One Legacy Donate Life float, winner of Judges Trophy in 2024 Rose Parade (Photo – Ezekiel Isbell)
Whether you are visiting Pasadena or live in the area, here are 26 facts to know about the 2026 Rose Parade.
By Wafic Khalil
1- The 137th Rose Parade will take place on Thursday, January 1st, and will have moderate rain to locally heavy according to the US National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard.
2- The Parade’s theme is “The Magic in Teamwork”
3- The parade floats will arrive on-site before midnight, line up, and then park in the middle of the closed street.
4- The line-up will have 63 entries including floats, equestrian groups, and marching bands.
(Lineup is subject to change at the last minute).
5- There will be almost 1,000 “white suiters,” the ones that wear all-white suits and red neckties, fanning out across Pasadena on New Year’s Day making sure the parade goes smoothly. “White suiters” get assigned as overnight float protection keeping cars from entering the float formation area, and will prevent anyone in a car from entering, except for brain surgeons on the way to perform brain surgery!
6- The Tournament of Roses has more than 20 committees (935 members of the non-profit Tournament of Roses Association), each supporting a different element of the parade and the Rose Bowl game.
7- The Tournament takes care of its people. Throughout the long night, a van will come around constantly with coffee, hot chocolate, and snacks.
8- Typically, around 700,000 people are expected to attend the Rose Parade. While rain may dampen attendance, die-hard fans of the event will not be deterred. They’ll brave the weather in ponchos to experience the parade in person. The celebration will be broadcast live on TV networks and streaming platforms, including TikTok, reaching more than 56 million viewers. Additionally, the parade will be televised in 170 countries, attracting an estimated 28 million more viewers.
9- In addition to the use of traditional flowers, some floats’ designs will sprout palm tree fiber, kidney beans, orange lentils, crushed sweet rice, and black pepper seed, to name a few.
10- Float liaisons (the ones who ride a white scooter, wear a white helmet, and escort the floats along the route) spend ten Saturday mornings between June and December directing traffic so that floats can safely road-test-their engines and animation effects.
11- As a native Southern Californian, you should never use the word “cold” unless you want to be reprimanded by visitors from the east coast.
12- Mark Leavens is the 2026 President and Chairman of the Board for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, a key leadership role in overseeing the annual Tournament of Roses events, including the Rose Parade and the Rose Bowl Game.
13- Pasadena Mayor will participate in the 137th Rose Parade, riding a rare and historic 1937 American LaFrance Fire Engine along his family and joined by community leaders and residents whose courage, compassion, and service were vital during and after the Eaton Fire.
14- Sports icon Earvin “Magic” Johnson will serve as the Grand Marshal of the 2026 Rose Parade. He will ride in the 137th Rose Parade and join in the pre-game celebration of the 2026 CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl Game.
15- Artist Bishop Briggs and 24 world-class dancers will kick off The 137th Rose Parade. Country music star Charlie Worsham will Mid-Parade performance.
16- Capital Cities, joined by DEK of Hearts, the newly crowned Mic Drop winner from NBC’s The Voice, will headline the Grand Finale of the 2026 Rose Parade
17- The Pasadena Rose Queen for 2026, Serena Guo, is a senior at Arcadia High School.
18- The 2026 Royal Court members were chosen from a pool of 28 finalists. which were part of a larger pool of almost 900 young women, and few young men. (Maybe in a few years, a young man will make history as the first male to be part of the Royal Court).
19- The recipient of the 2025 Rose Bowl Game Keith Jackson Postgraduate Scholarship is Bri Nunley from Arizona State University. She will be awarded a $10,000 scholarship toward her postgraduate education in addition to receiving a unique and specialized work-study experience at the 2026 Playoff Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl Game.
20- The parade will travel 5.5 miles, starting at the corner of Green Street, north on Orange Grove Boulevard, then east onto Colorado Boulevard, before it turns north onto Sierra Madre Boulevard and wraps up on Villa Street.
21- The new 2026 Kitty Queen in Pasadena is Fiskars! She was crowned by none other than the Rose Queen herself.
22- This year’s Rose Bowl Hall of Fame inductees, former Wisconsin running back Montee Ball and former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops, will be honored at the 2026 College Football Playoff Quarterfinal.
23- The Rose Parade has been affected by rain on 10 occasions throughout its history, spanning over a century of celebrations. With heavy rain forcasted in 2026, it will mark the 11th time rain has dampened the event.
24- A Visitor Hotline at (877) 793-9911 is available until Thursday, Jan. 2, 2026 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, except Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
25- U-Haul trucks full of unused float flowers will be delivered to a yet to be determined location to be bundled into bouquets and distributed to local elderly residents that are alone or just don’t have family visiting during the holidays.
26- Survivors of the 2025 Eaton and Palisades wildfires will take center stage at the Rose Parade, embodying the strength, unity, and resilience of those whose lives were changed forever by the fires, as the 55-foot float Rising Together will honor their journey before an international audience. – La Cañada Flintridge’s Rose Parade float will pay tribute to the Bunny Museum founders from Altadena, with a rabbit figure named in their honor after the Eaton fire destroyed their museum. – Kaiser Permanente will mark its 20th appearance in the Rose Parade in 2026 with a float highlighting teamwork and coordination in health care. – The City of Alhambra is participating in the 2026 Rose Parade with a float design inspired by Martha Baldwin Elementary School student Ngoc Han Le. – San Francisco will rejoin the Rose Parade after a 47-year absence, marking its return to float participation since 1978, when funding issues led to its cancellation.
A lot of volunteers put this incomparable parade together for you. They don’t get paid. Your smile is their pay. They will be cold as you will be, too. Bundle up, wear a poncho, smile at them, and have a great time!
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More Rose Parade:
> Pasadena Rose Parade Safety Tips.
> Seventeen Outstanding Equestrian Groups to Ride in the 2026 Rose Parade.
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