European plans for 50th Anniversary London Return
Plans are taking shape for the European Brass Band Championships’ (EBBC) return to the UK in 2028 for its 50th anniversary year, with dates set for 23 - 30 April in London. The hosting decision was finalised at the European Brass Band Association (EBBA) Annual General Meeting in May, following a successful pitch from BBE, who also managed EBBC’s most recent UK event as part of the 2022 European Brass Band Festival in Birmingham.
Having begun at the Royal Albert Hall in 1978, the 2028 Championships will, in contrast, take place at London’s Southbank Centre, making use of the multiple performance spaces including the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Room. Visits to the venue have already taken place and a wider programme of events is being planned, including a community festival offering opportunities for audiences of all ages and interests to discover brass banding.
BBE’s Chair Mike Kilroy said: “We had a fantastic time in Birmingham in 2022 and we’d like to thank EBBA for placing their trust in us once again. This time around we have the luxury of planning time, and we’re looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together as a sector to bring brass banding in front of a wider audience. This will be a huge event for the brass banding community and I can’t wait for you to be a part of it!”
EBBA President Ulf Rosenberg said: “The EBBA Committee was impressed on how BBE was able to handle the organisation of the EBBC in 2022 in Birmingham on such short notice after the initial challenges of the pandemic. We are excited about the prospect of an accessible and community-focused festival taking place around the action within the concert venues in London, South Bank. BBE is an ambitious and forward-looking organisation and we're looking forward to working with them again to welcome visitors from all over the world to come to the original homeland of the brass band.”
The programme for the European Brass Band Festival will be developed in consultation with the UK banding sector, with everyone welcome to express their views. Details on how to submit your views will be released when consultation opens at The Brass Band Conference in London on 19 October 2024, after which it will remain open online.
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