Although there might’ve been a bit of a drizzle, nothing could rain on the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, or its star-studded lineup.
Famous performers included social media sensation and dancer Charli D’Amelio, who rode on the parade’s signature Tom Turkey float and danced with the Macy’s House Dancers.
Wearing all white, Chlöe Bailey sang her song “Boy Bye” in the rain and kept dry with a feathery hat. “Wicked” star Idina Menzel opted for all black, and rode on the Bronx Zoo float. She performed “Great Escape,” a song from her upcoming new musical, “Redwood,” which opens in January 2025.
From stage to screen, the film stars of “Wicked,” Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bennett, Liza Colón-Zayas, Tom Kenny and Ginna Claire Mason, were also at the parade celebrating the premiere of the musical’s film adaptation.
Broadway is always a major component of the parade, and this year there were performances from “Death Becomes Her,” “Hell’s Kitchen” and “The Outsiders.”
Other famous faces included Bishop Briggs, Kylie Cantrall, Dan + Shay, Dasha, Jimmy Fallon, The Roots, Coco Jones, Walker Hayes, Ariana Madix, Joey McIntyre, Natti Natasha, T-Pain, Rachel Platten, Lea Salonga, The Temptations, The War and Treaty, Alex Warren and Sebastián Yatra.
The parade’s 98th year running was the largest yet, with more than 5,000 volunteers, 17 character balloons, 22 floats, 15 heritage and novelty balloons, more than 700 clowns, 11 marching bands and 10 performance groups.
Started in 1924, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is the second-oldest Thanksgiving Day Parade in the U.S. right after America’s Thanksgiving Parade held in Detroit.
The Macy’s Studios team includes painters, carpenters, animators, sculptors, welders, scenic designers, costume designers, electricians and engineers, who spend more than 8,000 hours preparing for each parade. Each float takes approximately four months to construct, with added time for ideation and design.