All floats, performances, news and much more

Thanksgiving festivities at the 98th annual Macy’s Parade concluded with the arrival of Santa Claus on a giant sleigh.

Jolly Old Saint Nick was preceded by Tiptoe the blue reindeer and people wearing festive red and white hats.

Along with Mrs. Claus – played by actress Liza Colón-Zayas – elves and dancers, Santa marked the parade’s grand finale under a shower of white, snow-like confetti.

Several protesters were detained earlier today for blocking the street during the Macy’s parade, New York police said.

Police said they appeared to be pro-Palestinian protesters. However, it is not clear how many were detained, nor whether charges will be laid. They were removed from the roadway.

Yesterday, Mayor Eric Adams had warned against protesters disrupting the route.

“I really want to take the time to tell the grinches who think they’re going to disrupt the parade. It’s not going to happen. Just like we responded last year, we’re going to be on top of those who try to disrupt the parade in any way possible,” Adams said in a pre-parade briefing.

Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba in the film adaptation of “Wicked,” gave a huge bouquet of flowers to Hoda Kotb at the parade.

“These flowers are for you because I know this is the last Thanksgiving parade you do. And I wanted to celebrate and say we love you and thank you for all the hard work you’ve done,” she said .

Erivo reflected on the acclaim “Wicked” has received since its release.

“I’m so happy. I’m so overwhelmed by the wonderful reactions we’ve had. People give such heartfelt and lovely reactions and I get it all, so it’s really, really wonderful,” she said.

She said it was good that people are belting out the musical’s hit songs in theaters, calling the trip “a dream come true.”

“Wicked,” which hit theaters last week, has already broken records for the biggest worldwide opening for a Broadway adaptation. It grossed $163 million in its opening weekend, surpassing the previous record of “Les Misérables,” which opened to $103 million.

A new bombshell has entered the parade!

Ariana Madix attended the Macy’s parade and sang “Lovefool” by The Cardigans on the Peacock float.

The “Vanderpump Rules” star has had a stellar year playing Roxie Hart in two seasons of the Broadway musical “Chicago” and hosting “Love Island USA.”

Dressed in white, the star serenaded the cheering crowds as she was accompanied by dancers.

An estimated 3 million people are expected to attend the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade today. Revelers have traveled from all over the country to see the giant balloons and special performances in person, despite the cold and rain.

Attendees were seen smiling even as they wore rain ponchos and carried umbrellas as they watched the show come through Manhattan.

Thousands attend the annual tradition of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. This year marks the 98th parade, featuring fun and festive floats. NBC News’ Jay Gray reports from a rainy Thanksgiving Parade and gives us a look at some incredible floats.

U.S. troops stationed around the world celebrate the start of the holiday season with festive, home-cooked Thanksgiving meals. NBC’s Meagan Fitzgerald reports for TODAY from Poland with an exclusive look at how soldiers are making an effort to make this day feel special wherever they are.

“The Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon joins TODAY’s Al Roker to discuss his brand new star-studded holiday album that reveals some of his favorite collaborations. He also talks about participating in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for the eleventh time.

About 8,000 people are currently marching through Manhattan, watched by “TODAY” hosts Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie.

The parade began at West 77th Street & Central Park West at 8:30 a.m. ET and ends at Macy’s Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street at 12:00 PM ET.

There are 2.5 miles of designated public viewing areas along the 2024 route.

See more details here.

Wickedly talented actress Idina Menzel joins TODAY to discuss her sixth Thanksgiving Day Parade appearance and opens up about the “Wicked” movie premiere and her new musical, “Redwood.”

New York native Elizabeth Kahane has been photographing the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade from her apartment for over 25 years. She spoke with the TODAY team about her new book titled “Come and Join the Parade,” which features the parade photos she’s taken.

Tony Spring, CEO and Chairman of Macy’s, joins TODAY to describe what went into this year’s iconic Thanksgiving parade, how the company plans to handle Black Friday, and then shares his tips for this year’s shopping event!

