The Road to Sound of Music 2025: Battle of the Bands is an exciting lead-up event to the Sound of Music Festival taking place June 12th-15th, 2025.
Emerging bands and artists will have the opportunity to compete for the Grand Prize:
a coveted performance slot on the Sound of Music Main Stage during the 2025 Festival.
The journey culminates at the Grand Finale, held on the bpac main stage, on June 3rd, 2025, where one act will be crowned the winner.
Deadline to apply: February 1st 2025
step 1
1. REGISTER YOUR BAND
Be Ready to Perform: We have four Qualifier Events (@the Dickens) and one Grand Finale at (@BPAC); Artists must be available for these dates.
Register Below: Ensure to include Your Artist Name, Location, Links to Music fill out all the fields required for registration.
step 2
2. PERFORM AT A QUALIFIER
If selected, your band will asked to perform at one of the FOUR qualifying events below:
Qualifier 1:
DATE: monday february 24th
LOCATION: the dickens PUB
TIME: 8:00PM
Qualifier 2:
DATE: monday March 24th
LOCATION: the dickens PUB
TIME: 8:00PM
Qualifier 3:
DATE: monday april 14th
LOCATION: the dickens PUB
TIME: 8:00PM
Qualifier 4:
DATE: monday may 12th
LOCATION: The dickens PUB
TIME: 8:00PM
STEP 3
3. if selected,
perform at the grand finale
The Grand Finale will showcase the four winning acts from the Qualifiers, each performing for an esteemed panel of judges and a live audience.
Grand Finale:
DATE: Tuesday, June 3rd 2025
LOCATION: The Burlington Performing Arts Centre
TIME: 8:00PM
the Grand Prize
The winning act of the Battle of the Bands will secure the opportunity to perform on the prestigious Sound of Music Main Stage during the 2025 Festival, taking place June 12th-15th, 2025.
faq
everything you need to know
What is Battle of the Bands 2025?
The Road to Sound of Music 2025: Battle of the Bands is an exciting lead-up event to the Sound of Music Festival taking place June 12th-15th, 2025. Emerging bands and artists will have the opportunity to compete for the Grand Prize: a coveted performance slot on the Sound of Music Main Stage during the 2025 Festival. The journey culminates at the Grand Finale on June 3rd, 2025, where one act will be crowned the winner. Battle of the Bands is proudly powered by The Burlington Performing Arts Centre (BPAC) and The Dickens Pub.
How do we Register?
Registration is accepted via an online form (click the Register Now link above).
To be considered, bands and artists must provide the following:
- Band/Artist Name
- Contact name, email and telephone number
- Location
- Official website and social media links
- Logo or any branding
- Original music samples
- Genre or music style
What are the Artist's Eligibility Criteria?
- Bands and artists must be available to perform on at least one of the four Qualifier Dates.
- Bands must be able to perform on the Grand Final date (June 3rd, 2025).
- Music submitted must be original content (no covers).
When are the Qualifier Events?
The competition will feature four Qualifier Events where emerging talent will perform live:
- Dates:
- Monday, February 24th, 2025
- Monday, March 24th, 2025
- Monday, April 14th, 2025
- Monday, May 12th, 2025
- Venue: The Dicken’s Pub, 423 Elizabeth St, Burlington, ON L7R 2L8
What are the Performance Rules?
- Performance Rules:
- Each Qualifier will feature 5 acts.
- Each act will perform a 20-minute set of original music.
- A 15-minute transition is allocated between performances for setup and teardown.
- Basic tech support, backline and house PA system will be provided.
From each Qualifier, one winner will be selected by a panel of judges to advance to the Grand Finale.
What is the Grand Finale?
The Grand Finale will showcase the four winning acts from the Qualifiers, each performing for an esteemed panel of judges and a live audience.
- Date: Tuesday, June 3rd, 2025
- Venue: Burlington Performing Arts Centre
- Format: Each finalist will perform a dynamic 20-minute set to compete for the Grand Prize.
What is the Grand Prize?
Grand Prize
The winning act of the Battle of the Bands will secure the opportunity to perform on the prestigious Sound of Music Main Stage during the 2025 Festival, taking place June 12th-15th, 2025.
Where is the Dicken's Pub?
The Dickens Pub
423 Elizabeth St, Burlington, ON L7R 2L8
thedickens.ca
Where is the Burlington Performing Arts Centre (BPAC)?
The Burlington Performing Arts Centre
440 Locust St, Burlington, ON L7S 1T7
register
now is your chance!