That’s right, dahling. Mariah Carey, unofficially known as the Queen of Christmas, is bringing her talent to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, November 24, for what NBC calls a “historical parade finale.”
And yes, she’ll be performing her hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You” as the clock nears noon and Santa Claus arrives at New York City’s Herald Square to usher in the holiday season.
“My childhood dream is coming to life!” Carey wrote on Instagram on Friday, November 18, as she announced the news. “I’m going to be opening for the one and only Santa Claus at this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!”
Written by Carey and Walter Afanasieff, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is an enduring holiday hit for the pop diva. In 2019, 25 years after its release, the song hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, becoming the first Christmas tune to top the chart in 60 years. With sales of 10 million units, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” has also achieved the Recording Industry Association of America’s Diamond certification, having gone Platinum 10 times over.
As for other yuletide festivities, Carey is also performing in the TV special Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All!, airing on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ live at 8/7c on Tuesday, December 20. (The news of Carey’s Thanksgiving Day Parade involvement, however, comes just days after Trial Trademark and Appeal Board denied the singer’s request to trademark the title “Queen of Christmas,” per NPR.)
In a press release, NBC says that this year’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the 96th edition of the event, “will bring the nation together with a dazzling lineup featuring giant character helium balloons, fantastic floats, show-stopping marching bands, high-spirited performance groups, whimsical clowns, music stars, and the one-and-only Santa Claus” as it airs live on the broadcast network and streams on Peacock.
Along with Carey, other parade performers this year include Gloria Estefan, Paula Abdul, Jordin Sparks, Dionne Warwick, and Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin cast members Adam DeVine, Sarah Hyland, and Flula Borg.
96th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Thursday, November 24, 9a/8c, NBC and Peacock