The iconic balloons are inflated ahead of the 98th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Six new balloons have been added this year, including Minnie Mouse, Extraordinary Noorah & The Elf on the Shelf and a brand new Spider-Man balloon

Attendees gather under a Minnie Mouse inflatable as the rain falls ahead of the start of the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City this morning.

Ahead of the 98th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, TODAY creative director Brendan Kennedy gives a first look at some of 2024’s new parade floats, from the desert at the Bronx Zoo to the candy cosmos of the Haribo float. NBC’s Dylan Dreyer reports for “TODAY.”

Kathleen Wright, director of production operations for Macy’s studios, joined TODAY to reveal how she works to make the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade come together.

Despite losses and challenges from Hurricane Helene, an East Tennessee State University marching band was able to push on and make it to this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. NBC News’ Joe Fryer reports.

Continuing their tradition from last year, Hoda Kotb will send Jenna Bush Hager a token during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade broadcast to let her know she’s thinking of her.

East Tennessee State University’s marching band will perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade after unexpected challenges from Hurricane Helene. NBC Nightly News heard from the school’s director of athletic bands about their inspiring journey.

Macy’s is giving a behind-the-scenes look at how the parade’s “Go Bowling” float was made before it makes its debut on Thanksgiving Day.

28 exciting entertainers, 11 musical marching bands, 28 clown crews and 11 performance groups will perform during the parade’s nearly four-hour duration.

Stars such as Jennifer Hudson, Lea Salonga, T-Pain, Rachel Platten, Idina Menzel, Dan + Shay and The Temptations perform alongside dancer and TikToker Charli D’Amelio and ballet stars Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia.

Members of the WNBA champions, the New York Liberty, along with mascot Ellie the Elephant, will also make an appearance.

The best of Broadway will show their skillsincluding actors from the musicals “Death Becomes Her,” “Hell’s Kitchen” and “The Outsiders.”

And not to be outdone, Santa will round out the lineup on his famous sleigh, the largest float in the parade at 60 feet long, 22 feet wide and 3 1/2 stories tall.

Six new balloons have been confirmed for this year’s parade, including Minnie Mouse, Extraordinary Noorah & The Elf on the Shelf and an all-new Spider-Man balloon, inspired by comic book artist John Romita Sr..Six new floats will also make their parade debut this year, such as “Candy Cosmos” by Haribo, “Pasta Knight” by Rao’s Homemade, “Wondrous World of Wildlife” by The Bronx Zoo, which will celebrate the zoo’s animals and beloved exhibits, and ” Wednesday’s Feast” by Netflix, featuring Jenna Ortega from the hit show.

Three new “Balloons”, smaller balloons that ride down the route attached to bicycles, have also been created.

It’s officially 100 years since the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade debuted. TODAY’s Al Roker shares a look at what it takes to bring the parade to life and then is joined by the University of South Carolina Gamecocks’ Marching Band!

The parade begins at West 77th Street & Central Park West at 8:30 a.m. ET and ends at Macy’s Herald Square flagship store on 34th Street at 12:00 PM ET.

There are 2.5 miles of designated public viewing areas along the 2024 parade route. Spectators are advised to arrive as early as 06.00 to grab the best spots.

Central Park West: Great views can be found along Central Park West from West 75th to West 61st Streets. However, there is no public viewing on Central Park West between West 59th & West 60th Streets.

6th Avenue: The stretch from West 59th to West 38th Street has the best view as close as possible to the end of the parade, but spectators should avoid the area of ​​6th Avenue between West 34th and West 38th Street, where viewing is limited.

The forecast for Thursday in New York City is calling for rain, so bring your ponchos – but leave your umbrellas at home – if you plan to see the parade in person!

The parade will go rain or shineas the Big Apple is expected to see light rain with temperatures in the 40s. Winds are expected to be less than 10 mph, which will allow balloons to fly. The parade’s giant balloons cannot fly if maximum sustained winds hit 23 mph or more or if gusts exceed 34 mph.