Battle of the Bands 12 Terms and Conditions of Entry

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Battle of the Bands is organised by Buckinghamshire Music Trust (BMT) and is open to young musicians from all musical genres. Whether you’re performing original music or covers, we’d love to hear from you!

Please read the following terms and conditions carefully before entering.

By submitting an application, you confirm that every member of your act has read and agreed to these terms and conditions.

1. Eligibility and applications

1.1. Battle of the Bands is primarily intended for school-age musicians. Acts may include members who have recently left school, provided that the act as a whole remains predominantly made up of school-age or recently school-age musicians. The organisers reserve the right to decline applications that do not reflect the intended age range of the competition.

1.2. Each act must consist of at least two performers. Acts may include students from different schools, and individual musicians may perform in more than one act.

1.3. ‘Signed’ acts are not eligible to enter.

1.4. All musical genres are welcome, and acts may perform original songs, covers, or a combination of both. Judges may give additional credit for original compositions and for creative or innovative covers that put the act’s own unique spin on a pre-existing song.

1.5. Applications must be submitted online at www.bucksmusic.org/BOTB by Friday 15th January 2027.

1.6. Audition places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. A reserve list will be maintained in case any acts withdraw.

1.7. Applicants are encouraged to inform their school’s Head of Music that they have entered the competition.

1.8. If any musician has accessibility requirements or additional needs that may affect their participation, they should inform the organisers before their audition so that appropriate arrangements can be considered and, wherever possible, put in place to ensure equity of opportunity.

2. Auditions and selection

2.1. Acts will be allocated an audition slot and must arrive in time to check in before their scheduled performance.

2.2. Each act will be allocated a 10-minute audition slot. This includes setting up, performing one prepared song and clearing the stage. Acts should ensure that they can complete their audition within the allocated time.

2.3. Acts are expected to attend one of the scheduled live audition sessions. In exceptional circumstances, where an act is unable to attend any available audition date, the organisers may agree to accept a video audition instead. Video auditions are offered at the organisers’ discretion and must be agreed in advance.

2.4. Any video audition must consist of one continuous, unedited performance of one song, with all performers taking part together. The recording should represent the act’s live performance as closely as possible and must not contain edits, overdubs or other post-production intended to alter the performance.

2.5. Video auditions will be judged using the same criteria as live auditions. Submission of a video does not guarantee that it will be accepted or considered if the requirements set by the organisers have not been met.

2.6. The judging panel will select the acts that progress to the final.

2.7. A maximum of 12 acts will be selected to perform at the final.

2.8. Successful acts will be notified by email. Finalists may also be announced on the Battle of the Bands website and BMT’s social media channels.

2.9. The judges’ decisions are final.

3. The final

3.1. The Battle of the Bands 12 Final will take place on Saturday 20th March 2027 at the Old Town Hall, Wycombe Swan.

3.2. Finalists must be available for the entire event, approximately 12:00–21:30, including their allocated soundcheck and performance times. These times are fixed and cannot be rearranged to accommodate other commitments.

3.3. Finalists must prepare three rehearsed songs. These may include the song performed at the audition, but do not have to.

3.4. Each act will perform two songs during the final. The three acts selected for the final round will perform an additional third song.

3.5. Soundcheck times will be allocated in advance. Acts that miss their allocated soundcheck may not be offered an alternative.

3.6. Prizes will be awarded at the final.

4. Equipment and technical requirements

4.1. The organisers will provide a PA system, microphones, guitar amplifiers, a bass amplifier, and a drum kit.

4.2. Performers must bring their own instruments, effects pedals, drumsticks and any other personal equipment they require, unless otherwise agreed in advance.

4.3. Any additional technical requirements must be communicated to the organisers in advance. We will do our best to accommodate these but cannot guarantee that all requests can be met.

4.4. Performers must follow the instructions of the sound engineers, stage crew and event organisers at all times.

4.5. The organisers will take reasonable steps to help keep personal equipment safe during the event. However, performers remain responsible for their own instruments and other personal belongings at all times.

5. Conduct and safety

Battle of the Bands should be a safe, welcoming and enjoyable experience for everyone involved. All participants and accompanying personnel are expected to treat others with respect.

5.1. Participants must behave appropriately and respectfully towards other performers, judges, organisers, staff, volunteers and audience members.

5.2. Bullying, harassment, discrimination, threatening behaviour and verbal or physical abuse will not be tolerated. This applies both at the event and to online interactions relating to the competition.

5.3. Participants must follow all safety instructions issued by the organisers and venue staff.

5.4. Dangerous behaviour, including stage diving, throwing objects or encouraging unsafe audience participation, is prohibited.

5.5. The use of illegal drugs and underage alcohol consumption are strictly prohibited.

5.6. Performances must be suitable for an event involving young people and a family audience. Acts must not use offensive or discriminatory language or engage in behaviour likely to cause serious offence.

5.7. All participants must treat the venue, equipment and property of others with care.

5.8. The organisers reserve the right to issue warnings, stop performances, remove individuals or disqualify acts in response to breaches of these rules. Serious misconduct or behaviour that puts others at risk may result in immediate removal or disqualification.

6. Photography, filming and recordings

6.1. Auditions will be filmed for judging and moderation purposes. These recordings will only be accessible to authorised organisers and judges and will not be published or used for promotional purposes.

6.2. Photography, video and audio recording will also take place during Battle of the Bands events. Images and recordings may be used by BMT to celebrate and promote Battle of the Bands and other BMT activities, including on its website, social media channels and in printed publicity.

6.3. If a participant, or their parent/guardian where appropriate, does not wish them to appear in photographs or recordings used for promotional purposes, they should inform the organisers before the event by emailing rwyld@bucksmusic.org.

6.4. Participants should also inform the organisers of any safeguarding concerns or other restrictions relating to photography or filming so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

7. Agreement and event arrangements

7.1. By entering the competition, applicants confirm that all members of their act have read and agreed to these terms and conditions.

7.2. Acts are responsible for ensuring that all members are aware of the competition’s requirements and are available for their allocated audition and, if selected, the final.

7.3. The organisers reserve the right to make reasonable changes to the event arrangements where necessary. Participants will be informed of any significant changes as soon as reasonably possible.

7.4. These terms and conditions apply throughout Battle of the Bands 12, including auditions, the final and associated event activities.