Ten of the country’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 Friday, Nov. 22, at 7 p.m. at Kia Center.

In addition to iconic performances from elite marching bands spanning Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina (full list below) Battle of the Bands also features extended shows from the FAMU “Marching 100” and B-CU “Marching Wildcats” the night before the nation’s preeminent HBCU football rivalry takes center stage at Camping World Stadium.

Participating high school bands for 2024 include (* indicates returning 2023 participant):

1. Burke High School* – High Stepping Bulldog Band – Charleston, South Carolina
2. Creekside High School – Sounds of the Seminoles Marching Band – Fairburn, Georgia
3. Evans High School* – Green Machine Marching Band – Orlando, Florida
4. First Coast High School* – Buccaneer Marching Band – Jacksonville, Florida
5. McArthur High School – "Herd of Sound" Marching Band – Hollywood, Florida
6. Miramar High School – Soldier Band – Miramar, Florida
7. Palm Beach Lakes Community High School – Ram Regiment Band – West Palm Beach, Florida
8. Piper High School – Band of Pride – Sunrise, Florida
9. Stephenson High School – "Sonic Sound" Marching Band – Stone Mountain, Georgia
10. Westlake High School – Mighty Marching Lions – Atlanta, Georgia

The Marching 100 of Florida A&M University boasts performances at prestigious events such as the Olympics, the Super Bowl, and a presidential inauguration. Most recently, they showcased their talent in Paris at a Louis Vuitton Fashion Show. The Marching Wildcats are a 325-member unit known as the Pride of B-CU. The band has been featured on the Ellen Show, performed at numerous Super Bowl and NFL games, and on the Netflix special Marching Orders. 

This year's football game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Nov. 23, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando. This year is the 79th all-time meeting between the Rattlers and Wildcats and the 44th official “Florida Classic.” Other events throughout the weekend include the Florida Classic Consortium Kickoff Luncheon presented by Florida Blue and Wells Fargo (Nov. 22, 11:30 a.m.) and the Florida Classic Diversity Job Fair in partnership with OrlandoJobs.com (Nov. 22, 10 a.m.).

For a full schedule and more information on the Florida Blue Florida Classic—including luncheon, Battle of the Bands and game ticket details—please visit FloridaClassic.org.