High school marching bands from across the nation will converge in Indianapolis to compete in the 2023 Bands of America Grand National Championships, presented by Yamaha, Thursday, Nov. 9 to Saturday, Nov. 11 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
More than 90 bands and close to 15,000 high school students will perform and represent 18 states including: Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Michigan, Illinois, Georgia, Texas, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, North Carolina, Nevada, Missouri, Arizona, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Kansas, and Virginia.
Two Hamilton County bands will compete: Fishers at 8:30 p.m. and Carmel at 9:30 p.m., both on Nov. 9.
For a look at the full schedule of bands, click here.
The Bands of America (BOA) Grand National Championships will feature 93 high school marching bands in two days of preliminary competition. A panel of nationally recognized music educators and marching band experts will evaluate the bands. Up to 38 bands will advance to Saturday’s Semi-Finals competition. The top 12 scoring bands will advance to Saturday evening’s Finals competition.
Music for All events, including Grand Nationals, have a $22 million economic impact on Indianapolis annually, according to Visit Indy. Music for All is the third largest performing arts organization in Indianapolis, according to the Indianapolis Business Journal’s 2023 listing.
“The Bands of America Grand National Championships in Indianapolis is a celebration of music education at its finest, showcasing the excellence, teamwork, and student leadership of the nation’s outstanding marching bands,” said Jeremy L. Earnhart, President and CEO of Music for All, the non-profit educational organization that presents Bands of America programs. “Music for All is about building leaders and celebrating teachers. These young performers and their achievements advocate for the importance of music education in schools locally and nationwide.”
Tickets
Tickets will now be cashless for 2023. You can skip the line and buy tickets online at Ticketmaster.com and the Lucas Oil Stadium ticket office for Thursday Prelims, Friday Prelims, Saturday Semi-Finals and Saturday Finals. Check out the website for full ticket options, including full day passes, just tickets for finals and a group ticket option.
Children 10 years or younger are admitted for free for general admission seating.
You can keep up with the latest information for Music for All online at musicforall.org.