[March] Carefully selected popular songs recommended for entrance and exit at sports days and athletic festivals!
The parade of classes and groups that kicks off sports days and athletic festivals.
In the past, classical pieces were the mainstay, but in recent years you often see entrance scenes on social media set to a wide range of music—from classic marches to popular J-pop.
In this article, we’ll introduce famous pieces originally composed as marches, as well as J-pop and anime songs arranged for marching.
If you can hum the melody but can’t recall the title, this might be your solution!
We hope you find the perfect track to energize those entrance and exit marches.
- [Sports Day] Entrance songs that will hype the crowd! A comprehensive roundup from classics to the latest hits
- [March] A curated selection of classic marches and dazzling crowd-pleasers for concerts!
- Recommended exit songs for sports day: A collection of tracks that are perfect for a brisk, quick-march exit.
- Top Songs to Hype Up Sports Day and Athletic Festivals [2026]
- [2026] Curated J-POP to Energize Sports Days and Athletic Festivals! Also Great as Entrance Music
- [Sports Day] Songs for footraces: tracks that make kids want to run [classics & J-pop]
- [March, Foot Races, Dance] Energetic songs and the latest hits to liven up a sports day
- Songs that hype up Sports Day and Athletic Festivals: Japanese Music / J-Pop Artist Rankings [2026]
- [Sports Day] A roundup of exhilarating, fast-paced tracks perfect for relay race BGM!
- Recommended for older kindergarteners! A collection of dance songs perfect for sports day
- Perfect for sports day parachute routines! Recommended J-pop songs
- [To All Athletes] Inspirational Sports Anthems & Empowering Theme Songs
- [Kids’ Cheer Song] Uplifting Positive Songs & Message Songs
[Marches] Carefully selected popular songs recommended for entry and exit at sports days and athletic festivals! (41–50)
When the Saints Go Marching In
This tune is also a familiar one, but you might be surprised when you learn its roots.
It is one of the African American spirituals and was originally played at funerals in the United States.
At these funerals, a brass band would join the procession as the so-called second line, playing dark and solemn music on the way to the service and bright music on the way back.
The brightness of the return music is said to express a celebration of the soul’s release and its journey to heaven.
Today, it is often used as a sports cheer song as well.
[March] Carefully selected popular songs recommended for entrance and exit at sports days and athletic festivals (51–60)
Tannhäuser: Grand MarchRichard Wagner
This piece was composed by Richard Wagner.
It is played in Act II of his opera Tannhäuser and the Singers’ Contest at Wartburg, which premiered in 1845, and it was written as the march for Tannhäuser, a knight of Wartburg Castle.
Beyond its liveliness, the march also conveys a sense of nobility, and it might make participants at a sports day feel as though they’ve become protagonists in a role‑playing game.
It’s a piece that lets you fully enjoy the extraordinary atmosphere of a sports festival.
Yes, with pleasure.kocchi no kento
A track by Kento Kochchi that stands out with its up-tempo, catchy melody.
The lyrics portray struggles with everyday stress and pressure, resonating with many listeners.
In particular, the repeated phrases are memorable, and the choreography set to the rhythm also became a hot topic.
Released in May 2024, the single generated major buzz on social media and climbed high on various charts, including reaching No.
1 on Billboard Japan Heatseekers Songs in July of the same year.
If used as entrance or exit music for school sports days, it’s sure to brighten the atmosphere and energize the venue.
March “Blue Spring”Suzuki Masashi
March “Blue Spring,” composed by Masashi Suzuki—who visits school wind bands across Japan to provide performance coaching—was selected as the No.
2 set piece in 2022.
The brilliant fanfare at the beginning, led by trumpets, euphoniums, and saxophones, is especially striking.
The supporting accompaniment in the horns and trombones adds depth, while the woodwinds’ trills lend further sparkle.
The melody that unfolds from there is smooth and elegant, resulting in a concert march that possesses the refined beauty characteristic of a set piece.
Galaxy Express 999Godiego
Many of you may know it because school brass bands often perform it at high school baseball games.
The bright, ringing sound of the trumpets is really pleasant, isn’t it? It’s also a piece that makes it very easy to cut off partway instead of playing the whole thing, thanks to its clear timing.
El CapitanJohn Philip Sousa
This piece is the march composed in 1896, taken from the operetta El Capitan, which was composed by John Philip Sousa in 1895.
It features a brisk, march-like melody led by woodwinds, paired attractively with smooth brass accompaniment.
The lively, bouncing phrases that follow are a joy to hear, and the way the music then shifts back to a warm, woodwind-led melody—along with the continual changes in musical development—makes it a particularly delightful piece.
old friendCarl Teike
Composed in 1889, this is one of Germany’s representative military marches.
Teike wrote many pieces as a member of the royal army band, but this piece failed to gain the approval of the bandmaster, leaving him disheartened and leading to his departure from the military band.
At his farewell party, however, some of his former colleagues played this march for him.
In gratitude, he is said to have named it “Old Comrades.” Its brisk melody and light rhythm make it perfect for marching.