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Monday 9:30am - 3:30pm Tuesday 9:30am - 3:30pm Wednesday 9:30am - 3:30pm Thursday 9:30am - 3:30pm Friday 9:30am - 3:30pm

National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain

Name: National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain
Address: PO Box 53, Penarth, CF645XY, GB
Telephone: +442920700943
Price range: ££

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National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain

These are the London & Southern Counties, the Midlands, the North of England, the North West, Scotland, Wales, the West of England and Yorkshire.

The National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain involves nearly 500 bands across 8 regions, and celebrated its 80th Anniversary (in its current form) in 2025! 🏆

Please visit nbbcgb.co.uk for more information 🎺 Kapitol Promotions Twitter:

The ‘National’, as it is often referred to, is brass banding’s equivalent of the football league – a first-past-the-post Championship involving some 600 bands in eight ‘Regional’ qualifying heats staged up and down the UK, plus two ‘Finals’ events. The National Brass Band Championships, which have existed since 1945 in their current format, are split into five sections – Championship Section, and Sections 1, 2, 3 and 4 – and eight qualifying regions in the UK. Depending upon the number of bands entered into each section in each region, the top two, three and sometimes four placed bands qualify for a place in the ‘Finals’, held in the autumn each year. The Lower Section Finals, showcasing Sections 1 – 4, are held at the Centaur in Cheltenham in September, and the Championship Section Final is held at London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall in October. The first four bands in the Championship Section Final secure automatic entry for the following year’s equivalent event. The results of the Regional Championships not only determine the bands that qualify for an invitation to the National Finals, but also their gradings for the following year’s Regional Championships. The last few years have seen a renaissance in the popularity of the ‘National’, particularly the Championship Section event held in the Royal Albert Hall, London, which now attracts over 4,000 each year to hear the band world’s top ensembles battle for the UK’s top title. The Championship Section Final is further enhanced, regularly, by a glittering concert showcasing the brass band world’s top talent. Recent years have seen a plethora of stars appear in the Gala Concert, including the country’s leading trumpet players, Tony Fisher and the late Derek Watkins and Don Lusher, the dazzling international euphoniumist, David Childs, LSO Brass, the Band of HM Royal Marines, Black Dyke and Cory Band, the eclectic Mnozil Brass and many, many more performance giants.

19/09/2026

We’re half way through Section 2 and the event space is filling up nicely! Make sure to visit our exhibitors and bar spaces across both floors!

We hope you’re enjoying your day!🍻🪊

19/09/2026

𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟮 - 𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝘄

1. Campbeltown
2. Hatfield and Askern Colliery
3. Bollington
4. Leicestershire Co-op
5. Verwood Town
6. Kippax
7. Johnstone
8. Markham and District
9. Jersey Premier
10. Wooton-under-Edge & District

AJUDICATOR'S BREAK

11. Lewes
12. Uppermill
13. Ellington Colliery
14. Staines
15. Felling
16. Lostock Hall Memorial
17. Lanner and District Silver
18. Harborough
19. Abertillery Town

19/09/2026

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗲 - 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

📣Kapitol Promotions is excited to announce the following set works for the 2027 Regional Championship📣

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Ben-Hur 1925 (Peter Graham)
Published by Gramercy Music

𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟭
Rhapsody on a Theme by Purcell (Kevin Norbury)
Published by SP&S

𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟮
Helvetia (Gareth Wood)
Published by Prima Vista Musikk

𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟯
Iceni Autumn (Darrol Barry)
Published by Kirklees Music

𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟰
Light Adventures (Frederick Schjelderup)
Published by Komponistforlaget (digital only)
Link to webshop:
https://komponistforlaget.no/produkt/light-adventures/
(Discount code will be emailed to all Regionals competing bands via your Regional Secretaries. Please do not order the work until you receive the the coupon code).

Speaking on behalf of the Panel, Dr. Robert Childs (Panel Chair, and Director of Kapitol Promotions) commented: “The chosen five works are from a strong and varied list of submissions, and have been carefully considered and selected to provide exciting musical challenges across every section.

