Confirmation was given by Brass Bands England at the recent EBBA Delegates Meeting in Stavanger that the 2028 European Brass Band Championships will be hosted in Birmingham.

Although it was initially hoped that the event would be held at the Southbank Centre in London to help mark the 50th anniversary of the first European Championship held at the Royal Albert Hall in 1978, a scheduling conflict has seen BBE return to Symphony Hall.

It will mark the fourth time event has been hosted at one of the world's finest concert halls, with the main events taking place overt the Bank Holiday weekend of 28th-30th April 2028.

International focus

In a presentation made to delegates by BBE Chief Operations Officer Sarah Baumann and Events Manager Jess Wilson, initial details were provided of the festival which will have "an international focus" of cultural and artistic collaborations.

These will be based around a core of concert performance opportunities as well as the usual major band contests and a special trio of Conductor, Composer and Soloist Competitions.

Local partners

BBE revealed that it will work in collaborations with number of local partners to ensure that there will also be a celebration of the heritage and legacy of the banding movement.

As Sarah Baumann stated in the presentation: "Our main focuses for the event is a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the contest and an event that delivers a high-quality experience for bands and audience."