Now is the Time to Plan for the 2026 Rose Bowl Parade

The iconic Tournament of Roses® Parade in Pasadena, California is “America’s New Year’s Celebration.” It’s a time-honored tradition for 135 years featuring stunning floral-decorated floats, equestrian units, bands, and more. But for the lucky few who have the honor of marching, the Tournament of Roses Parade is the experience of a lifetime!

If you’ve been thinking about it, now is the time to plan for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses 2026.

What Makes the Tournament of Roses Parade So Special?

The Tournament of Roses Parade began on January 1, 1890, when the Pasadena Valley Hunt Club organized a procession of stylish, horse-drawn carriages decorated with flowers through local streets.

Today more than 930 volunteers create rolling masterpieces from only natural materials.  Every inch of each float is covered with flowers, bark, leaves, or seeds – to the delight of the more than 800,000 visitors who converge on Pasadena in the days leading up to the parade.

And this parade is more than just floats and flowers! It’s a dazzling New Year’s spectacle of pageantry and showmanship that includes marching bands from around the country putting their best feet forward (for 5 ½ miles!)

How Can Bands Participate in the Rose Bowl Parade?

The Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade is an exclusive performance opportunity.  Only 20 marching bands from around the country and throughout the world are selected to participate. Bands of all sizes and types from high schools, colleges, universities, and the military are encouraged to apply.

Bands are chosen based on

• musicianship
• marching ability
• uniqueness
• entertainment value or special interest
• ability to perform show maneuvers while marching

Please note that applications for the 2025 Tournament of Roses Parade are already closed, but you can find the application for 2026 below.

2026 Tournament of Roses Application

About the Tournament of Roses Parade Experience

Marching at the Tournament of Roses is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.  Elaborately decorated floats, magnificent equestrian units, drum and bugle corps, brass and percussion bands, bagpipes, and (of course!) marching bands are a spectacle of sight and sound. 

More than 70,000 live spectators and 50 million television viewers watch the action as it unfolds on the streets of Old Pasadena. Now that’s a performance venue!

And while friendships are forged in the California sunshine, caffeine rules the dark as the first bands line up at 4:45 am!

The parade begins promptly at 8:00 am at the corner of Green Street and Orange Grove Boulevard. Participants travel north on Orange Grove Blvd. at a leisurely 2 1/2 mph before turning east onto Colorado Blvd., where most of the parade viewing happens. Near the end of the 5 ½ mile route, the parade turns north onto Sierra Madre Blvd. and finally wraps up at Villa Street.

Most marchers agree that it’s exhausting, exhilarating, chaotic – and transformative!

Now is the Time to Plan for 2026…with a Partner!

One of the best ways to wade through the process of performing at the Tournament of Roses is to partner with an experienced company specializing in student performance travel.

Kaleidoscope Adventures is an outstanding choice with more than 30 years in the industry and granular attention to detail. Online registration and payments, convenient crowdfunding options, and an expert team make your planning simple and efficient.

REQUEST A FREE ROSE BOWL PARADE QUOTE FROM KA

KA will work with you to plan an exceptional travel experience and provide impeccable customer service from start to finish!

Related Reading: How to Get Your Marching Band to the 5 Best Bowl Games