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The 99th edition of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will officially usher in the 2025 holiday season when it airs live across all U.S. time zones on NBC and Peacock on Thursday, Nov. 27, at 8:30 a.m. ET.
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Hosted by TODAY anchors Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker, the nationally televised broadcast will feature the annual mix of larger-than-life balloons, celebrity-packed performances, marching bands and floats — plus the arrival of Santa Claus.
This year’s musical highlights include the daytime debut of the singing voices of HUNTR/X, the fictional K-pop girl group featured in Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters. Additional performances are scheduled from EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI, along with Broadway productions Buena Vista Social Club, Just in Time and Ragtime.
The full lineup of musical artists and guests also includes Drew Baldridge, Matteo Bocelli, Colbie Caillat, Ciara, Gavin DeGraw, Meg Donnelly, Mr. Fantasy, Foreigner, Debbie Gibson, Mickey Guyton, Christopher Jackson, Jewel, Lil Jon, Kool & the Gang, Darlene Love, Roman Mejia, Taylor Momsen, Tiler Peck, Busta Rhymes, Calum Scott, Shaggy, Lauren Spencer Smith, Luísa Sonza and Teyana Taylor. Appearances will also be made by Nikki DeLoach, Kristoffer Polaha, U.S. Olympian Ilia Malinin, U.S. Paralympian Jack Wallace and special correspondent Sean Evans.
In celebration of their centennial year, the Radio City Rockettes will once again perform, joined by a range of national and international performance groups. These include the EVIDENCE Dance Company, Native Pride Productions, Circus Vazquez, and A Chorus Line: The Next Generation, led by creative director and original cast member Baayork Lee. More than 1,200 dancers and cheerleaders will also perform as part of Spirit of America Dance and Spirit of America Cheer.
The marching band roster features musicians from across the globe, including Banda de Musica La Primavera (Panama), Catawba Ridge High School Marching Band (South Carolina), Damien Spartan Regiment (California), L.D. Bell Blue Raider Band (Texas), Northern Arizona University Lumberjack Marching Band, Alcorn State University Sounds of Dyn-O-Mite (Mississippi), Spartans Jr Drum and Bugle Corps (New Hampshire), The Marching Pride of North Alabama, Temple University Diamond Band (Pennsylvania), the Macy’s Great American Marching Band, and the NYPD Marching Band (New York).
This year’s parade will showcase 32 massive character balloons, 27 floats, 3 “ballonicles,” 4 specialty units, 33 clown crews, and more than 5,000 volunteers. Among the new balloon and float debuts for 2025: Buzz Lightyear (Pixar), PAC-MAN (Bandai Namco), Shrek’s Onion Carriage (DreamWorks Animation), and Mario (Nintendo), alongside KPop Demon Hunters characters Derpy Tiger and Sussie.
New floats include The Land of Ice & Wonder (Holland America), Brick-tastic Winter Mountain (LEGO), Master Chocolatier Ballroom (Lindt), Upside Down Invasion: Stranger Things (Netflix), Friends-giving in POPCITY (Pop Mart), and The Counting Sheep’s Dream Generator (Serta).
Additional elements returning this year include revamped legacy balloons from Macy’s archives — including Rainbow and Greybow Trouts, Happy Hippo Triple Stack, Wigglefoot, and Freida the Dachshund — as well as new collaborations like Goldfish crackers and the Elf on the Shelf Santaverse float.
Big Brothers Big Sisters matches will ride atop the Tom Turkey float, celebrating Macy’s ongoing “Mission Every One” initiative, which has raised over $13 million since launching in 2022.
The parade broadcast will re-air at 2 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and stream in Spanish via Telemundo, hosted by Andrea Meza, Aleyda Ortiz and Clovis Nienow.
A primetime special, Countdown to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, will air Nov. 26 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the balloons, bands and performers preparing to hit the streets of Manhattan.
The Parade’s 100th edition is set for 2026.
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Winnie Harlow has responded to criticism of her Whitney Houston Halloween costume, saying she never meant to insult the late singer.
