(From Bowling Green State University)
Following a highly competitive selection process, the Bowling Green State University Falcon Marching Band has been chosen to perform in the 2027 Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, leading up to the internationally watched Rose Bowl Game.
As one of the nation’s largest college marching bands, the 475-member BGSU Falcon Marching Band will perform in the 2027 parade along with bands from the two universities that will compete in the Rose Bowl Game. Bands are selected based on various criteria, including musicianship, marching ability, uniqueness, entertainment value or special interest, according to organizers.
“We are so proud of our Falcon Marching Band for being selected to perform at the Rose Parade in 2027,” said BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers. “This is an extremely competitive application process, and being selected to perform by such a knowledgeable committee highlights not only the size, but the talent and caliber of the Falcon Marching Band, led by Professor Jon Waters. Professor Waters, members of our band – including both our current students and band alumni – as well as their families and the community have all played an important role in making this amazing opportunity a reality, and we are so grateful for their hard work and support.”
The Falcon Marching Band will join high school, military and other bands from around the world as it marches 5 ½ miles down Orange Grove and Colorado boulevards as part of the iconic parade, which last year drew an estimated 800,000 people to Pasadena and 10.5 million viewers nationwide.
“This is an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime honor for our students,” said Director of Marching and Athletic Bands professor Jon Waters. “The Rose Parade is one of the biggest and best parades in the world, with amazing color and pageantry, and being selected to perform is a pinnacle moment for some of the most distinguished marching bands in the world. We are honored that the Falcon Marching Band will represent Bowling Green State University on such a large stage, and we are so proud of our students for their hard work to get here.”
The selection of the BGSU Falcon Marching Band for the 2027 performance comes as Waters will lead the Band Director’s Marching Band in the 2026 Rose Parade on New Year’s Day.
Underscoring the top-ranked BGSU experience, the Falcon Marching Band provides students with opportunities to travel beyond northwest Ohio for immersive learning and playing opportunities, most recently in Dublin, Ireland, where the band performed in the renowned St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
This fall, the band will travel to the University of Cincinnati on Saturday, Sept. 6, and Ohio University on Saturday, Sept. 27, to support the BGSU football team and represent the University at away games. The Falcon Marching Band will also perform during this year’s BGSU Homecoming celebration and in the Bowling Green Community Holiday Parade.
Serving as the largest student organization on campus and the biggest band in BGSU history, this season’s Falcon Marching Band comprises nearly 80% of non-music majors as more students choose to continue their marching band experience at the Division I level.
(picture courtesy of BGSU)