We can’t wait to hear these fantastic works brought to life across the regions. Good luck to every band taking part – and enjoy the music!

18/09/2026

Welcome to York Barbican and the new home to the Sections 1-4 National Finals! Here’s a tour of the venue and what you can expect to find this weekend!

Don’t forget to use to be featured on our channels this weekend📸

See you all tomorrow for the commencement of the competition🎺🏆

18/09/2026

𝟭 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗼 - 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗧𝗼 𝗬𝗼𝗿𝗸!
The weekend has arrived!

Our event crew are travelling from all over the UK today to prepare for an exciting weekend of banding🎺

Good luck to all competing bands, enjoy the moment and we can’t wait to hear all your hard work and efforts pay off over the course of the weekend🍀

Keep your eyes peeled on our social channels as more updates will be posted throughout the day, including our tour of the venue! oh.. not to forget the 2027 Regional Championship test piece announcement tomorrow morning👀

Make sure you use this weekend to show us what you're up to and to be featured on our channels!

Ellie will be active in our DM’s today for any last minute questions or queries so please get in touch with any questions✍🏻

See you all in York👋🏼

17/09/2026

𝟮 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗼 - 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼
2 days left!! Our team is making the trip up to Yorkshire tomorrow and we think it’s about time we gave you a hint on the 2027 Regional Championships set works, don’t you?

We’re bringing back a much loved game in which you can take a guess on the chosen set works for 2027 by decoding the emoji’s before the official announcement on 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗮𝘆 @ 𝟵𝗮𝗺.
Is there a red herring in there? We’ll let you figure that out for yourselves!

Championship Section: 📖 🌊 🏛️ 🤝

Section 1: 👑 🎵 ⛪️ 🇬🇧

Section 2: 🇨🇭 ⌚️ 🏔️ 🪵

Section 3: 🛡️ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 ⚔️ 👑

Section 4: 🇳🇴 🏔️ 🏡 🐑

Drop your guesses below!

16/09/2026

𝟯 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗼 - 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿
We’re delighted to once again welcome the services of David Hayward this year!

A hugely well-known and much-loved personality within the brass banding world, David has been our fantastic Presenter of the Sections 1–4 National Finals for several years. The National Finals stage wouldn’t be the same without him, so it only seemed right that we featured him in the lead-up to York this weekend!

Please see David’s short biography below. We’re sure he will make a new venue feel like a familiar space for us all.

BIOGRAPHY
David has spent a lifetime in banding, having joined Celynen Collieries Band in Newbridge, South Wales, at the age of just seven.

Over the years, he has been privileged to experience banding at every level – as both a player and conductor, and more recently as a compère at local, regional and national competitions.

Today, David’s banding life sees him working freelance as a conductor and adjudicator with bands across the West Country and Wales, while also compering concerts for a wide variety of musical groups, bands and ensembles and hosting competitions throughout the UK.

His impressive list of engagements includes the National Brass Band Championships of Great Britain, the British Open Brass Band Championship, the Spring Brass Band Festival, the National Youth Brass Band Championships, the West of England Regional Championships and the Welsh Open Brass Band Entertainment Championship.

If you’re at York Barbican, make sure you say hello! 🙋‍♂️

15/09/2026

𝟰 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗼 - 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀
With less than a week to go until the National Finals weekend, today’s spotlight (deservedly so) goes to our competing bands.

In March, 73 bands qualified for an invitation through their respective Regional Championships, and we hope all your individual preparations are going smoothly. You put in hard, long hours to get to this point and you’re so close to that contest stage!

We’re also sure that there are currently plenty of Band Secretaries up & down the country sorting out their final itineraries ready for the trip over to York. Secretaries put in countless hours outside of the bandroom to keep banding alive - so make sure to buy yours a drink this weekend!

Secretaries, we’ll be on hand and available to answer any queries between now and next weekend to eliminate as much stress as we can, please contact Tim (tim@kapitolpromotions) if required.