Harlow recreated Houston’s appearance at the 2001 BET Awards, and posted a subsequent video of her reenacting the icon’s famous Lifetime Achievement Award speech. After some blowback, Harlow addressed the situation on her Instagram Story.
“My video wasn’t mocking Whitney. That clip has always been one of my favorite of hers,” Harlow wrote, via People. “She was radiant, funny, confident and captivating. She was being awarded. The way she moved across that stage with flair and swag? Iconic.”
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She continued, “People are more than headlines. A woman who could command a room, make you laugh & carry herself like royalty. If all you see when you see Whitney are her struggles, you’re missing her charisma, humor, talent, personality & wit. She was hilarious & magnetic. THAT is and what should always be highlighted. The light that made us all love her. Attention to positivity.”
Celebrities had mostly praised Harlow’s costume in her Instagram comments, with Naomi Campbell, Halle Berry, Ciara, Tracee Ellis Ross, Rita Ora and Law Roach showering Harlow in praise.
Houston struggled with drug addiction throughout most of her adult life. She died from an accidental drowning in 2012, with an investigation concluding that heart disease and cocaine were contributing factors. The report also found that the singer had marijuana, Xanax, Benadryl and other meds in her system.
Whitney Houston’s impact on the Billboard charts is both historic and unmatched. With 11 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, she stands among the top 10 most successful solo artists in U.S. chart history. From 1985 to 1988, she made history as the only artist ever to land seven consecutive No. 1 singles, a record that still stands in 2025.
Her signature ballad “I Will Always Love You” spent 14 weeks at No. 1, setting a then-record for the longest-running No. 1 by a solo female artist and topping multiple Billboard charts simultaneously. She earned 16 Billboard Music Awards, including a record-breaking 11 wins in a single year (1993), and remains the most awarded female artist in history.
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Agents Jenna Adler of CAA, Marsha Vlasic of Independent Artist Group, Sara Williams of WME and Elisa Vazzana of UTA took part in a conversation about the current challenges and trends in touring — and what it’s like being a female agent in 2025 — at the Billboard Live Music Summit on Monday (Nov. 3) in West Hollywood, California.
In a panel moderated by Billboard editor-in-chief Hannah Karp, the four agents — who collectively represent artists including Green Day, Neil Young, Luke Combs and Megan Maroney — discussed the expansion of the micro-residency model as one of the ways the live business is likely to change over the next few years.
Adler remarked that “micro-residencies are only going to get more and more expansive; micro-residencies meaning it’s no longer a 45-date tour across the country, it’s more like four or six markets and we’re going to do multiple days. I think it not only saves on costs, because it’s so expensive to tour these days, especially as a mid-level and young artist, that these micro-residencies actually really help curtail that.”
Adler also noted that global touring is now a major priority for artists, “so as we’re planning 24-month calendars. I think that we’re looking at all of it and making sure there’s breaks in between and just really being mindful for the artist, because it’s grueling out there.”
Vazzana noted that with this emphasis on global touring, it’s important for artists to grow their international fanbases earlier in their careers, as “it hurts a lot more when you have a much bigger team to go and try to do it then, than if you had just done it from day one and taken those incremental steps. I also think that international audiences really appreciate the early investment.”
The agents also discussed the state of the glass ceiling for women agents. Vlasic, who began her career 40 years ago, when she was often the only woman in meetings, reflected that “there are more women in our business than ever. When I started out there were three. It has tremendously [improved].”
“Learning form the past, being in rooms with women who have taught us to come into the room and bring another woman into the room and have those conversations,” is important, Williams continues, “because it’s not over. It’s much better, but it’s not over. The number of times we might be one of the only women on a screen or in the room is significant in this business, still.”
“I feel like we’ve come such a long way, but there’s so much more to do,” added Adler. “We do belong in the room, and we have to advocate for ourselves, and we have to continue to advocate and fight.”
“But you must do it,” said Vlasic. “You cannot expect to have the path laid for you; you have to create it yourself.”
