Like everything, the Rose Parade is going virtual. Pasadena’s beloved tradition — which most people have always watched on TV — will be broadcast in a COVID-safe format tomorrow morning.
The Pasadena Tournament of Roses said it has partnered with six broadcasters to air a two-hour TV entertainment special on New Year’s Day. The two-hour show will air at 8 a.m. Friday, Jan. 1 and airs on ABC, Hallmark, KTLA, NBC, RFD-TV and Univision
The TV special “The Rose Parade’s New Year Celebration presented by Honda,” will feature a reimagined New Year celebration, including live-to-tape musical and marching band performances, heartwarming segments related to the Rose Parade, celebrity guest appearances, special Rose Bowl Game’s football highlights, equestrians, spectacular floats from years past, and a behind-the-scenes look into the making of a Rose Parade float.
A growing list of the performers who will be part of the TV special mentions nine-time Grammy award winner Sheryl Crow, country singer-songwriter and histori Grammy Award nominee Mickey Guyton, singer-songwriter Tori Kelly, seven-time Grammy winner Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, the most awarded country group of the last decade, and the eclectic, soulful, Nashville husband-and-wife duo War and Treaty, among others.
Celebrities who have confirmed participation in the TV special include multi award-winning singer, songwriter, actor and producer Daddy Yankee; Shanola Hampton, star of “Shameless” on Showtime; Olympic Gold and Silver medalist Laurie Hernandez; chef, restaurateur, TV personality and author Emeril Lagasse; Matt Leinart, a 2019 Rose Bowl Hall of Fame inductee, former NFL player and Heisman Trophy winner; Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award winner Rita Moreno; Dascha Polanco, star of the Netflix hit, “Orange is the New Black”; Vin Scully, the voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers for more than 65 years; and Gary Sinise, actor, philanthropist and 2018 Rose Parade Grand Marshal.
The entertainment special will also showcase seniors in high school and colleges from bands across the country, who will come together for a special, virtual performance of “Everything’s Coming up Roses” led by a surprise conductor.
Talent will be filmed from various states and cities throughout the country, including Pasadena.
In November, the Tournament of Roses announced it was offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Rose Parade fans to be a part of the New Year’s Day TV Entertainment Special by sending in a video featuring their messages and wishes for 2021. Fans were asked to create a sign to share their message on a large white poster board or piece of paper, and show these signs in the video that should be 15 to 30 seconds long.
The submissions, whose deadline was on the first week of December, will form a video montage that will be paired with a moving musical performance within the New Year’s Day TV special.
For this unprecedented TV special, the Tournament of Roses is also partnering with Feeding America, the nation’s largest organization dedicated to fighting domestic hunger through a nationwide network of food banks.
