Macy's says the latest news is on its own parade page.

So, you do not need a ticket, and no public grandstand sale has been announced.

How do you get to the Macy's parade by subway?

Subway: Thanksgiving Day 2025: the subway ran on a Sunday schedule. Some station entrances and exits along the parade route were closed to prevent crowding. Trains did not stop at 57 St from 4 a.m. to 11 a.m., and did not stop at 81 St-Museum of Natural History. The 42 St Shuttle had extra early-morning service (MTA, Thanksgiving 2025 service page, read 4 Nov 2026)

Getting there: Same day: the LIRR ran a weekend schedule with extra trains to Manhattan on the Babylon, Port Jefferson and Ronkonkoma branches. Metro-North ran a special schedule on the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines, with extra trains before and after the parade (same page)

The two stations the MTA named, 81 St-Museum of Natural History and 57 St, are the ones it changed service at on parade morning. The page text did not show which lines. On 4 November 2026 we found no 2026 Thanksgiving notice on mta.info. Read it in the last week of November.

So, take the subway, and expect some entrances near the route to be closed.

What we checked and what can change

Read on 4 November 2026:

• Macy's Inc. press release of 18 August 2026: date, TV time and channels, 100 inflatables.

• Macy's Inc. press release of 3 November 2025: 2025 kickoff time and place, route length, NYPD viewing, bag rules, encore and countdown special.

• Macy's own parade FAQ: route length, public viewing, seating, balloon prep day. On 4 November 2026 Macy's parade pages linked a lineup, history, FAQ, partners, press and join page, but no route page. The FAQ also gives the AHRC NYC contact for accessible viewing.

• The MTA's Thanksgiving 2025 service page and the 2024 page, plus a search of mta.info for a 2026 notice (none found).

Checked on 12 October 2026: Macy's Inc. press release of 27 February 2026, NBC New York's 2023 report, and the City of New York's parade page, which is from 2012.

Not confirmed: the 2026 route map and viewing areas, the 2026 street start time, public access and hours for balloon prep, the weather rules, the 2026 encore, the Peacock price, the subway lines at the two named stations, and the MTA's 2026 plan. We did not check any ticket seller.