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this Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2025 got people talking due to some of its delightfully random and undeniably weird moments.
The 99th Annual Parade is hosted by al rock, Hoda Kotb and Savannah GuthrieIt kicked off on Thursday, November 27, with the usual series of oversized floats and star-studded performances. Although some singers’ performances such as Lenny Wilson, Ciara, Colby Keira and Gavin DeGraw While it was filled with typical holiday cheer, other aspects of the event took viewers by surprise.
The launch of the first Labubu float, a medley of hits from the late ’90s and early 2000s and a carnival-themed Toys “R” Us float are just a few of the parade events that are making waves on social media.
“Among the many things I enjoy, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade “This is such a crazy commercial pop culture mashup. Everything at once, really,” one person wrote via X on Thursday.
This year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade-goers were feeling less than festive. “The annual torture session is coming up, watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. I get sick of it every year,” one person shared via
In deciding who will participate in the parade, Macy’s Studios’ creative production director Brendan Kennedy recently opened up about how he and his team make decisions and seize opportunities, noting that he ensures anyone involved has no reservations about being a little weird.
“We’re having conversations with anyone who wants to march, asking things like, ‘Is now the right time to do this? Are we compatible?'” he told reporters. new york times earlier this month. “I always ask the question: ‘Are they lacking creativity? Are they lacking clown spirit?’ Because we only have a few minutes to tell a really good story about what happened on the street.”
Keep scrolling to see the weirdest moments from the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade:
Labbu Buoy
Some spectators were surprised to see that popular new toy Labubu got his own float in the parade. The title and theme of the float is “Friendship in Pop City,” in which Labubu celebrates the holiday with her other Pop Mart friends and watches a performance by virtual K-pop girl group HUNTR/X.
“The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade announcer said ‘Next is the debut of Labubu’ and it sent shivers down my spine!” one person quipped via
A third wrote: “I am the first person in my bloodline to witness a pull-a-boob float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.”
Shaggy sings medley of hit songs for kids with questionable lyrics
Shaggy performed a medley. His biggest hits of the early 2000s Included on the Jennie-O Big Türkiye Spectacular float are “Mr. Bombastic,” “It’s Not Me” and “Angel.” While some millennials were excited about the throwback moment, others questioned the choice to perform songs like “Honey came in, she caught me red-handed/Crawling with the girl next door/Imagine us both naked butts/Tapping on the bathroom floor,” as children cheered in the background.
“Shaggy sang ‘It Wasn’t Me’ between children’s floats at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” one user tweeted a GIF. Jonah Hill Signal to stop the music. Another viewer admitted, “The last thing I expected was to hear Shaggy singing ‘This Is Not Me’ in the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.”
“Having Shaggy perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is definitely an option,” a third added.
Lil Jon dances with a giraffe “Why Say No”
Eyebrows were raised when Lil Jon jumped on the Toys “R” Us bandwagon for a high-energy rendition of his 2014 hit “Turn Down for What.” Elsewhere on the float there was an array of animals, one of which was a Toys “R” Us giraffe who danced around in a fur-lined jacket and red sunglasses. Just a typical 9am thing.
Busta rhymes with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Nothing says Thanksgiving like Thanksgiving busta rhyme Join forces with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! The rapper joined the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” float, with four Ninja Turtles – Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo and Leonardo – performing a choreographed dance behind him.
“Where were you when the Busta Rhymes and Ninja Turtles collaboration showed up in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?” someone asked via X.
A second person added, “Busta singing ‘Break Your Neck’ on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles float…Little Jon’s signature rejecting the content on the Toys R Us float…I don’t know what’s going on…Give the person in charge of this parade a raise!”
Yesterday, the girl with the golden ticket had watched The Rockettes
NBC hypes Al Roker giving ‘golden ticket’ to young girl Go see the Rockettes this holiday season at Radio City Music Hall. But when he revealed the surprise and asked her if she was excited to see the famous group dance, the girl unexpectedly admitted, “I did that yesterday,” leaving Rock and the Rockettes in attendance not sure how to respond. oops!
mr fantasy plays pirate
Mr. Fantasy, many people think he is an actor KJ Apa’s Another self, jump on the Jolly Polly pirate ship float to perform a new song. Rocking plaid pants, green sunglasses and his signature black bob, Mr. Fantasy spin and climb aboard The children on the float cheered.
One person asked, “Why did they have Mr. Fantasy perform in the Thanksgiving Day Parade?” while another speculated that the character was made up specifically for the event. “My conspiracy theory is that Macy’s occasionally invents characters for the Thanksgiving Day Parade and pretends they are real celebrities or musicians. Mr. Fantasy???,” the person wrote via X.
This year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade-goers were feeling less than festive. “The annual torture session is coming up, watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. I get sick of it every year,” one person shared via
Conan Gray sings a great but very depressing song
No one could argue that Gray’s “Vodka and Cranberries” was a hit song, and the singer sounded and looked incredible while performing the single midway through the parade. However, the tone of the song – which includes lyrics like “Say it, I know you hate me / Look at your picture and cry like a baby / Drink too many vodka cranberries” – felt like a downer to some compared to other high-energy performances.
However, the reason this moment is on this list is because of what happened next. Broadcast switches from gray to close-up Queen Latifah— She wasn’t involved in the performance at all – appearing to shed tears after the song ended. “Why did they show Queen Latifah like his mom after Conan Gray’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade performance,” one person wrote via X.
