Plot Synopsis

Pasadena's Valley Hunt Club "created a floral festival in 1890 patterned after the 'Battle of the Flowers' in Nice, France," and the event has been held annually ever since -- on January 1 (or January 2 if New Year's Day falls on a Sunday). The two-hour parade starts at 8am Pacific Time (11am Eastern Time) and travels 5-1/2 miles through the streets of Pasadena, spending most of its time on Colorado Blvd. Each float, keeping with the floral tradition of the Parade, must have its "entire surface covered using a variety of flowers, seeds, bark, leaves and other natural materials." According to the Tournament of Roses Association, "approximately one million people attend the Rose Parade each year, approximately 40 million Americans watch the Rose Parade on TV, as well as millions of international viewers in 150 territories around the world." The Rose Parade was canceled in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but parade coverage continued with a new two-hour special, airing live coast-to-coast.
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On Monday, January 1, 2024 at 8am PT/11am ET, ABC, NBC, RDF, Cowboy Channel, and GAF, all presented live coverage of the 135th Rose Parade, with local coverage on KTLA. Plus, the parade streams on The Tournament of Roses YouTube Channel. Audra McDonald is this year's Tournament of Roses Grand Marshal, along with this year's theme, "Celebrating a World of Music: The Universal Language." According to Alex Aghajanian, the 2024 Pasadena Tournament of Roses President, the theme conveys that "in a world of different cultures, beliefs, hopes, and dreams, one language unites us all -- music."

R&B singer Michelle Williams kicks off the event aboard Honda's inspirational float, "Keep Dreaming Float," and she'll be joined by David Archuleta, Cassadee Pope and Rush Davis. Jordin Sparks has the grand finale performance.

Nearly a thousand white-glove volunteers will spend more than 80,000 meticulous hours creating this year's masterpiece floral floats that will span up to 75-feet long and up to 35-feet high. The floats will feature effects such as pyrotechnics, smoke, waterfalls, streamers and bubbles. Beginning with a B-2 Spirit flyover, viewers will also enjoy hundreds of energetic performers and as many as 20 marching bands from the U.S. and around the world. Parade participants also include equestrian teams, the USMC Mounted Color Guard and of course, the famous Rose Queen and her Royal Court.

The Tournament of Roses livestream -- its first ever -- is hosted by Jericka Duncan of CBS Weekend News, actress Gabrielle Elyse and TikTok sensation Pressley Hosbach.

NBC is celebrating its 97th year broadcasting the Rose Parade, beginning on radio in 1927 and then televising the annual event beginning in 1954. National coverage is from 8-10am PT/11am-1pm ET. Al Roker and Hoda Kotb host.

ABC's coverage is hosted by Hannah Storm and Kevin Negandhi.

Both RFD-TV and The Cowboy Channel broadcast the parade in high definition with limited commercial interruptions every float, equestrian unit and marching band. Live coverage of the 135th Tournament of Rose Parade with television hosts Pam Minick and Christina Loren goes from 11am-1pm ET. Prior to that, the two cable networks televise a one-hour Rose Parade Pre-Show (10am) and the Tournament of Roses Equestfest (8am).

Leeza Gibbons and Mark Steines host coverage of the parade on KTLA, starting at 8am PT/11am ET. Early coverage begins at 4am PT, with a look back at previous parades and a preview of the this year's parade, including a countdown.

Great American Family (GAF) is hosting coverage for the first time, using coverage by Leeza Gibbons and Mark Steines.