The Shenandoah University Marching Band, alongside members of the Shenandoah Conservatory Studio Big Band and the SU cheerleading squad, is set to travel across the pond and perform in the 2025 London New Year’s Day Parade.
Photo: Lindsay Browning
It will be the first international performance for the marching band, which debuted with 73 members in 2022 and has grown to include over 150 students this year.
The band received a formal invitation from Bob Bone, founder and chairman of London’s New Year’s Day Parade (LNYDP), and Steve Summers, chairman of the London Mayors’ Association, during a special surprise announcement in September 2023. Led by Director of Athletic Bands Shaun Evans, D.M.A., Shenandoah band members and cheerleaders will fly to London on Dec. 27, and take in the sights before ringing in the new year with a performance on the international stage on Jan. 1.
In addition to the parade, the Studio Big Band and jazz band, directed by Matt Niess, D.M.A., will perform at Smith Square Hall (Dec. 29) and PizzaExpress Live (Holborn) (Jan. 2) as part of the LNYDP Concert Series.
This trip is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the students, and I am excited for them to experience a different environment and culture. As a group, we look forward to sharing the pride and rich collaborative spirit of Shenandoah with our collective performance in the London New Year’s Day Parade. Thank you so much to everyone at the university and in our community for your support. We can’t wait to represent Shenandoah, Winchester, and Virginia while we are in London.”
Shaun Evans, D.M.A., Shenandoah University’s director of athletic bands
Each year, London’s New Year’s Day Parade attracts over 10,000 participants from all over the world, draws a street audience of over 500,000 people, and reaches an international TV audience of over 500 million, according to the LNYDP website. The parade, which begins at noon local time, is televised by PBS in the United States.
The two-mile parade route begins at the Ritz Hotel on Piccadilly and travels along Regent Street, Pall Mall and Whitehall before ending at Parliament Square outside the Palace of Westminster.
In all, 145 Shenandoah University students and 10 alums are making the trip to London. The group will have the opportunity to explore London and the surrounding area in the days leading up to and after the LNYDP, including visits to Windsor Castle and Hampton Court Palace.
