On Thursday morning, Jan. 1, singer Bishop Briggs will kick off the 2026 Rose Parade with musical performances atop the float by Honda, where she’ll be accompanied by 24 world-class dancers.
The Tournament of Roses announced the singer on Dec. 16 as the newest musical talent to begin the parade, a slot held by Kiesza and Aloe Blacc last year.
Anchoring the parade’s Opening Spectacular, the Honda float will lead with – “The Power in Teams” – a celebration of how dreams are most powerful when they are realized together and a nod to the parade’s theme, “The Magic in Teamwork,” according to Tournament of Roses.
Also read: Rose Parade 2026 lineup: Your guide to every float, band and equestrian unit, in order
If it’s the first you’re hearing of Briggs — or you need a refresher — here’s who she is, what she’s known for and what she’s up to now:
The basics: Briggs is a 33-year-old singer-songwriter from London.
Her real name is Sarah Grace McLaughlin, but, worried that she might be confused with famed Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan, McLaughlin eventually changed her stage name to Bishop Briggs, in honor of the Scottish town of Bishopbriggs, where her parents were raised, she told the Chicago Tribune in 2018.
Where you’ve seen her: Briggs saw her first major success after moving to Los Angeles, when her 2015 song “Wild Horses” was featured in car-maker Acura’s Super Bowl commercial.
Her true breakthrough hit, however, wasn’t until her 2016 song “River” was released. The song peaked at number 3 on Billboard’s US Alternative Chart and earned her an opening spot on Coldplay’s 2016-2017 “A Head Full of Dreams” tour.
She is set to perform the hit alongside “Champion,” released by Briggs in 2019, during the opening act.
What she’s been up to: With over 4 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Briggs holds a loyal following. Her most recent EP, a Halloween holiday album entitled “When It’s Halloween,” was released in October 2025.
