Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

New York City

Thursday,
November 26, 2026
8:30 AM

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For More Information

Web: Macys.com

Email: Contact Us

Mail: Macy's Band Selection Committee
11 Penn Plaza, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10001

Parade Line: 212-494-4495

If you're interested in entering your band in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, click here to access the online Macy's band application. The deadline to apply for the 2027 parade is May 1, 2026.

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Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade kicks off the holidays with unparalleled pomp and pageantry. The scale of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is immense: more than 3.5 million people view the parade live along the parade route, and more than 50 million viewers tune in to the television broadcast. Spectators watch in awe as 10,000 participants — including the nation's best marching bands, performance groups, giant helium balloons, breathtaking floats and the one-and-only Santa Claus — pass before their eyes.

   BAND DIRECTORS: Applications to march in the
   2027 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade are due May 1, 2026.
   Click to access the Macy's band application.

Each year, top marching bands of all varieties from across the country are invited to represent their states in the annual parade. In addition, the Macy's Great American Marching Band returns to the parade route each November with more than 250 participants representing all 50 states.

   A day in the life of a Macy's Parade marching band

Macy's 2026 Participating Bands

Concord Community High School Marching Minutemen, Elkhart, Indiana
Dobyns-Bennett High School Band, Kingsport, Tennessee
James F. Byrnes High School Band, Duncan, South Carolina
Hawaii All State Marching Band
Macy's Great American Marching Band, USA
NYPD Marching Band, New York
Pearland High School Pride of Pearland Band, Pearland, Texas
UConn Pride of Connecticut Marching Band, Storrs, Connecticut
University of Alabama Million Dollar Band, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
University of Illinois Marching Illini, Champaign, Illinois

Related Events

Bands participating in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade often take advantage of additional performance and educational opportunities during their visit to New York City. Some of the activities that bands have included on their itineraries are:

Attending a Broadway show at one of the many theatres along the Great White Way
Taking a harbor cruise for a unique view of the Statue of Liberty and the city skyline
Seeing a performance at New York's legendary music venues, including Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall or Lincoln Center

Future Dates

Thursday, November 26, 2026 - 100th Annual
Thursday, November 25, 2027
Thursday, November 23, 2028
Thursday, November 22, 2029
(Always held on Thanksgiving Day)

For More Information

Web: Macys.com

Email: Contact Us
Mail: Macy's Band Selection Committee, 11 Penn Plaza, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10001
Parade Line: 212-494-4495

If you're interested in entering your band in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, click here to access the online Macy's band application. The deadline to apply for the 2027 parade is May 1, 2026.

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