WMC 2026: A growing spectacle and world stage for wind music
November 5, 2025 – The World Music Contest (WMC) in Kerkrade proudly announces the participant list for its 20th edition in 2026. With a record 153 entries for the concert contests – a 40% increase compared to 2022 – the WMC is returning to its 2017 level.
For the marching and show contests, there are 99 entries, 12 more than in 2022. The European elite will be present, and the Japanese Nishihare High School Band will defend its world show title. From Asia, therefore bands from Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand will also participate.
With this fantastic field of 252 participants representing 31 nationalities from 5 continents, the WMC will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2026.
Concert contests: A global stage
A notable newcomer is the youth division of the concert contests for wind bands, with 16 participating bands from 9 countries, half of which are from Asia.
The concert division for brass bands will become a true world championship in 2026, featuring 12 top bands from 8 countries. New this year is the participation of a brass band from Japan, alongside established participating countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Moreover, Colombia is providing no fewer than eight wind bands, divided into various divisions – a positive boost for the wind music scene in South America.
“In previous editions, the lower divisions were particularly large, but for 2026, we see strong representation from the higher divisions – the 1st division and the concert division. This emphasizes the high quality of the field,” says Björn Bus, artistic director of WMC.
Marching and show contests: A growing spectacle
The number of participants in the marching and show contests is also growing: a total of 99 entries, 27 more than in 2022. The top European bands, particularly the Netherlands, are strongly represented, but bands from Asia, including Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand, are also participating. Nishihara from Japan will be present to defend her world title in the show. Just like in 2022, 16 top bands from Europe and Asia will participate in the Championship Division of the Show Contests, vying for a place in the finals. "The number of participants in the top divisions of the marching contests has also increased significantly. This demonstrates how strongly the quality and international character of the WMC are once again emerging," says Henk Smit, chair of the marching and show contests working group.
Livestream with playing order draw
The complete entry list for WMC 2026 can be found now on WMC.nl. Now that the field of participants has been determined, the playing order of all performances in the Rodahal, Theater Kerkrade, and Parkstad Limburg Stadium must be determined by drawing lots. The date and time of all performances will be announced on Saturday, November 22nd at 3:00 PM CET during a livestream on WMC.nl. This way, participants, fans, and other interested parties worldwide will have immediate insight into which day and time each participant will perform during WMC 2026.
End of press release