75 bands are putting in place the final few bars of their preparation ahead of the North West Regional Championships which take place at Blackpool's Winter Gardens on Sunday 1st March.

Kick off

The action kicks off at 9.30am with the First Section (17 bands) in the Opera House, followed by the Championship Section (11 bands) later in the day.

The Second Section (19 bands) will start at 1.00am in the Spanish Ballroom, with the Third Section (15 bands) getting underway at 9.45am in The Pavilion Theatre. The Fourth Section (13 bands) will follow the Third Section.

Overall, the number of competitors is slightly up this year (from 73 in 2025), although there is no Oldham (Lees) included in the list of top section entrants, despite qualifying the Royal Albert Hall last October.

Coverage

4BR will endeavour to bring you as much information and comment throughout the day with draws and results when published, although due to changes in personal priorities for the 4BR Editor, live band by band coverage will only be given in the Championship Section for this and other regional events this year.

Qualifiers

Dr Robert Childs and Gavin Saynor are tasked with deciding on the two bands that will make it through to the Royal Albert Hall in October, with defending champion Foden's looking to make it ten wins in a row.

Three bands will qualify for York in each of the First, Second and Third Sections, with two gaining an invitation in the Fourth Section.

Tickets for the single day event are only available on the day from the Winter Gardens Box Office.

Championship Section:

Opera House
Start: At the conclusion of First Section (approx. 3.00pm)
Test piece: Elgar Variations (Martin Ellerby)
Adjudicators: Dr Robert Childs; Gavin Saynor

Acceler8 (Jef Sparkes)
Boarshurst Silver (Martyn Evans)
Foden's (Russell Gray)
Freckleton (John Atkinson)
KNDS Fairey (Phil Chalk)
Leyland (Daniel Brooks)
Milnrow (Christopher Binns)
Pemberton Old Wigan DW (Thomas Wyss)
Rainford (Adam DJ Taylor)
Wardle Anderson Brass (Jamie Cooper)
Whitworth Vale & Healey (Mike Golding)

First Section:

Opera House
Start: 9.30am
Test piece: Variations on 'Was Lebet' (Andrew Wainwright)
Adjudicators: John Doyle; Alan Widdop

Ashton under Lyne (Paul Lovatt Cooper)
Besses Boys (James Holt)
Blackburn & Darwen (Daniel Thomas)
Diggle (Sean Conway)
Eagley (Christopher Wormald)
Eccles Borough (Mareika Gray)
Flixton (Adie Smith)
Haydock (Mark Quinn)
Longridge (Mark Peacock)
Manx Concert Brass (Michael Fowles)
Pemberton Old Wigan DW B (Ryan Breen)
Roberts Bakery (Mike Jones)
Silk Brass (Tony Wyatt)
Skelmersdale (John Binns)
Tyldesley (Neil Samuel)
Valley Brass (Haydock) (David Chadwick)
Wingates (Matthew Ryan)

Second Section:

Spanish Ballroom
Start: 11.00am
Test piece: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Philip Harper)
Adjudicators: Martin Heartfield; Helen Douthwaite-Teasdale

Bollington Brass (Craig Mann)
City of Chester Bluecoat (Ewan Easton)
Delph (Philip Goodwin)
Dobcross Silver (Jason M Smith)
Eccleston Brass (John Wood)
Golborne (Les Webb)
Haslingden & Helmshore (Daniel Price)
Hawk Green (Neil Hewson)
Hazel Grove (Nigel Beasley)
Liverpool (Louise Hough MBE)
Lostock Hall Memorial (Tommy Tynan)
Marple (Sarah Groarke-Booth)
Middleton (Kevin Gibb)
Morecambe (Steve R Terry)
Mossley (Duncan Byers)
Old Hall Brass (Trevor Halliwell)
Poulton-le-Fylde (Stephen Craig)
Rivington & Adlington (Malcolm Wilson)
Uppermill (James Garlick)

Third Section:

Pavilion Theatre
Start: 9.45am
Test piece: Three Haworth Impressions (Gordon Langford)
Adjudicators: Leigh Baker; Benjamin Richeton

Allerton Brass (Jamie Duncan)
Besses o'th' Barn (Jacob Hickson)
Blackpool Brass (John North)
BMP Europe Ltd (Goodshaw) (Dean Redfern)
Clock Face Miners Heritage (Will Haw)
Hoover Bolton (Joe Murtagh)
Littleborough (Max Stannard)
Pilling Jubilee Silver (Joshua Hughes)
Ramsey Town (Robert Mitchell)
Rode Hall Silver (Ken Mackintosh)
Sale Brass (Andrew Mallon)
Stalybridge Old (Nigel Lawless)
Thornton Cleveleys (Matthew Balson)
Trinity Girls (Craig Mann)
VBS Poynton (Joey Wong)

Fourth Section:

Pavilion Theatre
Start: At the conclusion of Third Section
Test piece: Indian Summer (Eric Ball)
Adjudicators: Nicholas Garman; Sarah Groarke-Booth

Blackley (Karl Stott)
Brindle (Steve Hartley)
Cadishead Public (David Holland)
Darwen Brass (David W Ashworth)
Dobcross Youth (James Atkins)
Farnworth & Walkden (Matt Whitfield)
Greenfield (Paul Towle)
Manx Youth Band (Ian Clague MBE)
Onchan Silver (David Karran)
Red Admiral Brass (Stuart Barton)
St. John's Mossley (Ben Hill-Wilson)
Stacksteads (Matthew Spaight)
Wardle Community Band (Jane Conway)