There are many milestones to attaining cartoon greatness. It isn’t always about breaking records with viewers or having the most Twitter followers, although that is a huge part of it. Sometimes, it’s the other events that happen around the show – like getting your first toy line or being referenced on a mainstream talk show. Bluey has demolished plenty of hurdles already en route to becoming one of the most popular animated series to come out of Australia, but this latest piece of news comes straight out of left field.
Later this year, Bluey joins the ranks of a very small number of cartoon characters to become a float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. This annual event that runs from Central Park down to Herald Square (home of the Macy’s flagship store) has been going on for nearly 100 years, with Mickey Mouse, Kermit the Frog, and Snoopy some of the mainstays in this event. Now, Bluey will float alongside these icons of animation and into the annals of history. Nothing could be more mainstream than this, and proves how far this little cartoon dog has come in a very short amount of time.
The announcement arrived via a press release from BBC Studios with an additional post from the official Bluey website. Entering the parade in its 96th year, Bluey will be an amazing sight to see wandering through the streets of NYC. It’s an unexpected but very welcome surprise, one that I can’t wait to see in person!
“As one of the most popular characters in children’s entertainment today, we could not be more excited to welcome Bluey, all the way from Australia, to the 96th Macy’s Parade line-up,” said Jordan Dabby, producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “Millions of families will be thrilled to see Bluey celebrate her first New York Thanksgiving as she soars above the streets of Manhattan on Parade Day.”
“Being part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a true highlight for Bluey,” said Rebecca Glashow, Chief Executive Officer, Global Distribution, BBC Studios. “This iconic event has long been an important part of the holiday season for kids and families across the U.S. We couldn’t be more excited that Bluey will be there to join this year’s celebration in New York City.”
The Bluey balloon will be created by Macy’s Parade Studio’s team of artists. It’ll measure 51-feet long, 37-feet wide and 52-feet tall, with approximately 50 gallons of blue paint to color every square inch of this enormous float.
2022 continues to be a banner year for the Heelers, as their new stage show, “Bluey’s Big Play”, debuted earlier this year to positive reviews.
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will air nationwide in the U.S. on NBC and stream on Peacock, on Thursday, November 24, 2022, from 9 AM to noon in all time zones. Fans can chime on in on social media by using the hashtags #BlueyBalloon and #MacysParade while enjoying the event.
