[Graduation Live & Farewell Concert] Graduation Songs You’ll Want to Play with Your Band [2026]
For students in bands, many of you probably perform live around graduation time—at events like graduation thank-you parties, graduation live shows, or farewell gigs for departing members.
Of course, it’s great to play those memorable songs you performed many times while in school.
But since it’s a special occasion, a lot of you might be thinking about playing songs that fit the graduation theme!
Still, it’s not always easy to come up with graduation-themed songs…
So in this article, we’ll introduce plenty of popular graduation songs that are perfect for band performances.
We’ve selected not only band songs, but also singer-songwriter tracks that would work well with a band setup, so feel free to use this as a reference for choosing your setlist.
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[Graduation Live & Farewell Party] Graduation Songs We Want to Perform as a Band [2026] (71–80)
Azure Swimnishina
A song sung by NISHINA that portrays memories with a friend and parting ways.
Her vocals, which seem to convey real pain, leave a strong impression.
It expresses the feeling of moving forward without knowing the right path, and the resolve to keep going even if it means being separated from a friend.
It carries both a sense of poignancy and grandeur, and its distinctive, floating feel also conveys anxiety.
Centered on piano and strings, it has a gentle ambiance, so an acoustic arrangement might work well when performing it with a band.
Even if we forget springaibii karaa
“Even If We Forget Spring” has a sound that appeals across generations and is a perfect love song for graduation scenes.
It’s recommended for those who don’t want to pick a stereotypical “graduation song” and for those who want to enjoy performing while dedicating a piece.
Though people say “spring is the season of partings” and the lyrics are a bit bittersweet, the song’s energetic melody line will make for a lively thank-you party.
Even if the audience doesn’t know the song, they’ll enjoy it if they clap along to the performance.
It’s sure to motivate the band during practice, too.
SO YOUNGTHE YELLOW MONKEY
This one by THE YELLOW MONKEY is full of mature charm and is highly recommended for band performances.
Its literary lyrics over a mid-tempo, dark groove leave a strong impression.
Your choice to play this at a graduation live show—excellent taste.
The chorus bursts open with a liberating feeling, like emerging from a tunnel; it’s truly one of those timeless, feel-good classics.
[Graduation Live / Farewell Concert] Graduation Songs You’ll Want to Play with Your Band [2026] (81–90)
Graduation Daynamu abedabutsu
For those of you planning a graduation live or a farewell concert as the culmination of your band activities, we recommend one song in particular: Namu Abedabutsu’s “Sotsugyō no Hi” (“Graduation Day”).
Released in 2021, a little while after the band graduated high school, the track is packed with the glow and bittersweetness of youth as it really is.
Its powerful punk rock beat will bring back the passion of the days you spent with your friends.
Ballads are great too, but a song defined by a distorted electric guitar offers a distinctly different kind of appeal.
GraduationZONE
A song by the girls’ rock band ZONE, who made their major debut in 2001 and announced the end of their activities in 2013.
Just like its title, it’s themed around graduation, making it a perfect number to perform during the graduation season.
While the lyrics sing of memories from youth and the loneliness that comes with graduation, the performance is a fast-paced rock number, conveying a message of saying goodbye with a smile even as you carry that loneliness.
graduation ceremonySARD UNDERGROUND
SARD UNDERGROUND is a three-piece band that debuted as a ZARD tribute act, and their covers of classic hits have been drawing attention.
Their fifth single, “Graduation Ceremony,” as the title suggests, features a refreshing melody and ensemble perfectly suited to graduation season.
The lyrical message, evoking the world of Izumi Sakai’s lyrics, is likely to resonate even with today’s younger generation who didn’t know ZARD in real time.
While a tribute band, their sound conveys a sense of modern evolution that strikes a chord—this is a track we hope listeners of all ages will hear.
Cheering songTHE Inazuma Sentai
It’s a song that cheers on a friend with nothing but straightforward words.
It’s one of the signature tracks by THE Inazuma Sentai, a four-piece rock band formed in Hokkaido, released as their second single in 2003.
That said, the song itself has been performed since their indie days.
Please play it for a friend who’s graduating and leaving your hometown!
