Lucas Oil
500 Festival Parade

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Web: 500festival.com

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The 70th annual Lucas Oil 500 Festival Parade has celebrated the world's largest single-day sporting event—the Indianapolis 500—and is traditionally held on the day before the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.

The Lucas Oil 500 Festival Parade is one of the nation's largest, most-respected parades with a storied tradition of featuring the best bands in America. Bands selected to participate will perform for the 200,000+ attendees that line the 1.3-mile route, which travels the streets of downtown Indianapolis.

The parade will be televised live for the Indianapolis market on WTHR, Channel 13. You can also catch a rebroadcast at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 23, on WTHR+.

The Lucas Oil 500 Festival Parade lineup also includes larger-than-life floats, giant balloons, celebrities, and all 33 drivers competing in the Indy 500. The parade route travels through downtown Indianapolis, taking a U-shaped path down Pennsylvania Street, across Washington Street and up Meridian Street through Monument Circle.

Participating Bands
Bands from all across the United States have participated in the Lucas Oil 500 Festival Parade. For a list of recent participating bands, visit 500festival.com/parade/bands.

2026 Band Lineup
• 38th Infantry Division Band, Indiana National Guard, Indianapolis, IN
• Berlin Bears Marching Band, Olentangy Berlin High School, Delaware, OH
• Clark County High School Marching Band, Clark County High School, Kahoka, MO
• Greenwood Marching Woodmen, Greenwood Community High School, Greenwood, IN
• IPS All-City Marching Band, Indianapolis Public Schools, Indianapolis, IN
• Marching Highlanders, Anderson High School, Anderson, IN
• Marching Patriots, Jay County Jr.-Sr. High School, Portland, IN
• NBA Indiana All-Star Band, National Band Association, Zionsville, IN
• Noblesville High School Marching Millers, Noblesville High School, Noblesville, IN
• Northwestern High School Tiger Pride Band, Northwestern High School, Kokomo, IN
• Purdue "All-American" Marching Band, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN
• Speedway High School 500 Regiment, Speedway High School, Speedway, IN
• Squadron of Sound, Adams Central Community Schools, Monroe, IN

Apply to Be a Participating Marching Band
• 2027 Application

• 2028 Application

Bands traveling to Indianapolis for the Lucas Oil 500 Festival Parade can take advantage of numerous attractions and additional performance opportunities in the area, including:

• Friday, May 22 at 12:00 p.m. (Noon) — American Legion 500 Festival Memorial Service
• Sunday, May 24 — Indianapolis 500 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

• Tickets for attendees go on sale March 10, 2026. Check details at 500festival.com/parade.

Saturday, May 29, 2027
Saturday, May 27, 2028
Saturday, May 26, 2029
(Always held the Saturday before Memorial Day, one day before the Indianapolis 500)

Web: 500festival.com

Email: Contact Us

If you're interested in entering your band in the Lucas Oil 500 Festival Parade, please request an application at the contact info above.