Our Battle of the Bands, run with TWM Live as part of Independent Venue Week 2026, is all about giving young bands a real start. Across the heats and final, 18 bands and 80 young musicians played to over 600 people.
The heats
Three heats ran at Three Wise Monkeys Colchester on 26, 27 and 28 January, with guest sets from Ghost Week, PULSE and GREEBO. Tickets were £4, with £1 from each going to Brightlingsea Free Festival.
A sold-out final
The Grand Final on Thursday 9 April sold out. Hosts and judges on the night were Pet Needs, fresh from their Top 20 album. The finalists were Heartlake, Violet, Disjunction, Bloom, No Idea and Syncopate.
The 2026 champions
- Winner: No Idea
- 2nd place: Syncopate
- 3rd place: Disjunction
No Idea won the chance to open the Brightlingsea Free Music Festival stage, a share of the door money, a studio day at Black Cactus and a mixed single. Thanks to The Meffs, Violet and No Idea also landed slots at MEFF-FEST 3.
Run by the community
Nobody makes a profit from these shows. The venue, bands, teachers and volunteers all give their time, and we still raised a good pot of money for Brightlingsea Free Music Festival.
Want to enter next year? Get your set tight in one of our rehearsal rooms and follow us for the next call for bands.
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