The 132nd Tournament of Roses Parade will not take place on January 1, 2021, due to the coronavirus pandemic, parade officials announced Wednesday morning.
It is the first time in 75 years that the parade has been canceled.
Parade officials initially hoped they could safely hold the parade, but after weeks of evaluation, it became clear that such a feat would be impossible. Instead, the Tournament of Roses is looking for options to celebrate the new year in a new way, said Tournament of Roses Executive President David Eads.
The last time the parade was canceled was between 1942 and 1945 during World War II.
“Like most people, I have never experienced a pandemic before … our thoughts were that the parade was 10 months away and we would be fine,” Eads said in an interview with The Times. But as the months passed and the virus continued to devastate the state, “the reality of the pandemic was established.”
Several weeks ago, the Tournament of Roses partnered with public health officials from USC’s Keck School of Medicine to conduct a report on the feasibility of organizing the parade, Eads said. The report concluded that the parade and related activities would inevitably lead to large numbers of people being nearby, creating a high risk of viral spread, he said.
The complications did not end there.
In addition to the risk, the Tournament of Roses is months behind schedule in preparing the floats, Eads said. Volunteers, many of whom are older people, generally start building floats in March, but have been unable to start due to “home safety” orders.
Dozens of high school bands slated to participate have been unable to practice their performances due to school closings and a handful of international music bands were unable to attend due to travel limits, he said.
“For 132 years, the Tournament of Roses has been able to bring hope and joy of the new year to people around the world,” said Eads. “We are truly disappointed that we cannot do that again this year, but the health and well-being of all our participants and guests is our top priority.”
Eads said the Tournament of Roses is looking to team up with its broadcast partners to host a televised event for viewers around the world, as well as a locally and socially distanced celebration. Plans for those events will be announced in the coming weeks.
However, the Rose Bowl soccer game on January 1 is still planned, either with a socially estranged audience or an empty stadium, Eads said.
No decisions have yet been made about other traditions, such as the crowning of the Royal Court of the Tournament of Roses. A spokeswoman said “in the coming weeks, we will make an announcement about the Royal Court and the theme and leadership of the tournament.”
