You never know what you’re gonna get with the Tournament of Roses. Enjoy Halftime Magazine’s 11th annual photo spread that showcases the accomplishments of marching bands around the world.
This year’s 129th Rose Parade presented by Honda celebrated the theme “Making a Difference” with actor and parade Grand Marshal Gary Sinise—famous for his portrayal of a disabled veteran in the film “Forrest Gump” and known for his work with veterans and first responders. As part of this year’s theme of giving back, many bands performed for not-for-profit organizations around Pasadena, California, in addition to the parade and Bandfest.
Participating Bands
Congratulations to the following bands that participated in the 2018 Tournament of Roses.
Air Academy HS Marching Band from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado:
Albertville (Alabama) HS Marching Band:
Australia’s Marching Koalas from Dangar, New South Wales, Australia:
Banda De Música Herberto López from Colegio José Daniel Crespo in Chitré, Herrera, Republic of Panama:
Burlington (Ontario, Canada) Teen Tour Band:
Homestead HS Marching Band from Cupertino, California:
Kyoto (Japan) Tachibana HS Green Band:
Lindbergh HS Marching Band from St. Louis, Missouri:
Londonderry (New Hampshire) HS Marching Band and Color Guard:
Los Angeles Unified School District All District HS Honor Band:
Louisburg (Kansas) HS Marching Band:
Pasadena (California) City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band and Herald Trumpets:
Pennsbury HS Marching Band from Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania:
Ronald Reagan HS Band from San Antonio:
Salvation Army Tournament of Roses Band from Los Angeles with representatives from Angola:
Santiago HS Bands of Santiago Sharks from Corona, California:
United States Marine Corps West Coast Composite Band from MCAS Miramar, MCRD San Diego, and Camp Pendleton, California:
University of Georgia Redcoat Band:
University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band from Amherst:
University of Oklahoma The Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band:
Westlake HS Marching Thunder from Saratoga Springs, Utah:
In addition, the Riverside (California) City College Marching Band made a special appearance.
The 104th Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual, a part of this year’s College Football Championship playoff, pitted the University of Georgia against the University of Oklahoma—with both bands traveling to support their teams. For pregame, both bands played an abridged version of their traditional shows. For halftime, the Georgia Redcoat Band paid tribute to the Allman Brothers while The Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band wooed the audience with its medley from “West Side Story.” In double overtime, the Georgia football team defeated Oklahoma 54 to 48. See the “Direct From” story for a Q&A with Georgia’s band director Dr. Mike Robinson.
