AMERICA’S NEW YEAR CELEBRATION
The 137th Rose Parade presented by Honda begins at 8:00 am on Thursday, January 1, 2026. For millions of people around the world, the Rose Parade is an iconic New Year’s Day tradition. The Rose Parade travels 5 ½ miles along Colorado Blvd., featuring four main types of entries: floral-covered floats, equestrian units, marching bands, and Tournament Entries. Many of these participants have long-standing ties to the Tournament of Roses, helping to keep the event’s traditions alive.
Experience – in person – the magic of New Year’s Day in an unrivaled celebration, exclusive to the streets of Pasadena! It's a celebration more than a century old – a festival of flowers, music, and sports unequaled anywhere else in the world. It's America's New Year Celebration, a greeting to the world on the first day of the year, and a salute to the community spirit and love of pageantry that have thrived in Pasadena for more than 100 years.
The earliest Tournament of Roses, drew 3,000 spectators and showcased beautiful, flower-covered, horse-drawn carriages. More than a century later, the parade floats are a marvel of state of the art technology, all tucked away beneath flowers and other all-natural materials.
2026 ROSE PARADE THEME – “THE MAGIC IN TEAMWORK”
The 2026 Pasadena Tournament of Roses President Mark Leavens announced the 2026 theme, “The Magic in Teamwork.” The theme celebrates the sense of accomplishment in knowing that by working together, we can collectively achieve outcomes so much richer than we can ever experience as individuals.
2026 GRAND MARSHAL – EARVIN “MAGIC” JOHNSON
On October 8, The Pasadena Tournament of Roses proudly announced Earvin “Magic” Johnson, a legendary athlete, visionary entrepreneur and transformative philanthropist, as the Grand Marshal of the 2026 Rose Parade presented by Honda. As Grand Marshal, Johnson will ride down Colorado Boulevard, ushering in the new year with the joy, beauty, and tradition the Parade is known for, and will also participate in the pre-game ceremony at the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the 112th Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential.
Old Pasadena: The Rose Parade travels along Colorado Blvd. straight through the heart of Old Pasadena, making it a perfect viewing location. Many Old Pasadena businesses maintain extended hours to serve the crowds before, during, and after the parade. Our Clean Team gets things cleaned up immediately after the parade passes through so our businesses can continue to serve our visitors on New Year's Day. Many of our restaurants will be open and some of the stores, as well, so stick around after the parade and before the Rose Bowl game to enjoy our historic district.
Ticketed Seating: Reserved grandstand seating for the Rose Parade is available for purchase through Sharp Seating Company, the Official Grandstand Seating Provider, from February 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025. Contact Sharp Seating Company at (626) 795-4171.
Non-Ticketed Seating: Curbside viewing is also available on a first-come, first-served basis. Pasadena city ordinance allows the occupancy of curbside space along the parade route beginning at noon on the day before the parade (Wednesday, December 31, 2025).
Parking: Convenient parking in Old Pasadena is available by visiting Parking Concepts to pre-purchase at:
- De Lacey Park & Walk Garage
- Schoolhouse Park & Walk Garage
- Marriott Park & Walk Garage
Parade Route: The 5 1/2-mile Rose Parade route begins at the corner of Green Street and Orange Grove Boulevard in Pasadena, California. The parade travels north on Orange Grove at a leisurely 2 1/2-mile-per-hour pace and then turns east onto Colorado Boulevard, where the majority of the parade viewing takes place. Near the end of the route, the parade turns north onto Sierra Madre Boulevard and concludes at Villa Street.
Transportation: The Metro will operate throughout the night of December 31 and morning of January 1. In addition to overnight service on those selected lines, Metro will run more trains and offer more frequent service on the Metro Gold Line to accommodate the large numbers of anticipated riders on January 1. Exit the A Line (Blue) at the Memorial Park or Del Mar stations, both just a short walk from the parade route. Call the Metro information line at (323) 466-3876 or visit www.metro.net for help planning your trip.
Visitor Hotline and Guide: If you have specific questions about your visit, you can speak to a live person in the days leading up to the event by calling Visitor Hotline courtesy of Visit Pasadena. The toll-free Visitor Hotline number is (877) 793-9911 (outside of the US, +1 626-795-9311). You can also visit the Tournament of Roses Guide offering information about all of the related events including the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl.
The Rose Parade is broadcast live in the U.S. by several networks. Check our list of broadcaster or your local listings for more information. For seating and ticket information, please see the Tickets and Events page.
For safety tips and parade-day guidelines, take a look at the Parade Day Guide.
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