The 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade airs live on NBC the morning of November 26, 2026. Here's the time, the channel, and how to watch it free over the air with no cable or subscription.
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade returns on Thursday, November 26, 2026, and this one is a milestone: it's the 100th parade. It airs live on NBC from 8:30 AM to noon in every time zone, which means it's free over the air for anyone with an antenna. No cable, no streaming subscription, nothing to sign up for.
- Network
- NBC, with streaming on Peacock
- Date
- Thursday, November 26, 2026
- Time
- 8:30 AM to noon, live in all time zones
- Where
- The parade route through Manhattan, ending at Macy's Herald Square
The 100th parade
Macy's has been running this since 1924, and 2026 marks the hundredth edition. The count sits a couple of years behind the calendar because the parade was suspended from 1942 to 1944, when the rubber and helium that filled the balloons went to the war effort instead. So the centennial parade lands in 2026 rather than 2024.
It is also, year after year, the most watched entertainment broadcast on American television. For a program that draws that kind of audience, it is worth remembering that it costs nothing to watch.
Why it's free, and what that's worth
NBC is a full-power broadcast network, so the parade goes out over the air the same way your local news does. An antenna pulls it in live and in HD, at no cost and with no account. Peacock carries a simultaneous stream for anyone who would rather watch on a phone or tablet, but that one needs a subscription. The free version is the one coming through the air.
There's a practical angle too. Thanksgiving morning is exactly when a house is full of people and the internet is carrying more than usual, and a broadcast signal doesn't care. It doesn't buffer, it doesn't compete with anyone else's video call, and it doesn't drop out because the neighborhood is streaming at once.
The short version: You don't need cable or a streaming subscription to watch the 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Point an antenna at your local NBC affiliate on the morning of November 26, 2026, and you'll get the whole thing live and free.
Not sure what channel NBC is where you live?
NBC affiliates broadcast on a different channel number in nearly every market. Search your city or zip code below to find your local NBC station, its exact channel number, and how strong a signal to expect, so you're not scanning for channels on Thanksgiving morning with the turkey already in the oven.
We'll update this post with the balloon lineup, the performers, and the exact broadcast window as Macy's and NBC confirm them closer to Thanksgiving.
Need help picking out an antenna to watch the parade? Check out our antenna buying guide.
