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Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade is as big an American tradition as watching Thanksgiving football games while you're diving into a banquet full of holiday delights, and it's one of the oldest. Extravagant floats, boisterous marching bands, and ballooned caricatures of cartoon's biggest icons will proceed through the streets of New York City. The spectacle draws hundreds of thousands of in-person viewers annually, but many more tune in from the comfort of their homes. If that's your plan, we'll show you how to watch Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade live stream below.
- See also: Best Black Friday deals
The cast for 2023's balloons will feature mainstays like Snoopy and the Pillsbury Doughboy, plus newcomers like One Piece's Monkey D. Luffy, Leo, and Po from Kung Fu Panda. We'll also see prominent performers like singers Cher and Brandi, WWE's Rhea Ripley and Dominik Mysterio, and the cast of Sesame Street.
The parade begins promptly at 8:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, November 23, and it's expected to run through noon. NBC and Peacock have you back for remote viewing. Keep reading for all the details you'll need to tune in, plus our top VPN recommendation for accessing Peacock if you don't live in the United States.
Don't worry if you're not available for that 8:30 a.m. start as the parade will be repeated on NBC/Peacock later in the day at 2 p.m. ET. We imagine you'll be able to watch it on demand at some point later in the day or tomorrow too.
How to watch Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
NBC is broadcasting the 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade nationally. If you can't tune in with your TV antenna or cable box, you can live stream the parade using NBC's Peacock streaming service. Subscriptions start at just $1.99 per month today as a special Black Friday promotion. Actually, this a great day to get more movie and TV apps at a major discount. Check out our Black Friday streaming deals guide for more from Hulu, Disney Plus, Sling, and more.
How to watch Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from anywhere
If you're not in the United States, you won't be able to access Peacock without a bit of trickery. A VPN can help circumvent the geographical block, but you may need a US payment method and postal code to get through the door.
Short for virtual private network, a VPN allows you to connect to global servers to access websites that would otherwise be blocked in your region. It also secures your network activity with top-grade encryption, so no one can know what you're up to, even if they've tapped into your network.
Don't have a VPN? The best VPN we've tested and used for years is ExpressVPN. It's great for streaming from international sources and also beefs up your online security. ExpressVPN is on sale for a great offer right now. You can save 49% on the usual price and get three months for free.
If you run into trouble, you'll want to be aware of ExpressVPN's 30-day money-back guarantee. You can request a refund any time within the introductory period, no questions asked. Insider's ExpressVPN review lays out everything you need to know about the service and all its benefits.
How to watch Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with a VPN
- Sign up for a VPN if you don't have one.
- Install it on the device you're using to watch the movie.
- Turn it on and set it to a US location.
- Go to Peacock. Sign up for an account with a local postcode and payment method.
- Watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.