Do you believe who opened for Santa at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade this year?
None other than pop queen Cher, who helped close out the annual event in New York City Nov. 23, just before Santa arrived on his sleigh. Wearing a white button-down shirt, black tie and black bedazzled pants and surrounded by backup dancers, the singer performed her new holiday song "DJ Play a Christmas Song"
The Grammy winner, who released her first holiday album Christmas this past October, topped a star-studded lineup at the 97th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, hosted by Today's Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker.
Also on hand to celebrate? The Radio City Rockettes, Jon Batiste, Bell Biv DeVoe, Brandy, En Vogue, ENHYPEN, David Foster and Katharine McPhee, Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors, Paul Russell, Pentatonix, Manuel Turizo, Chicago, Ashley Park alongside the cast and Muppets of Sesame Street and Jessie James Decker. The pregnant country star was joined by husband Eric Decker at the event.
Plus, the parade also featured performances from the casts of & Juliet, Back to the Future: The Musical, How To Dance in Ohio, Shucked and Monty Python's Spamalot.
Not to mention, the crowd got into the Olympic spirit ahead of the 2024 Games in Paris with some help from members of Team USA: Gymnast Jordan Chiles, high jumper Ezra Frech and swimmer Jessica Long.
And while many fan favorite balloons returned to the streets of New York—like stars from Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Paw Patrol as well as Pikachu, SpongeBob SquarePants and Bluey (playing Keepy Uppy)—several new characters were introduced, such as Leo the lizard from Netflix's upcoming animated film Leo.
(E!, NBC and Peacock are part of the NBCUniversal family.)
Read on and relive all the magic from the day below:
Eric Decker & Jessie James Decker
Katharine McPhee & David Foster
Katharine McPhee & David Foster
Brandy
ENHYPEN & Baby Shark
Kenan Thompson & Kel Mitchell
Ashley Park & Sesame Street Muppets
Hoda Kotb
Paul Russell
Chicago
Andrew Rannells & Josh Gad
Miss America Grace Stanke
Manuel Turizo
Bel Biv Davoe
Cher & Andy Cohen
The singer poses for a pic with the Bravo host and his son Ben.
Bluey With a Keepy Uppy Balloon
Paw Patrol's Chase
Pillsbury Doughboy
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
SpongeBob SquarePants
The Mandalorian's Grogu
Kung Fu Panda's Po
Tom Turkey
Tom Turkey
Santa