At Los Angeles Chargers home games, the loudest energy on the 200 Level of SoFi Stadium often does not come from the field at all. It comes from a bandstand called the Energy Stage, where a family brass-and-percussion group called Banda AZ has become the first official house banda in NFL history, keeping fans dancing through pregame, quarter breaks, and halftime.
According to CBS News Los Angeles, the Chargers now feature Banda AZ as the league's first dedicated house banda, a title that sets SoFi Stadium apart from every other NFL venue. The band's roots trace back decades before that distinction, to a Los Angeles County family that built a musical tradition from the ground up.
A Family Band Rooted in Nayarit
Banda AZ was originally established in 1992 as Banda Azpericueta by Agustin Azpericueta Sanchez Sr. and his family, with musical roots tracing back to Nayarit, Mexico, according to the Banda AZ Official Website. More than three decades later, the group is led by his grandson, Agustin Jr. III, alongside three original founding uncles, keeping the ensemble a true multi-generational effort.
Banda AZ at SoFi Stadium
During the 2024 season, the Chargers featured Banda AZ as their House Banda, stationing the group on the Energy Stage on the 200 Level of SoFi Stadium for pregame, quarter breaks, and halftime performances, per the Los Angeles Chargers. The band performs traditional Banda Sinaloense, a Mexican brass-and-percussion genre built around trombones, trumpets, clarinets, tubas, and bass instruments, arranged for the acoustics of a stadium crowd.
The band's profile has since expanded well beyond football. On June 25, 2026, Banda AZ became the first Sinaloense band to perform inside an official FIFA World Cup match, playing during the United States vs. Türkiye game, also held at SoFi Stadium, according to the Banda AZ Official Website.
Chargers Lean Into a Massive Latino Fan Base
In August 2026, the Chargers expanded their Spanish-language media footprint by signing a multi-year partnership with TelevisaUnivision to broadcast all games on Latino Mix 103.9/89.3 FM and TUDN Los Angeles 101.9 FM-HD3, according to the Culver City Observer.
The House Banda initiative comes amid the NFL's league-wide Por La Cultura campaign. Research backs up the business logic behind these investments. A 2024 Nielsen study on Hispanic sports engagement, cited by Latinos In Sports, found Hispanic fans are 52% more likely than average sports fans to attend live games, 39% more likely to recommend a brand sponsoring their favorite sport, and 37% more likely to remain loyal to those brands.
What Comes Next
The Chargers' House Banda initiative raises the question of whether other teams in high-percentage Hispanic markets, such as those in Las Vegas, Phoenix, or Texas, will adopt a similar model. It is also unclear how Banda AZ will continue balancing its traditional Mexican brass arrangements with the fast-paced expectations of modern arena entertainment as its stadium profile keeps growing. What started as a game-day performance has turned into a fixture of SoFi Stadium's game-day identity, and, as of this year, a piece of World Cup history as well.
