World Music Contest sets course for a busy anniversary edition

December 4, 2024 - Although the next WMC will take place in the summer of 2026, preparations are already in full swing. This month, the organization is unveiling key information for contest participants.

A glance at the calendar shows that the next World Music Contest (WMC) will take place in the summer of 2026. However, preparations for the world’s leading contest for wind music is already in full swing. This month, the organization is unveiling key information for contest participants. The essence: the Concert Division will once again focus entirely on musical excellence, and there will be more opportunities for youth bands in the upcoming edition of the festival.

“After a WMC, it’s customary for us to engage with our participants,” says Björn Bus (Artistic Manager WMC) “We want to understand the challenges they face, what they appreciate, and where they see room for improvement. These discussions always provide valuable insights, leading to adjustments in the structure of the contests.”

Concert Division: ‘The Music Should Speak for Itself’
The most significant changes will take place in the Concert Division for Wind Bands, Fanfare Bands, and Percussion Ensembles. In this top-tier division, which hosts the world’s best bands and ensembles, participants were previously required to include non-musical elements (such as poetry, dance, lighting, and video) in their programs. They were also expected to build their programs around a motif or theme. The WMC organization is now moving away from these requirements, refocusing entirely on music.

This shift means the adjudicator assessing stage presentation will be eliminated, along with the portfolio submission requirement.
“From our discussions with participants, we learned that creating productions with non-musical elements was too costly and complicated for many bands. Additionally, the time available to test all the technical aspects was often insufficient,” explains Bus. “That’s why we are returning to the basics: the music. Participants will now be adjudicated solely on musical parameters and performance. The music should speak for itself.”

Another new requirement in the Concert Division is that participants must include a piece featuring a soloist in their program. According to Bus, this change will bring more dynamism and variety to the performances. Additionally, the maximum performance time in this division has been extended by 10 minutes, allowing for a total of up to 60 minutes per performance.

Clustering and Draw
Clustering, introduced in 2022 to make adjudication more objective, will continue for all divisions in both the Concert Contests and the Marching and Show Contests. This means all participants in a given division will perform on the same day.
“This system is much fairer for both participants and the jury. The feedback we received last time was very positive, so we will continue with this approach,” Bus explains. The live-streamed draw introduced in 2022, which determines the performance order, will also return for 2026. It is scheduled for January 2026, with the contest schedules now available at WMC.nl.

Marching and Show: Prelims and Finals

The Marching and Show Contests will take place during the first two weekends of the WMC month. The first weekend will feature performances on Saturday and Sunday, while the second weekend will include events on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The bands in the Championship Division will perform during the second weekend, with prelims (qualifiers) scheduled for Friday and finals on Sunday. This structure, introduced ahead of the 2022 edition, will remain in place for WMC 2026.

Youth and Academy
“While evaluating a WMC, we identify areas for improvement as well as successes. The World Youth Brass Band in 2022 was, in our view, a highly successful project,” says Bus. This band was a unique ensemble formed by young musicians from around the globe who had never met before. “They spent a week living and rehearsing together at Rolduc, culminating in several fantastic performances. The World Youth Brass Band, a project within the WMC Academy, perfectly embodies what WMC stands for: connecting people through music. Wind music transcends cultural and geographic boundaries, and that is the spirit of WMC. We want musicians to feel inspired.”

The World Youth Brass Band will return in 2026. To give even more talented young musicians the chance to participate, the organization will also introduce a World Youth Percussion Ensemble and a World Youth Wind Band. “These ensembles will be composed of musicians under 21 who will audition online beforehand.”

WMC 2026 will offer even more opportunities for young musicians. The contests for Wind Bands and Brass Bands will now include a Youth Division. “In regions like Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, there are numerous school and project bands eager to take part in WMC. By adding these youth divisions, we’re giving them the chance to experience WMC fully—competing, attending concerts, and participating in workshops. They’ll get the complete WMC experience.”

Busy WMC: ‘Hesitation Is Gone’
Registration for WMC 2026 opens on April 1, 2025, and closes on November 1 of that year. At the start of the registration period, the organization will announce the required pieces and publish the regulations. The 20th edition of the festival will take place from July 9 to August 2, 2026.

Interest among bands and ensembles in WMC is already high, Bus notes. “We’re gearing up for a very busy and dynamic WMC,” he says. “Bands and ensembles are eager to participate. We’re currently receiving inquiries from all over the world, from Asia to North America. In 2022, we were still dealing with the aftermath of the pandemic, but now we see that all hesitation is gone. We expect far more participants than in 2022.”