Band & Twirler Day

The Spirit of Gold Band & Twirler Day is an annual event that invites high school students to experience a Vanderbilt Football Game Day as a member of the Vanderbilt Spirit of Gold Marching Band. 

Band & Twirler Day participants will… 

• Perform on-field with the Spirit of Gold during halftime. 
• Rehearse with the Spirit of Gold prior to the game. 
• Experience an SEC football game day. 
• Receive a Band Day t-shirt (which will be worn during the performance). 

Band & Twirler Day is Saturday, September 12, 2026 (Vanderbilt vs Delaware football game).

The registration deadline for Band & Twirler Day is Monday, September 7, 2026. 

• Individual high school-aged brass, woodwind, drumline, color guard members (Drum majors attend on their instrument). 
• Twirlers/majorettes, ages 8-18. 
• We will NOT have a front ensemble for Band & Twirler Day.
  • We suggest that those who typically play in a front ensemble bring cymbals, bass drums, tenor drums, or snare drums to play for the day.
• Full high school bands or twirler studios/teams are welcome to attend Band & Twirler Day!
  • Please contact vubands@vanderbilt.edu for more info on group registration. 

No. Our Band-Day performance is a “stand-still” concert-style performance with no marching. Participants will perform at halftime standing alongside members of the Spirit of Gold Marching Band.

Yes! Many Band & Twirler Day participants do not have a marching band at their school. They may only have a pep-band for football games, or do not incorporate twirlers in their marching band.

Our Band & Twirler Day performance is a “stand-still” concert-style performance with no marching. Participants perform at halftime standing alongside members of the Spirit of Gold Marching Band.

Participants perform at halftime standing on the football field at Vanderbilt’s FirstBank Stadium alongside members of the Spirit of Gold Marching Band. Our Band & Twirler Day performance is a “stand-still” concert-style performance with no marching.

Three songs are played, including 1 that features the color guard and 1 that features twirlers. Music and color guard choreography is provided to participants ahead of time. Twirlers craft their own routines to the music that best showcases their skills. 

Yes. There is a REQUIRED morning rehearsal before the game on Saturday, September 12th. Participants will report between 9:30 am - 10:15 am.

Band & Twirler Day participants have the option to observe a Spirit of Gold rehearsal on Friday, September 11th. Attending this Friday rehearsal is entirely optional and Band & Twirler Day participants will not participate in this rehearsal. 

• For Instrumentalists
  • Sheet music and recordings will be sent for students to access prior to Band & Twirler Day. 
  • No printed sheet music will be available on the day of the event. 
• For Color Guard
  • Links to videos of the flag choreography for the guard feature song will be sent. Color guard participants will perform with the Spirit of Gold Color Guard. 

• For Twirlers
  • Music recordings for all 3 songs will be sent.
  • Only 1 song is a “Twirler feature”, but twirlers are welcome to twirl for all 3 songs.
  • Twirlers craft their own routines to the music that best showcases their skills. Twirlers will perform collectively as a group alongside the Spirit of Gold feature twirlers, with all participants doing their own choreography simultaneously. 

• For Instrumentalists and Color Guard
  • All participants receive a Band & Twirler Day T-shirt as part of their registration.
  • The T-shirt is the required “uniform.”
  • Please wear weather-appropriate black pants/shorts and comfortable shoes. 
• For Twirlers
  • Twirlers are welcome to wear their own costumes.
  • Alternatively, they can wear the Band & Twirler Day T-shirt they receive along with weather-appropriate black pants/shorts and comfortable shoes. 

• All participants must provide their own instruments, mouthpieces, reeds, flags, drums & harness, sticks, batons, etc. 
• A lyre and flip-folio (flip folder) are recommended for instrumentalists. These will  not be provided.
• Instrumentalists must bring their own printed copies of the sheet music.  No printed sheet music will be available on the day of the event.
• Signed release forms.
  • These are sent prior to the Band & Twirler Day and participants must bring completed copies with them to Vanderbilt.
• Your chaperone. A chaperone is required to bring students under 18. 
• Tickets (e-tickets) for you and your chaperone. 

• Participants must be accompanied by an adult chaperone at a ratio of...
  • 1 chaperone per participant under 18 (if registering as an individual).
  • 1 chaperone per every group of 10 students (aged 9-14 )
  • 1 chaperone per every group of 12 students (aged 15-18). 

• Participant cost is $44.39, which covers
  • their game ticket
  • Band & Twirler Day participant fee
  • sales tax and service fees*.  
• Chaperone and other non-participant cost is $31.94 which covers
  • their ticket
  • sales tax and service fees*

*Service fees are charged by the ticketing site for processing.  

Yes! A game ticket is required to be admitted to the game, even for Band & Twirler Day participants.

A link to purchase discounted tickets for your party is part of Band & Twirler Day registration.

Tickets are scanned at the stadium for entry prior to the start of the game.

No. Parking is not provided.

• Free parking is almost impossible to find close to the stadium on game days.
• The best parking option is at the 25th Avenue Staff Garage, 3417 Highland Ave, Nashville, TN 37221.
• An optional, but recommended parking pass may be purchased for $23.67 (includes taxes & fees).
• Parking pass is valid on on levels 3-11 in non-reserved spaces.
  • Do not park on the rooftop spaces.
  • Parking below level 3 will result in a citation.
  • Be sure to enter the garage from Highland Avenue.

Yes. FirstBank stadium has a Clear Bag Policy.

Personal belongings not essential to Band & Twirler Day participation (backpacks, purses, instrument cases, flag bags, baton cases, costume garment bags, etc.) should be left in your personal vehicle.

Note – Vanderbilt University is not responsible for loss of theft of items left at any campus facility.