Nintendo of America and Macy’s Announce New Mario Balloon to be Featured in the Iconic Holiday Kick-Off

Get ready to say “Wahoo!” this Thanksgiving! Today, Nintendo of America and Macy’s announced that a new Mario featured character balloon will make its debut in the 99^th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade^® on Thursday, November 27. Get an early look at a 3D model of the new Mario balloon in the accompanying image.

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Today, Nintendo of America and Macy’s announce Mario will be Joining the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® for the 40th Anniversary of Super Mario Bros. on Thursday, November 27.

Mario will take flight over the streets of Manhattan just in time for the 40^th anniversary of the original Super Mario Bros. game, which first launched in Japan in 1985.

“Having Mario join this iconic holiday tradition is an incredible way to honor the 40^th anniversary of Super Mario Bros.,” said Devon Pritchard, EVP of Revenue, Marketing & Consumer Experience at Nintendo of America. “Since he first emerged from a Warp Pipe, Mario has embodied our goal of bringing smiles to faces all over the world. We are excited for Mario fans of all ages to see his new balloon’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade debut.”

The Mario balloon was created by Macy’s Parade Studio’s team of artists in partnership with Nintendo of America and measures 51-feet and 2-inches long, 37-feet wide and 43-feet and 8-inches tall. Mario will be clad in his classic blue overalls and signature red cap, striking a flying pose inspired by the game Super Mario Galaxy.

“The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has long been a stage for the world’s most beloved characters, and this year we’re thrilled to partner with Nintendo to welcome a new Mario balloon to that tradition,” said Jordan Dabby, producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “As Mario celebrates 40 years of inspiring players and families worldwide, his flight down the streets of Manhattan is both a historic milestone and a joyful celebration — one sure to have fans everywhere cheering ‘Wahoo!’ this Thanksgiving morning.”

Mario has brought smiles to fans of all ages throughout the world. What started in video games has leveled up across the globe to be celebrated through theme parks, movies and a wide variety of merchandise. Often appearing with his brother Luigi, Princess Peach and their mutual rival Bowser, Mario and friends have been featured across a wide variety of games, including Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario Maker 2, Super Mario Party Jamboree, Super Mario Bros. Wonder on the Nintendo Switch system and most recently, Mario Kart World on the Nintendo Switch 2 system. On April 3, 2026, Mario will return to the big screen with the release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, a new animated movie from Nintendo and Illumination based on the world of Super Mario Bros.

Paradegoers and visitors to New York City can also connect with Mario and friends during a festive stop at Nintendo NEW YORK. Located in the heart of Rockefeller Plaza near the iconic Christmas tree, the Nintendo NEW YORK store will be powering up holiday cheer with festive décor and plenty of Nintendo-themed holiday magic. For updates and more information about in-store holiday events, follow @NintendoStoreUS on Instagram and X.

The 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will air Thursday, November 27 in the U.S. on NBC and stream on Peacock from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., in all time zones. To follow and participate in the excitement, check out @macys on various social platforms and follow #MacysParade. For more information, visit https://www.macys.com/s/parade/.

For more information on Nintendo, please visit Nintendo.com. To see all the fun that’s in store for the 40^th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., please visit https://mario.nintendo.com/.

About Nintendo: Nintendo Co., Ltd., headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, has been providing a wide range of entertainment products and experiences since its founding in 1889, beginning with the manufacture and sale of Hanafuda playing cards.

Since the 1983 release of the Family Computer (Famicom) system in Japan, and continuing through Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo’s focus has been the development, manufacturing, and sale of its gaming systems and software. To date, Nintendo has sold more than 5.9 billion video games and over 860 million hardware units globally, and has created franchises such as Mario^™, Donkey Kong^™, The Legend of Zelda^™, Pokémon^™, Metroid^™, Kirby^™, Animal Crossing^™, Pikmin^™, and Splatoon^™. Nintendo strives to expand the number of people who have access to its characters and worlds. Its continuing mission is to put smiles on the faces of everyone it touches with unique entertainment experiences, centered on its integrated video game hardware and software products.

A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for operations in the Americas. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at https://www.nintendo.com/.

About Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade:

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a national icon that has grown into a world-famous holiday event. Since 1924, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has marked the official start of the holiday season. Growing in size and scale, the Parade features Macy’s signature giant character balloons, fabulous floats, incredible marching bands, celebrities, clowns, dance and performance groups, and the one and only Santa Claus, spreading holiday cheer. For more information on the Macy’s Parade, please visit www.macys.com/parade.

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