[Touching] Entrance/Exit Songs for Graduation Ceremonies: Classics & the Latest BGM
A graduation ceremony marks the culmination of school life and the start of a new chapter.
It’s a milestone event filled with the sadness of parting and the excitement of a new life.
To make the ceremony even more moving, music is essential.
Entrance and exit songs are important, of course, and so are the farewell songs played by the underclassmen.
In this article, we’ve gathered popular graduation songs that are perfect for entrances, exits, and farewells.
Put care into your song selection so you can create a performance that will become a lifelong memory.
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[Touching] Entrance and Exit Songs for Graduation Ceremonies: Classic & Latest BGM (91–100)
The meaning of goodbyeNogizaka 46
This is the song everyone sings through tears when a member graduates.
You could call it the Nogizaka version of the “graduation song” that every 48/46 group has.
It opens with a beautiful piano solo, and the actual piano accompaniment would surely elevate any graduation ceremony.
The lyrics about how “people grow stronger through encounters and partings” are perfect for the occasion.
The soaring chorus is outstanding, too! Nanami Hashimoto served as center for this track, and Nogizaka46 performed it at the year-end NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
graduation ceremonySARD UNDERGROUND
The background music that echoes at graduation milestones leaves a deep impression of emotion and memory.
SARD UNDERGROUND’s “Sotsugyoushiki (Graduation Ceremony)” is a song well-suited for such moments.
Although it was released recently, in February 2023, it inherits the world of ZARD created by Izumi Sakai while delivering a fresh feel that resonates with today’s youth.
Its melody is refreshing and easy to sing, sprinkled with many phrases that strike the heart.
With vocals that are delicate yet powerful, it gives a gentle push toward a new departure—an ideal song for graduation ceremonies.
[Moving] Processional and Recessional Songs for Graduation Ceremonies — Classic & Latest BGM (101–110)
I’m glad I met you.Inoue Sonoko
Sonoko Inoue’s “Kimi ni Deaete Yokatta” is a perfect song for entrance and exit at graduation ceremonies.
With a refreshing melody that expresses gratitude, its lyrics leave an impression by cherishing warm friendships and encounters at any time.
It’s a track that may bring tears yet still fills you with positivity.
Evoking vivid memories of days spent at school, this song is a celebratory piece fitting for the new beginning that graduation represents.
It’s recommended as background music to help everyone greet graduation day with gratitude in their hearts.
DepartureFUNKY MONKEY BABYS
Tabidachi by FUNKY MONKEY BABYS, released in 2008.
From the title alone, you can tell it’s a perfect graduation song.
It’s a popular track as an anthem cheering on those taking a new step forward.
The lyrics are deeply moving—a heartwarming number whose positive melody and rhythmic vibe make it an ideal exit song.
It’s a piece that’s both touching and uplifting.
oneselfTani Yuuki
A moving graduation song that beautifully crowns student life.
Tani Yuuki’s pure vocals and warm melody gently embrace the feelings of graduates.
Released in March 2022, the track was also featured in a web-exclusive commercial for UQ mobile.
With its piano lines and powerful vocals, it’s a song that gives you the courage to take a new step forward.
It’s an uplifting anthem not only for graduates setting out toward their dreams, but for anyone embarking on a new stage in life.
Youth PhotographLittle Glee Monster
When it comes to graduation songs, many tend to be somber and mellow, but this one is a very lively and upbeat number.
Little Glee Monster’s “Seishun Photograph” is their second single, released in 2015, and as the title suggests, it’s a graduation song with a photo theme.
It’s a track that makes you want to preserve the fun days you had at school in pictures.
Be sure to capture both your tearful and smiling faces with the camera.
The Day of Beginningsiri
Graduation is also the beginning of a new future, isn’t it? Shining a light on graduates taking flight toward that future is iri’s 2021 track “Hajimari no Hi” (“The Day It Begins”).
With its gentle melody, it preserves the solemn mood of the ceremony while casting a ray of light on this fresh departure.
The lyrics, which make you feel like, although you don’t really want to part from this place or your friends, you’ll tuck away all those memories in your heart and start walking toward your own future tomorrow, are a perfect fit for graduation.
Highly recommended if you’re looking for a quiet, calm piece for the procession or recessional.
