Shrek and Super Mario inside new balloons at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Four new character balloons debuted at Macy’s Balloonfest ahead of the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which will soon be dominating TV screens in Manhattan and across the country, will be celebrating its 99th anniversary, kicking off the holiday season.
Expected to reach approximately 31.3 million viewers across digital platforms in 2024, the parade is one of the most-watched events each year, according to NBC. This year’s lineup includes 32 balloons (+3 balloons), 27 floats, 33 clown groups, 11 marching bands, and 26 performances by music’s biggest stars.
Macy’s organizers keep the nearly century-old tradition fresh by adding new elements to each parade, typically based on recent pop culture moments or fan favorite establishments. Seven new floats, including a Lovey-themed float, will debut in 2025 along with five new balloon characters.
Check out this sneak preview of what’s new this year.
lovebu float
No one can escape the love bath pop culture trend. That’s evidenced by the first look at a new lovey-themed float expected at this year’s parade.
This float is not actually called a “lovebu float”. Rather, it’s a donation to our friends at POPCITY by a POP Mart float, referencing the makers of Labubus.
Other Pop Mart characters will also appear on the float, including Skull Panda, Peach, Riot, Dimo, Molly, Duckoo, and Mokoko. The preview image shows the character festively wrapped in Christmas ribbons and sitting atop a city skyline.
In addition to witnessing “Friend Giving at POP CITY” in real time, fans of the brand will also have the opportunity to visit a special holiday pop-up located directly across from the famous Macy’s at 1 Penn Plaza in Herald Square in New York City for the remainder of this month.
Upside Down Invasion: Stranger Things by Netflix Float
Upside Down Invasion, a new float celebrating the fifth and final season of Netflix’s hit Stranger Things, also debuts this year and features scenes from the show’s Hawkins National Laboratory.
“This is a really cool departure from saying, ‘Please 3D print something from film.’ What we’re doing here is creating a world. It’s completely experiential,” Macy’s Studio creative production director Brendan Kennedy told Variety. “We have a containment device to hold an 8.5 foot tall Demogorgon doll.”
The first eight episodes of the new season of “Stranger Things” will be released the day before Thanksgiving on November 26th.
lego brick style winter mountain
Lego has consistently appeared in parades, but it is officially retiring its existing float, the Brickchanger, which debuted in 2019.
In 2025, LEGO fans will instead see the “Brick-inspired Winter Mountain” scene, a large-scale replica of the Yeti Mountain set. At the top of a high mountain, perfect for winter sports, Lego people ski with arctic seals and penguins.
“Ski down the slopes with a playful Arctic seal, participate in a fun hockey tournament with a penguin, or practice ice fishing with a yeti,” the float’s description reads on Macy’s website. “Every element of Yeti Mountain corresponds to existing LEGO bricks, pieces, and characters.”
A land of glaciers, wildlife, and wonders
This year, winter wonders will grace the streets of Manhattan, courtesy of cruise line Holland America Line. The float depicts scenes that capture the “majesty of Alaska,” and includes representations of glaciers, wildlife and Denali National Park, the company said.
The Glacier, Wildlife and Wonder float, decorated with figurines of a moose, grizzly bear and gray wolf nestled in the glacier, celebrates the cruise line’s 80th anniversary of state “exploration.”
Master Chocolatier Ballroom by Lindt
Chocolate company Lindt built a candy-inspired show this year: a complete red and gold ballroom with all the trappings.
“As you are taken to the dance floor, notice the golden lace ironwork that mimics the wrapper of a Lindor truffle and a grand spiral staircase topped with an enchanting centerpiece, an ode to Lindor’s ball-shaped origins as a Christmas ornament,” reads the float’s description on Macy’s website.
the smallest goldfish float
The smallest, and perhaps cutest, float in all of Shaban, the Littlest Float by snack company Goldfish stands just under 8 inches tall and is decorated with similarly sized Goldfish crackers.
A small float with a simple design of a small fish enjoying a snowy scene next to a large fish-like snowman is pulled by an equally small gold-themed RC truck.
“The Counting Sheep’s Dream Generator” by Serta
If there’s one thing mattress company Serta is recognized for, it’s the sheep character that has appeared in its commercials over the years. Counting Sheep’s Dream Generator Float features several sheep and is numbered for proper counting while falling asleep.
The dreamlike float is decorated with stars, moons and cloud fluff, and includes an appearance by Sheep No. 1, a grumpy flock leader who loses his job because of Serta’s mattress.
Five new balloons in Macy’s parade
Floats aren’t the only new addition to this year’s parade. Five new balloons will also fly over the streets of New York.
The new balloons include:
- Pixar Animation Studios’ “Buzz Lightyear”
- “Pac-Man” by Bandai Namco Entertainment America, Inc.
- “Shrek’s Onion Carriage” from Universal Pictures’ DreamWorks Animation
- Nintendo’s Mario
- “Derpy Tiger” from the Netflix movie “K-Pop Demon Hunters”
- bonus: Susie from “K-Pop Demon Hunters” also appears as a balloon, a balloon attached to a vehicle, and travels through the parade, instead of flying high on a string like a large balloon.
See sneak peek images of the new balloon designs in the gallery below.
When is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade?
The 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is scheduled to begin on Thursday, November 27th at 8:30 a.m. ET. It will be telecast in all time zones on Thursday, November 27 at 8:30 a.m. on NBC. The event will also be simultaneously streamed on Peacock and available to Fubo subscribers. An encore on NBC follows at 2pm ET/PT.
Contributor: Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY
