Hindsight is 20/20, but perhaps the veteran rockers from Foreigner, the Demogorgon from Stranger Things, and dancing scientists in hazmat suits on a Thanksgiving float were a…bold choice for Macy’s.
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Following Wednesday’s release of the first part of the fifth and final season of the Netflix cultural phenomenon, Foreigner brought the streets of New York City to the Upside Down with a performance of “Cold as Ice” on the “Upside Down Invasion: Stranger Things” float.
And it was… something.
@grindmodejoeyt Foreigner performed “Cold as ice” on the Stranger Things 5 Float #ThanksgivingDayParade #StrangerThings5 #fyp #Thanksgiving2025 #foreigner @Official Foreigner Tik Tok ♬ Cold as Ice – Foreigner
While Stranger Things nails the vibe with its iconic ’80s music, some social media users found pairing Foreigner’s performance with sci-fi drama imagery a bit…strange for a holiday parade usually filled with cartoon characters and bubblegum pop stars.
“Got to wonder, when Foreigner wrote ‘Cold as Ice,’ did they imagine one day they’d be performing an abridged 1-minute version on a Thanksgiving parade float in front of a caged animatronic demon,” one parade watcher joked on X.
Another Macy’s Parade viewer couldn’t help but marvel at the sheer absurdity: a classic rocker band’s ever-changing lineup, the parade’s legendary lip-syncing, and the big bad of season one of Stranger Things busting out moves like it’s auditioning for Broadway.
“Fake Foreigner lip-syncing while on a Stranger Things float with a dancing Demogorgon. Bizarre,” they wrote alongside a screenshot of the hijinks.
Fake Foreigner lip syncing while on a Stranger Things float with a dancing Demogorgon.
— TED* (@sonicbluestrats) November 27, 2025
Bizarre. pic.twitter.com/PdbnnIDEs0
“Foreigner with no original members on a float that is celebrating a show that is at best a generic pastiche of ’80s tropes,” another curmudgeon wrote.
Macy’s Parade Fans Loved Foreigner’s ‘Stranger Things’ Float…
However, some Macy’s fans loved the weirdness of it all. An Instagram post simply featuring the float and the waving veteran rockers was filled with supportive comments.
“This was my favorite float !! Because it’s Stranger Things!!!” one content fan wrote. “So cool! I’m watching it on TV now,” another fan added. “I frikkin love them,” a third fan gushed.
Meanwhile, one X user channeled their inner Rod Serling, succinctly summing up this year’s Macy’s Parade as a journey into another dimension… a dimension of sight, a dimension of sound, a dimension of mind… and dancing Demogorgon.
“Foreigner playing ‘Cold As Ice’ on a Stranger Things float at the Macy’s Parade, with an animatronic Demogorgon and dancers in Hazmat suits. Followed by Lil Jon doing ‘Turn Down for What’ on a Toys’ R Us float with Geoffrey the Giraffe. Life has turned into a Simpsons episode,” they joked.