100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Welcomes Hello Kitty® with Brand New Balloon and Exclusive Product Collection
Sanrio® and Macy's mark the Parade's centennial march with a larger-than-life balloon and limited-edition capsule with apparel, accessories and home goods available only at Macy's
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanrio®, the global lifestyle brand behind beloved characters like Hello Kitty® and Kuromi™, announced today an exclusive Hello Kitty and Friends collection with Macy's to celebrate the 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade®. The milestone celebration marks the return of Hello Kitty to the Parade with a brand-new giant character balloon, featuring Hello Kitty holding a vibrant red apple — a playful nod to the iconic "Big Apple". The capsule collection captures this charming new design and features Sanrio's iconic characters across curated apparel, accessories, and home goods, inviting customers to bring a piece of Macy's Parade magic home.
"Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a cherished American tradition, and we're honored to celebrate this historic milestone with Macy's," said Jill Koch, Chief Brand Officer, Sanrio, Inc. "It's incredibly special to see Hello Kitty return to the Parade with a brand-new balloon created for this moment. From her red apple, a playful tribute to New York City, to this exclusive collection, we're excited to give fans new ways to share in the joy, nostalgia and excitement of this beloved holiday tradition."
"For more than a century, fans of all ages have made Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade a part of their holiday traditions," said Will Coss, executive producer of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. "As we commemorate this year's milestone march, we are excited to bring together the spirit of Macy's Parade magic with Hello Kitty in our exclusive capsule collection. Fans will now have a unique way to take home this year's celebrations with the must-have collaboration tied to Hello Kitty's must see-Parade return."
The 23-piece collection features Hello Kitty and Friends balloon-style artwork created exclusively for Macy's. Available in select Macy's stores nationwide, the collection celebrates a century of Parade marches with women's and girl's apparel, Loungefly backpack and bag charms, Kidrobot plush bag charm and pin set, seasonal decor from Blue Sky Clayworks, and more.
The full capsule collection is available starting today on the Macy's website and will be available in-store at the Macy's Herald Square flagship store in New York starting October 15.
Audiences nationwide can watch the 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, November 26, on NBC and Peacock starting at 8:30 a.m. in all time zones. To follow and participate in the excitement, visit @macys on social platforms and follow #MacysParade. For the latest Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade news, balloon announcements, exclusive merchandise and event information, visit macys.com/s/parade/.
About Sanrio®
Sanrio® is the global lifestyle brand and home to Hello Kitty®, created in 1974, and many other beloved character brands such as My Melody™, Kuromi™, LittleTwinStars™, Cinnamoroll™, Pompompurin™, gudetama™, Aggretsuko™, Chococat™, Badtz-Maru™ and Keroppi™. Sanrio was founded on the philosophy that a small gift can bring happiness and friendship to people of all ages. Since 1960, this philosophy has served as the inspiration to offer quality products, services and activities that promote communication and inspire unique consumer experiences across the world. Today, Sanrio's business extends into the entertainment industry with several content series, gaming offerings and theme parks. Sanrio boasts an extensive product lineup which is available in over 130 countries. Sanrio hopes to bring smiles to everyone's faces with their vision of "One World, Connecting Smiles." To learn more about Sanrio, please visit www.sanrio.com and follow @sanrio and @hellokitty on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Pinterest and subscribe to the Hello Kitty and Friends YouTube Channel.
Sanrio Media Contact: [email protected]
Macy's Media Contact: Christine Nealon / Ryan Gannon / Madeline Merritts [email protected]
SOURCE Sanrio
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