The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2026: the route, where to stand, and how to get there

• Parade Thu, Nov 26 (official)
• Broadcast NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, 8:30 a.m. (official)
• Edition The 100th (official)
• Route Not announced yet
• Balloon inflation Not announced yet (2025: Wed, 1 to 6 p.m.)
• MTA service plan Not announced yet

What is confirmed, and what is not

Macy's, Inc. announced on August 18, 2026 that the 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is Thursday, November 26, on NBC, Peacock and Telemundo starting at 8:30 a.m. in all time zones. The release says the lineup will have 100 inflatable elements, including new characters Billie Brightpaw and Tom Jr., a reimagined Underdog and a Blue Hippopotamus balloon that it says has been missing since 1931. It says nothing about the route, the viewing areas or the balloon inflation (checked September 2026). Anything labelled last year's is the 2025 parade, which ran Thursday, November 27, 2025.

The route

Last year the parade began at West 77th Street and Central Park West, ran south on Central Park West to 59th Street, went around Columbus Circle, turned east on Central Park South, then south on Sixth Avenue to 34th Street and Macy's Herald Square, per NBC. That is about 2.5 miles. The 2026 route has not been published, and a 100th edition is a reason to expect some changes, so read this as a likely shape, not a map. The floats and balloons line up on the Upper West Side before step-off.

Where to stand, and how early

In 2025 Macy's recommended three stretches, per NBC: the west side of Central Park West from 75th to 63rd Streets, the south side of West 59th Street between Columbus Circle and Sixth Avenue, and Sixth Avenue between 59th and 38th Streets. NBC reported early arrivals lining up on Central Park West from 6 a.m. Macy's gives no official arrival time. Our advice, not the operator's: for the front row, be there by 6 or 7 a.m.; for a spot a few people deep on Sixth Avenue north of 42nd Street, 7:30 or 8 a.m. is usually workable, and the wider sidewalks there help. The city's notice put the crowd at more than 3.5 million spectators along the route.

Not open to the public. The national broadcast sets up around Herald Square. In 2025 NBC New York listed West 34th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues and Sixth Avenue between 34th and 38th Streets as closed to spectators, along with the starting point at 77th Street, Central Park West between 59th and 60th Streets, and Columbus Circle. Macy's own where-to-watch page says the grandstand seats seen on television are for Macy's employees and that parade tickets are never sold to the public (we could not load that page directly, so this is its text as shown in search results, checked September 2026). There is no ticket to buy, and a site selling one is not Macy's.

Balloon inflation the day before

The inflation event is where you see the balloons filling, and it is free and needs no ticket. In 2025 it ran Wednesday, November 26, outside the American Museum of Natural History between West 77th and 81st Streets, per NBC New York. The line opened at noon and viewing ran from 1 to 6 p.m. You entered through a security checkpoint at West 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue, walked the loop around the museum, and exited at 81st Street and Central Park West, then could head north to see the floats between 81st and 86th Streets, per West Side Rag. Umbrellas, backpacks, large bags, chairs, alcohol, drones and e-cigarettes were not allowed. For 2026 the Wednesday is November 25; hours and entry are not announced yet. Our advice: join the line at or soon after it opens, because the 2025 entry closed at 6 p.m.

Getting there

The city's 2025 notice closed Central Park West from 72nd to 86th Streets from 2 a.m. Wednesday through 3 p.m. Thursday, with the cross streets between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue closing in stages from Wednesday morning, and said closures can change at the NYPD's direction. Officials urged taking public transportation, and in 2025 five bus routes (the M1, M2, M3, M4 and Q32) were diverted from 2 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, per NBC New York. A car is the wrong tool for this.

Subway and rail. The MTA's 2025 plan ran a Sunday subway schedule on Thanksgiving Day, with extra early-morning service on two lines and the 42 St Shuttle. Some station entrances and exits along the route were closed to prevent crowding, and trains skipped 81 St-Museum of Natural History and 57 St from 4 a.m. to 11 a.m. LIRR ran a weekend schedule with extra Babylon, Port Jefferson and Ronkonkoma trains before and after the parade, and Metro-North ran a special schedule on the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines with extra service. Alcohol was not allowed on LIRR trains or in stations from 8 p.m. Wednesday through noon Thursday. The 2026 plan is not posted; check mta.info the week of. For the inflation, the B and C at 72 St and Central Park West was the closest stop in 2025. Near the route, 34 St-Herald Sq (B, D, F, M, N, Q, R, W) and Columbus Circle (A, B, C, D, 1) are the large hubs, but expect nearby entrances to be shut and plan to walk a few blocks.

Weather, bathrooms, kids and bags

Wind decides the balloons. New York City rules bar the full-size balloons from flying if sustained winds top 23 mph, and there is a separate gust limit that outlets report as 34 or 35 mph, so we print neither, per ABC7. In 2025 officials said they would check wind in the morning and decide whether the balloons needed to fly lower. The 2025 forecast was windy and the parade went ahead at 8:30 a.m. There is no 2026 forecast yet; plan for standing still outdoors for hours in late November.

Bags and kids. The mayor's office listed coolers, oversized bags, chairs, umbrellas, strollers, bicycles, pets, alcohol and weapons as prohibited in 2025, and said bags are subject to inspection. Strollers are on that list, which matters with small children: a carrier works where a stroller does not, and the inflation event is easier with kids than the parade. The 2026 list is not announced. Bathrooms: we found no official guidance on public restrooms along the route, so go before you leave and expect leaving a spot to be costly. Fox 5 reported that pedestrian crossings of Sixth Avenue were limited to five points in 2025 (57th, 52nd, 48th, 44th and 39th Streets), so you cannot cut across wherever you like.

Watching at home

The 2026 broadcast is on NBC, Peacock and Telemundo, starting at 8:30 a.m. in all time zones, per Macy's, Inc. In 2025 NBC and Peacock repeated the telecast at 2 p.m., with the TODAY hosts presenting; 2026 hosts and any repeat time are not announced yet. The broadcast shows the Herald Square performances, which sit in the closed zone.

• Central Park West in the 60s and 70s, early

  It is the first stretch of the route, the crowd spreads along a wide avenue, and it is close to the B and C and to Columbus Circle.

  What to know: Macy's recommended the west side from 75th to 63rd Streets in 2025, with early arrivals from 6 a.m. The 2026 viewing areas are not announced.

  Macy's: the parade

• Sixth Avenue north of 38th Street

  Wider sidewalks and a later crowd than the Upper West Side, so you can arrive closer to step-off. Stay above 38th Street, because the broadcast zone closes the blocks near Herald Square.

  What to know: The route and closures are not announced for 2026. In 2025 pedestrian crossings of Sixth Avenue were limited to five points.

• The balloon inflation on Wednesday

  The same balloons, filling in daylight at a walking pace, with no ticket and no pre-dawn alarm. It is the easier outing with kids.

  What to know: Free in 2025; the line opened at noon and viewing ran 1 to 6 p.m. The 2026 hours are not announced.

  NBC New York: the 2025 inflation details

• The couch

  The broadcast covers the Herald Square performances and the finish, which are in the closed zone, and you can sit down.

  What to know: NBC, Peacock and Telemundo, 8:30 a.m. in all time zones (official, 2026).