Marching bands named for 2025 Rose Parade
The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association has named the 20 bands that will showcase their talents when they march down Colorado Boulevard at the 136th Rose Parade on Jan. 1.
The lineup — selected by the association's volunteer members based on criteria such as musicianship, marching ability, and entertainment or special interest value — will feature new and veteran bands from around the world and in Pasadena.
Two more bands will be added to the lineup for the 136th Rose Parade — with the theme “Best Day Ever!” — when the teams competing in the Rose Bowl are determined in December.
The Rose Parade bands in alphabetical order:
605 ALL STAR BAND
The 605 All-Star Band, which was the concept of Mayfair High School's band director Tom Philips, consists of 407 students — 360 in the marching band and 47 in the color guard — making it one of the largest bands to ever march in the Rose Parade.
The high school bands of Norwalk La Mirada Unified School District join with those of ABC Unified to represent the schools residing along the 605 Freeway after the pandemic downsized each of their music programs.
The band comprises students from Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Hawaiian Gardens, Lakewood, La Mirada and Norwalk.
ALL STAR MARCHING BAND OF MEXICO
As the largest and highest-ranked band in the entire country, the All Star Marching Band of Mexico, from Puebla, brings together their diverse talents into one cohesive sound. With university marching band programs scarce, the All-Star Marching Band from Mexico adds high school graduates to bring together the best musicians of the Mexican marching bands.
BANDA DE MÚSICA HERBERTO LÓPEZ COLEGIO JOSÉ DANIEL CRESPO
As Panama's largest school band, composed of students ages 12-19, Banda de Música Herberto López Colegio José Daniel Crespo seeks to honor all corners of the country by adapting Panamanian music into their marching band music arrangements. Their performances are not just musical acts but also a powerful expression of national heritage and unity for the country of Panama.
FRESNO STATE BULLDOG MARCHING BAND
Having been recognized by the College Band Directors National Association as one of the country's top eight college marching bands, the Bulldog Marching Band is a performance and entertainment ensemble of Cal State Fresno and Fresno State Athletics in the Central Valley.
Started in 1926, the band comprises members from every major on campus at Cal State Fresno and is now at its largest membership with more than 250 members.
HELSINGØR PIGEGARDE
Hailing from Denmark, Helsingør Pigegarde (the Elsinore Girls Marching Band) has been merging traditional military music with modern melodies since 1957.
The band, which performs globally, embodies the Danish concept of “hygge” — a warm, communal togetherness and cherished sense of comfort and belonging that is a cornerstone of their cultural identity.
MIGHTY MUSTANG MARCHING BAND & COLOR GUARD
Founded in 1963, the Mighty Mustang Marching Band and Color Guard of Homestead High School in Cupertino has established itself as an innovative and entertaining performance group, developing its shows and style with a modern drum corps.
The band learns and performs a new show each year with new music, fresh choreography, vibrant costumes and unique props, often featuring contemporary and popular themes mixed with eclectic varieties of music.
KYOTO TACHIBANA HIGH SCHOOL GREEN BAND
Founded in 1961 with the intent of improving girls' health, Kyoto's Tachibana High School Green Band, fondly nicknamed “Orange Devils,” has since evolved into one of the oldest female marching bands in Japan. The band, whose motto is “Full of Energy, Smiles and Dreams,” plays almost entirely Western music, from gospel and big band era classics to recent pop hits and Disney tunes.
L.A. UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT ALL-DISTRICT HONOR BAND
Composed of more than 300 students from about 75 high schools across the country's second-largest school district, the L.A. Unified School District's
All-District Honor Band has performed for various national events, including Super Bowls and World Series games, and with such artists as Ringo Starr and Jon Batiste.
PASADENA CITY COLLEGE HERALD TRUMPETS
The Pasadena City College Herald Trumpets will announce the Royal Court in the parade for the 45th consecutive year, with the elite unit — composed of nine trumpeters and one snare drummer selected from current PCC trumpeters and more than 70 Southern California high school musicians — dating back to the 1930s.
PCC TOURNAMENT OF ROSES HONOR BAND
Proudly known as “The Official Band of the Tournament of Roses,” the honor band is composed of the current PCC Lancer Marching Band members and select high school students from throughout Southern California, with more than 500 high school music students auditioning for the 225 spots in the band.
The PCC Lancer Band also performs for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Royal Court announcement ceremony, the Pasadena Latino Heritage Parade and the Pasadena Black History Parade.
PEBBLE HILLS HIGH SCHOOL SPARTAN MARCHING BAND
With the motto of, “Excellence is an art by training and habituation,” the band from El Paso, Texas, has lived up to its creed as its the first group from their area to be part of the Rose Parade, in just the eighth year of the program's existence.
RANCHO VERDE CRIMSON REGIMENT
Most of the students of Rancho Verde High School in Moreno Valley are firstgeneration high school graduates and will be firstgeneration college students, however that hasn't held them back from growing the program from 45 members in 2003 to 275 students today. The band members have a collective diversity with 8 different languages spoken at home.
DON BOSCO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOL
The Salesians of Don Bosco Southern California High School Band is composed of three private school marching bands hailing from Bellflower, Boyle Heights and Rosemead. Tournament President Ed Morales attended one of the three high schools represented in this composite band, Don Bosco Technical Institute.
SEMINOLE HIGH SCHOOL
In 2017, after the devastating rampage of Hurricane Irma, the Warhawk Marching Band of Seminole High School in Seminole, Florida, coordinated a citywide “block party” that included more than 500 residents, community stakeholders and vendors to feed the workers who had come to Florida to restore power to homes.
With over half of the city going on their 5th day without electricity, the band brought the town together to honor these silent heroes with music.
JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY AND LANIER HIGH SCHOOL
After performing during the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show with Usher and Alicia Keys, the Jackson State University's “Sonic Boom of the South” marching band members from Mississippi's state capital are now primed for their appearance in the 136th Rose Parade.
Consisting of students from both Jackson State College and Lanier High School, the “Sonic Boom of the South” is known as “Hollywood's Band of Choice,” being veteran performers for the NFL, NBA and television.
THE LINCOLN-WAY MARCHING BAND
The Lincoln-Way Marching Band is a district marching band composed of the students from three Lincoln-Way High Schools across 105 square miles in the Lincoln-Way Community
High School District 210 located Frankfort, Illinois, a southern suburbs of Chicago.
NEW ENGLAND HONORS MARCHING BAND
Composed of the best college and high school musicians from the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont, this 200-piece ensemble featuring winds, percussion, and a flag and dance team will come together for the first time less than a week before the Rose Parade.
The band will don uniforms handcrafted to resemble the United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, similar to those used by military musicians of the Continental Army during the American Revolution.
THE SALVATION ARMY
Celebrating its 103rd march down Colorado Boulevard, the band consisting of Salvation Army musicians from across the United States, will once again feature a “band within a band,” including a special guest Salvation Army Band ensemble from Bromley, England.
Salvation Army music ministries provide participants with a lifetime of fulfillment through musical excellence with spiritual purpose.
UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING
As the only college band in the state, the Western Thunder Marching Band will represent Wyoming in style, donning custom modified Resistol cowboy hats with branded initials that honor the cowboy and cowgirl culture in the state.
The band is made up of students from nearly every academic major on campus in Laramie and 13 different states.
THE WOODLANDS HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND
Performing for 35,000 to 50,000 live audience members annually and countless more online, The Woodlands High School Marching Band from the Houston suburb will be no stranger to the bright lights of the Rose Parade. With more than 300 musicians in its ensemble, the band is a consistent awardwinner, earning seven straight appearances in the Texas UIL State Marching Contest.