“Sometimes I just feel like we just have to continue to fight for each other and to be there and show up for each other,” Adler continues, “because as much as people try to pit us against each other, I just feel like we just need to be screaming and amplifying from the rooftops that we do belong in the room, because it’s systemic at times.”
“I’ve always said that it’s not a disadvantage to be a woman, and I firmly believe that,” continued Vazzana. “I was raised by a dad who was like, ‘Get in there, do the job, be smarter than everyone else,’ and by the way, sometimes I maybe have to yell a little louder, but I don’t see that as a negative. I see it as a necessity, and if it helps move women forward, so be it.”
Trending on Billboard In recent years, Rauw Alejandro has become one of the most in-demand Latin touring acts – and on his Cosa Nuestra tour this year, he took his high-concept stage production to another level. In this spotlight conversation, Rauw Alejandro and Live Nation SVP of global touring Hans Schafer will discuss the reggaeton […]
Trending on Billboard Shakira sat down for a brief chat with her long time Tour Manager, Marty Hom, after accepting Billboard’s Global Touring Icon Award. Additionally, her tour just became the highest grossing Latin tour of all time. They talked backstage at rehearsal’s her show in Cali, Colombia, about these honors and how she feels […]
Trending on Billboard Sponsored by AXS, when Chappell Roan announced her fall 2025 pop-up shows, she made it her mission to get tickets for the concerts into the hands of real fans. Partnering with AXS, she used the ticketing leader’s innovative tool, Fair AXS, to verify buyers – and stop bots and scalpers from hijacking […]
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A new entrant to Australia’s live music market has officially landed, with the inaugural edition of Strummingbird, a touring country music festival presented by Live Nation and Kicks Entertainment, drawing tens of thousands across three cities over two weekends.
Held in the Sunshine Coast (Oct. 25), Newcastle (Nov. 1), and Perth (Nov. 2), the multi-date, all-ages event marked one of the most ambitious country-focused touring formats launched in Australia in recent years.
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The 2025 lineup combined U.S. charting acts like Jelly Roll, Shaboozey, and Treaty Oak Revival with a strong mix of emerging and established domestic talent, including James Johnston, Kaylee Bell, Wade Forster, The Dreggs, and Rachael Fahim.
Beyond traditional main stage performances, organizers leaned into fan engagement and social content opportunities, from line-dancing workshops and crowd-wide Nutbush dance breakouts to surprise collaborations — including Jelly Roll bringing out both Shaboozey and Bell during his Newcastle and Perth sets, and Johnston filming a live music video during his Sunshine Coast appearance.
The debut comes amid rising interest in country-adjacent genres across the Australian market. Jelly Roll has achieved notable chart success in Australia, with his 2024 album “Beautifully Broken” peaking at No. 19 on the ARIA Top 50 Albums chart. On the ARIA Top 40 Country Albums Chart, “Beautifully Broken” peaked at No. 3 and has maintained a strong presence. Meanwhile, local breakout James Johnston recently scored a top-five ARIA album debut — a rare feat for an independent country act.
Programming across cities was localized, with unique artist configurations in each market and strong integration of Māori and First Nations acknowledgments. The event’s Sunshine Coast leg sold out in advance, and Newcastle received strategic backing from Destination NSW as part of its tourism and major events initiative.
Festival co-presenter Live Nation, which has been expanding its genre footprint across ANZ through a mix of pop, country, hip-hop and Latin offerings, is already planning a return in 2026.
In addition to the core music offering, activations included the “Strummo Bowlo”, a communal dancefloor space where attendees engaged with both country and crossover pop tracks, including viral moments set to Charli XCX’s “Brat” anthems — a programming nod to Gen Z festivalgoers.
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Shakira received the inaugural Billboard Global Touring Icon Award in honor of her historic Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, and as part of the 2025 Billboard Live Music Summit held Monday (Nov. 3) in West Hollywood, California.
“As your longtime tour manager, I am so proud and truly honored to present the first annual Billboard global icon tour award to you,” said tour director Marty Hom, who’s also worked for Fleetwood Mac, Barbra Streisand and The Rolling Stones, among others. “We get to witness every day how hard you work to do the best show possible for all your fans.”
