Cynthia Erivo delivers a show-stopping “Feeling Good” as she opens the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade

Cynthia Erivo opened the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with a groundbreaking performance of Feeling Good by Nina Simone. What made the performance even more incredible was the fact that she brought the house down 10 days after she lost her voice, which also led her to skip interviews for the Wicked for Good press tour.

Dressed in a monochromatic maroon look in full fall spirit, along with a piano backing her, she delivered the incredibly hard song after just recovering her voice. Universal Pictures announced before the November 17th Wicked premiere in New York City that the actress, who plays Elphaba in the movie musical, had lost her voice, due to which she couldn't give interviews. Her co-star Ariana Grande has also not been attending interviews due to her COVID-19 diagnosis.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2025

It truly was a show-stopping parade with a dazzling list of stars and their performances. The lineup included Jonathan Groff, Conan Gray, Ciara, Busta Rhymes, Lil Jon, Shaggy, Christopher Jackson, Kool & The Gang, and more. Savannah Guthrie and Today show alum Hoda Kotb reunited to host the 99th parade.

Broadway seemed to be the central theme of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, as, besides the Tony-winning star, Erivo, Jonathan Groff, who was later joined by Wicked star Bowen Yang and his co-star Sarah Hyland, performed a number from the musical Just in Time. The cast of Buena Vista Social Club performed a lively “Candela" while Ragtime performers gave an emotional performance of “Wheels of a Dream."

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Pop singers like Conan Gray, who performed his new song “Vodka Cranberry,” and Calum Scott, who delivered a duet of Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” using her recorded vocals, created an emotional and heartfelt vibe. Viral star and KJ Apa's doppelganger, Mr Fantasy, also showed his skills as he sang his alter ego’s anthem.

To bring up the mood at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, hip hop legends such as Busta Rhymes, Lil Jon, and Shaggy sang their classics, such as “Break Ya Neck,” “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See,” “Mr Bombastic,” “It Wasn’t Me" and “Turn Down for What.”

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