Most musical performances at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade are lip-synced (or sung over a prerecorded track), rather than fully live.

How much is lip-synced?

• Entertainment outlets report that nearly all singers on the moving floats use prerecorded vocals, especially in recent years.

• Some performers on the main stage or in special setups may sing partially live, but mixed or fully prerecorded vocals are still common.

Why they lip sync

• The parade’s moving floats are not equipped to handle full live-concert sound (mics, monitors, mixing, feedback control) while rolling through city streets, so organizers rely on prerecorded tracks for consistent audio.

• Cold late-November weather in New York makes reliable live singing harder and increases the risk of vocal strain and technical issues, so prerecorded vocals help keep the show smooth for TV.