The 2025 Rose Parade will begin on Wednesday, January 1, with musical performances by Kiesza and Aloe Blacc atop the Honda float. The float will be accompanied by a synchronized light show, pyrotechnics, and an abundance of dancers.
Following in the footsteps of last year’s opening musical acts—David Archuleta, Cassadee Pope, Michelle Williams, and Rush Davis—the Tournament of Roses revealed the duo on December 11 as the latest musical talents to commence the procession.
Kiesza
The organizers have announced that she will be joined by 20 dancers dressed in shimmering reflective costumes for a reprise of the song with “renewed energy for the global audience” during the parade, where she is scheduled to perform that very song. She will also showcase a short clip from her No. 1 Billboard single, “I Go Dance,” with acrobatic stuntmen performing on stilts in the background.
“Sound of a Woman” (2014) and “Crave” (2020) are two of Kiesza’s albums that showcase her transition from folk singer to producer of upbeat dance music. Dreamworks’ 2018 film “Home” featured her song “Cannonball” on the soundtrack.
Along with the release of her 2024 EP “Dancing and Crying: Vol. 1,” Kiesza has been documenting her path to performing at the Rose Parade on Instagram.
Aloe Blacc
Aloe Blacc will take the float stage after Kiesza. The late Avicii’s worldwide smash hit “Wake Me Up,” on which Blacc was both a writer and vocalist, will be performed by him.
This 45-year-old singer/rapper got his start in 1995 with the indie rap group Emanon, which he co-founded with hip-hop producer Exile. He was born and raised in Orange County.
After launching his solo career in 2003, Blacc’s 2010 single “I Need a Dollar” became his first big hit, earning nearly 285,000,000 streams on Spotify. Some of Blacc’s other popular songs include 2013’s “The Man” and a country cover of “Wake Me Up” that she released in November of 2024 with country singer Cooper Alan.
Blacc recently announced his upcoming residency at Blue Note, a venue in New York City, and today boasts over 4 million monthly listeners on Spotify.