During their October meeting, Mayor Teri Johnston and the Key West City Commission commended the Key West High School Band for its continued outstanding performance, which has earned them an invitation to perform in London's New Year's Day Parade.
The band is the oldest and largest performing music ensemble in the Florida Keys, educating and entertaining with a tradition of excellence for over 106 years.
The marching, color guard, jazz, and concert bands have consistently received superior ratings at their music performance assessments throughout history. The program continues to be an organization that is goal-oriented and student-lead, achieving fine performances through developing the craft and art of music to enhance and better the lives of our children, with more than 35 public performances annually.
The band has traveled many times over the years to share the joy of performance with audiences across the world. The band would travel annually to Cuba in the 1950s, Mexico City in the '70s, and Washington DC multiple times in the '50s, '60s, '70s, and '90s, along with Rome in 2007 and London in 2009.
In early 2023, the KWHS Band was extended the prestigious invitation to be one of only 20 marching bands from the United States to march in the New Year's Day parade in London, England.
The London New Year's Day Parade is the largest stage the KWHS Band has ever performed on, hosting over 10,000 participants from across the world and performing for more than 800,000 parade audience members lining the streets of London, with millions of additional television viewers worldwide.
The parade will be broadcast live on local PBS stations WXEL and WPBT at 7 AM on New Year's Day.