Eleven High School Bands to Participate in the 2026 Florida Blue Battle of the Bands presented by Publix
Event at Orlando’s Kia Center also features extended performances by B-CU and FAMU marching bands on eve of Florida Blue Florida Classic game
ORLANDO, Florida (Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026) — Eleven of the Southeast’s top high school marching bands will participate in this year’s Florida Blue Battle of the Bands presented by Publix. This marquee event, which helps kick off Florida Blue Florida Classic Weekend, begins at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20, at Kia Center.
In addition to performances from elite marching bands spanning Florida, Georgia and South Carolina (full list below), Battle of the Bands also features extended shows from the Florida A&M “Marching 100” and Bethune-Cookman “Marching Wildcats” the night before the nation’s premier HBCU football rivalry takes center stage at Camping World Stadium.
Participating high schools at the 2026 Battle of the Bands include:
Burke High School – High Stepping Bulldog Band – Charleston, South Carolina
Deerfield Beach High School – Mighty Marching Bucks – Deerfield Beach, Florida
Evans High School – Green Machine Marching Band – Orlando, Florida
First Coast High School – Buccaneer Marching Band – Jacksonville, Florida
Jones High School – Marching Tiger Band – Orlando, Florida
Osborne High School – Red Sea of Sound Marching Band – Marietta, Georgia
Palm Beach Lakes High School – Ram Regiment Band – West Palm Beach, Florida
Pebblebrook High School – Mighty Marching Machine – Mableton, Georgia
Piper High School – Band of Pride – Sunrise, Florida
Savannah High School – Marching Blue Jackets Band – Savannah, Georgia
Westlake High School – Mighty Marching Lions – Atlanta, Georgia
FAMU’s Marching 100, named ESPN’s 2024 Band of the Year, is known nationally for its high-stepping precision and showmanship. The band has performed at five Super Bowls, three presidential inaugural parades and a Louis Vuitton fashion show, and has been featured on “60 Minutes,” “20/20” and the “CBS Evening News.”
B-CU’s Marching Wildcats bring more than 200 members to the field, including the 14 Karat Gold Dancers, the Sophisticat Flag Corps and the Five Horsemen Drum Majors. The band performed at Super Bowl XLIII pregame show and halftime of the 2010 NFL Pro Bowl, and has appeared in the film “Drumline,” the Netflix series “Marching Orders,” CBS’s 2020 “Every Vote Counts” special, ESPN’s “First Take” and “The Sherri Show.”
This year’s Florida Blue Florida Classic game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Nov. 21, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. It’s the 81st all-time meeting between the Rattlers and Wildcats and the 46th official Florida Classic. B-CU won last year’s game 38-34.
In addition to gameday and Battle of the Bands, Classic Weekend also includes the second annual Florida Classic Golf Tournament presented by Wells Fargo (8 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, Eagle Creek Golf Club) and the Florida Classic Consortium Kickoff Luncheon presented by Florida Blue (11:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 20, Rosen Centre).
For a full schedule and more information on the Florida Blue Florida Classic, including golf, luncheon, Battle of the Bands and game ticket details, visit FloridaClassic.org.