The Michigan Marching Band Kicks Off the Football Season with Latin Dance Mix
The Michigan Marching Band forms the image of a bunny on the field as they play NUEVAYoL by Bad Bunny. Drill by Richard Frey.
No matter how our football team is playing, I will always arrive at The Big House early and stay through half time to see the Michigan Marching Band. On September 5th, the Michigan Marching Band gave a lively start to the 2026 football season, performing a Latin Dance Mix. The set included music from Elvis Crespo, Eddy Herrera, Bad Bunny, Los Hermanos Rosario, and Wilfrido Vargas. Reflecting traditional Latin music, the brass sections were very prominent along with the percussion. However, the woodwinds also showcased their amazing sound, particularly in the last song of the set, “13 Años” by Wilfrido Vargas. I found it notable that the band played two songs from Bad Bunny, NUEVAYoL and DtMF, which called back to Bad Bunny’s Superbowl Halftime Show earlier this year. It was a remarkable way to bookend the football off-season.
The crowd was moving along to the music almost as much as the flag bearers and twirlers on the field. The band gave the crowd so much more energy as the game went into the second half, and even as some of the crowd cleared out, the band stayed until the last controversial second to help drive the team to a remarkable win. This perfectly highlights the interaction between athletics and the arts, and how the two support one another.