Shakira, who received the news backstage during the rehearsals of her recent show in Cali, Colombia, dedicated the award to her entire team, including dancers, band and crew, for “working as hard as I do,” she noted.
The Live Nation-produced tour’s first 64 dates (of 82) grossed $327.4 million and sold 2.5 million tickets, according to Billboard Boxscore, converting Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran into the highest grossing Latin tour ever by a woman and the second highest grossing Latin tour ever (behind only Luis Miguel’s 2023-24 outing, which grossed $409.5 million).
Additionally, the Colombian artist sold 65,000 tickets per night during her historic 12-concert run at Mexico City’s Estadio GNP Seguros (formerly known as Foro Sol), according to promoter OCESA, for a total of 780,000 tickets sold.
“It’s encouraging and inspiring,” Shakira said to Hom. “I never thought, not even in my wildest dreams, that I would fill every stadium. It’s incredible and motivating at the same time, I feel like I’m just starting my career, and it’s crazy because it’s been 30 years … This has been the best tour of my life, it’s been just as we dreamt it. We worked so hard, overcoming every obstacle, it hasn’t been easy, we worked many, many long hours to make everything as good as people deserve it.”
Backstage at her show in Cali — where she performed for the first time in 20 years — Shakira also discussed her personal life: “I’m completely dedicated to my boys and my career. That’s all I need, my boys, my fans and my music, and creating, it’s fulfilling a big part of my life right now.”
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What’s the future of the kiss cam at concerts? Nick Groff, manager of German electronic producer Bunt., offered some insight when he took the stage at the Billboard Live Music Summit on Monday (Nov. 3) in West Hollywood, California.
Speaking with Billboard editor-in-chief Hannah Karp, Groff discussed giving fans control of the cameras capturing crowd footage at shows, an initiative that sparked a viral moment at an Oct. 18 Bunt. show at The Shrine Los Angeles when one of the phones was used by a couple to show themselves kissing.
“We didn’t plant that kiss,” said Groff. “We gave that phone out to fans.”
For Bunt. and his team, giving fans the ability to film themselves for the big screens at shows is a way to incorporate fans into the performances, especially as Bunt.’s concerts have grown bigger and the team has had to put barricades around the producer for crowd control.
“We had this really awkward problem where we got to this place by celebrating the fan, but how do we bring the fan into a larger show?” Groff said during the Summit.
To address the issue, the Bunt. team linked with a technology company, who reported that they’d created a system that allows specially prepared iPhones to be linked with venue systems, so that footage captured on these phones can be broadcast on the venue’s big screen. At the Oct. 18 Shrine show, these phones were given to longtime Bunt. fans that the artist and his team had a pre-existing relationship with.
The goal with the initiative, Groff said, is “celebrating the fan by capturing them in their moment.”
The Summit discussion referenced the now-infamous viral moment that happened at an August Coldplay concert, where a couple engaged in an affair were captured on a kiss cam. “Although the novelty of that moment, which was scandalous, happened, the reality is that the kiss cam was a novelty idea at live events because it actually celebrated this simple, pure, human emotion of love,” said Groff.
Groff pointed out that this method could also help solve an issue that’s particularly problematic in dance music, where fans stick their phones in the faces of DJs while they’re playing, interrupting the show and affecting the overall mood. This system being employed by the Bunt. team makes it so that phones are now turned back around on audience members, rather than being pointed at artists.
Still, the widespread adoption of this system may be a ways off, as Groff said putting it together was expensive and is technically “really complicated right now.” While the overall system is “still in its infancy in terms of being able to build out,” the team is planning to use it at some of Bunt.’s bigger upcoming dates, including a Nov. 13 set in Munich.
Trending on Billboard Billboard’s editor-in-chief Hannah Karp gives an introduction to the Billboard Live Music Summit 2025 and she’s joined onstage by Nick Groff, the manager of German DJ Bunt., to explore how artists can engage fans even more with technology.
