Ohio State marching band set to perform in Ireland’s 2026 St. Patrick’s Day Parade
The marching band was offered and accepted the invitation for the parade, which will be held in March 2026, said the band’s communications team.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Best Damn Band in the Land will march all the way to Dublin, Ireland to perform in their 2026 St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
The marching band was offered and accepted the invitation for the parade, which will be held in March 2026, said the band’s communications team.
This marks the second time the band will travel internationally since their inception. The first was their debut in London, United Kingdom, for the National Football League International Series matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 24, 2015.
The students who will travel to Ireland must tryout in August for a spot on the 2025-2026 band.
Full performance details are still being finalized.
The Ohio State University Marching Band is recognized as the largest all-brass-and-percussion band in the world.
Band members typically spend 10 hours a week at rehearsal. This doesn’t include individual practice and time to memorize music, so a member could expect to practice upwards of 30 hours total per week!
For a football game, band members are expected to arrive six hours before kickoff.
Some traditions that the band still does include the traditional Ramp Entrance, first performed at Ohio Stadium in 1928. About 20 minutes before kickoff, the percussion section exits the tunnel to “Buc
keye Battle Cry.”
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