The Honda Battle of the Bands will take place at Alabama State University’s football stadium on February 18. The event will feature six marching bands from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Honda will provide an institutional grant to each school that has a band, in order to support their music education programs. Alumnae of ASU and Prairie View A&M, comedian Rickey Smiley and actress Loni Love will be hosting the event. This year's battle marks the return of a live event for the first time since 2020, and also marks 18 years of celebrating Black culture and musical excellence. The schools represented by the following bands will receive an institutional grant from Honda to support their music education programs, in addition to an all-expenses-paid trip to the Invitational Showcase: Alabama State University, Langston University Marching Pride, Morgan State University Magnificent Marching Machine, Savannah State University Powerhouse of the South, Texas Southern University Ocean of Soul , Virginia State University Trojan Explosion.