You can find the lists of competing bands below. Which band will you be supporting this weekend?

14/09/2026

𝟱 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗼 - 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀
As previously announced, the National Championships is delighted to welcome a number of valued supporters to this year’s National Finals: Bergerault / Besson Brass, Brass Band World, Ev-entz , Nicola Morris Trust, rooms4groups.com

For 2026, percussion brand Bergerault, part of the Besson family, joins our growing portfolio of National Finals supporters. Bergerault will provide a range of percussion instruments for use by competing bands at both National Finals events in York & London, helping to ensure that performers have access to high-quality equipment throughout the competitions.

Ev-Entz has a long-standing relationship with the National Championships, having provided percussion equipment and a range of additional event services for the National Finals over many years. Ev-Entz will once again support both our York & London events in 2026. Their support will include the provision of additional percussion instruments as required by competing bands, as well as a dedicated technician for the multimedia screen at York Barbican.

The well-known hotel booking company rooms4groups has come onboard as the Official Group Accommodation Specialist for the National Finals. A long-established provider of group accommodation across multiple sectors, rooms4groups has worked alongside brass bands attending these prestigious events for many years. As part of this partnership, rooms4groups is offering exclusive hotel rates in both York and London, alongside dedicated support from initial enquiry through to check-out - allowing bands and groups to focus fully on their performance.

World of Sound will also play an important role in enhancing the National Finals experience at York Barbican. Through wobplay, performances from all competing bands will be made available to watch online two hours after the conclusion of each competition. This provides an opportunity for audiences who are unable to attend in person to experience the performances and ensures that the achievements of every competing band can reach an even wider audience.

For more information, please visit: https://nbbcgb.co.uk/our-supporters

13/09/2026

𝟲 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗼 - 𝗔𝗱𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀/𝗔𝗼𝗕𝗕𝗔 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝘀
We’re only 6 days away from the Sections 1-4 National Finals 2026.

Today we bring you a reminder about the change in structure to our adjudication panels. In each section, a Chairperson has been chosen where they will act as the spokesperson for the panel, and serve as the principal point of contact should any discussion or clarification be required within the adjudicating box.

Association of Brass Band Adjudicators (AoBBA) and Kapitol Promotions are pleased to announce the five participants who have been selected to take part in the jointly promoted Adjudicators’ Experience Day at our event.

Alex Bland, Alfred Hadinger, Tom Hancock, Jonathan Fenwick and Charlie Whelan will join mentor Martin Heartfield, taking part in a workshop covering score preparation, the PAC (Performance Assessment Criteria) code, contest paperwork and how an adjudicator prepares for a contest. In addition, the participants will do their own adjudications for half of the Section 1 contest, meeting the official adjudicators and partaking in a de-brief Q&A session.

Midlands based musician Alex Bland and musical director of Shipston Town, Syston and Ilkeston bands is joined by Tom Hancock, Director of Music at Audley Brass. Joining Alex and Tom will be percussionist and resident
conductor of the EverReady Band Jonathan Fenwick as well as the most recent winner of the UniBrass Composition Competition for his piece ‘All Magic Comes at a Price’, Charlie Whelan. Our final participant, Alfred Hadinger will be travelling from New Jersey to take part in the weekend, bringing over 15 years of experience as Principal Eb Bass of Atlantic Brass Band.

In addition to the Adjudicators’ Experience Day, the next day will see AoBBA Development Members Melissa Brown, Zoe Higgins and Robert Nicholson take part in a shadow adjudication with mentor Martin Heartfield as part of the Development Programme in Section 4.

We have no doubt our adjudicators are putting in the time with their scores the way the competing bands are. See you tomorrow for the next spotlight!

Address

PO Box 53
Penarth
CF645XY

Opening Hours

Monday	9:30am - 3:30pm
Tuesday	9:30am - 3:30pm
Wednesday	9:30am - 3:30pm
Thursday	9:30am - 3:30pm
Friday	9:30am - 3:30pm

Telephone

+442920700943

Website

http://nbbcgb.co.uk/

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