LOCALIZE IT: Marching bands, equestrian units from several states featured in Rose Parade on Jan. 1

EDITORS/NEWS DIRECTORS:

The Rose Parade in sunny Southern California is back again to ring in the new year, bringing a floral spectacle to crowds of excited spectators, many of whom will camp out overnight for a prime-time viewing spot of the beloved parade.

The iconic New Year’s Day tradition is now in its 137th year. It will feature floats celebrating the theme “The Magic in Teamwork” covered in festoons of roses, marching bands and equestrian groups.

Basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson will preside as grand marshal this year, joining a long line of athletes who’ve served as grand marshals, including Billie Jean King last year.

Parade officials asked Johnson to fill the role after hearing about his efforts to help survivors of the devastating Los Angeles wildfires in January. Johnson also helped launch LA Rises, a recovery initiative to bring together private sector leaders to help LA rebuild.

The parade will kick off with a live performance by Bishop Briggs and dancers for an opening spectacular presented by Honda. Explore Louisiana will present a mid-parade performance by rising country singer and American Idol runner-up, John Foster. Visit Mississippi will also present a mid-parade performance by country singer Charlie Worsham.

Country-pop trio Dek of Hearts, winner of The Voice’s “Mic Drop” competition, will also perform at the parade.

The tradition harkens back to efforts from the city of Pasadena’s Valley Hunt Club, who wanted to showcase the region’s abundance of flowers and beauty even in the midst of winter.

“In New York, people are buried in snow,” said Professor Charles F. Holder at a Club meeting, according to the parade website. “Here our flowers are blooming and our oranges are about to bear. Let’s hold a festival to tell the world about our paradise.”

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WHEN DOES THE PARADE START AND WHERE CAN YOU WATCH?

The parade will begin its 5.5 mile journey at 8 a.m. PT/11 a.m. ET and will be broadcast live in partnership with ABC, NBC, CNN, Fox, Telemundo, and more. It can be streamed on Christmas Plus, FanDuel Sports Network, Fubo, GFam+, Dooya, Pluto TV, and Samsung TV Plus.

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WHEN DOES THE ROSE BOWL START AND WHOSE PLAYING?

After the parade, the Indiana Hoosiers will play in the college football playoff quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl Game at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET at the Rose Bowl Stadium. It will be broadcast at 1 p.m. PT, exclusively on ESPN.

Indiana will face the winner of the playoff’s first-round game between Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Oklahoma Sooners, which will take place Dec. 19 in Norman, Oklahoma. This will be the second-ever appearance in the Rose Bowl for the Hoosiers, following the 1968 match-up where they lost to the University of Southern California Trojans.

Known as “The Granddaddy of Them All,” the Rose Bowl is the oldest of America’s college football postseason bowl games and began in 1902. After being replaced by Roman-style chariot races for a few years, football made a comeback in 1916 and has been a New Year’s Day tradition since.

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FIND YOUR STATE: BANDS AND EQUESTRIAN UNITS PARTICIPATING IN ROSE PARADE Equestrian units and marching bands are an integral part of the Rose Parade. We’ve arranged participating groups by state below. If there’s both bands and equestrian units from a state, they are divided by a dashed line, with bands on top, equestrian units on bottom. Also listed are participants from Japan and Mexico. Check out the parade website to see more details on all these groups and participating floats.

ALABAMA

Homewood Patriot Band (Homewood, Alabama)

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International Andalusian and Lusitano Horse Association (Birmingham, Alabama)

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CALIFORNIA

Arcadia Apache Marching Band and Color Guard (Arcadia, California)

Los Angeles Unified School District All-District Honor Band (Los Angeles, California)

Pasadena City College Herald Trumpets (Pasadena, California)

Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band (Pasadena, California)

The United States Marine Corps West Coast Composite Band (Camp Pendleton, California)

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Blue Shadows Mounted Drill Team (Lake View Terrace, California)

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department – Sheriff’s Museum Foundation (Los Angeles, California)

Los Angeles Police Department: Metropolitan Division Mounted Platoon (Los Angeles, California)

Los Hermanos Banuelos Charro Team (Altadena, California)

Merced County Sheriff’s Posse (Merced, California)

Mini Therapy Horses (Calabasas, California)

Painted Ladies Rodeo Performers (Sacramento, California)

Scripps Miramar Ranch (San Diego, California)

Spirit of the West Riders (Arcadia, California)

The New Buffalo Soldiers (Shadow Hills, California)

The Norco Cowgirls Rodeo Drill Team (Norco, California)

The Valley Hunt Club (Pasadena, California)

United States Marine Corps Mounted Color Guard (Barstow, California)

Victorian Roses Ladies Riding Society (Alpine, California)

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COLORADO

Arabian Horse Association Versatile Arabians (Greenwood Village, Colorado)

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HAWAII

Hawaii Pa’u Riders (Waimanalo, Hawaii)

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INDIANA

The 2026 Bands of America Honor Band (The organization, Bands of America, is based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Bands of America Honor Band is a 300-piece national ensemble. The 2026 band performing at the Rose Parade will include members representing all 50 states).

The Sound of Brownsburg (Brownsburg, Indiana)

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MARYLAND

Magnificent Marching Machine (Baltimore, Maryland; an ensemble of Morgan State University’s band program)

The Salvation Army Tournament of Roses Band (this year’s band includes participants from Maryland and Virginia)

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MISSOURI

Budweiser Clydesdales (St. Louis, Missouri)

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OHIO

The Band Directors Marching Band (Pickerington, Ohio)

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SOUTH CAROLINA

The Pride of Clover Marching Band (Clover, South Carolina)

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TENNESSEE

Franklin High School Marching Band (Franklin, Tennessee)

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TEXAS

Allen Eagle Escadrille (Allen, Texas)

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First Cavalry Division, Horse Cavalry Detachment (Fort Cavazos, Texas)

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VIRGINIA

The Salvation Army Tournament of Roses Band (this year’s band includes participants from Maryland and Virginia)

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WASHINGTON

Northwest Spotted Drafts (Ferndale, Washington)

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WISCONSIN

Greendale High School Marching Band (Greendale, Wisconsin)

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JAPAN

The Mino Jiyu Gakuen High School Marching Band (Osaka, Japan)

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MEXICO

Delfines Marching Band (Veracruz, Mexico)

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