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Started by students in Jazz+, Big Red Battle of the Bands gives student bands the opportunity of a lifetime - to perform in front of their classmates, friends, and supporters in a professional venue as historic as Bailey Hall. Started in 2022 in the wake of the pandemic, the competition started strong, but has grown to be a great force within the Ithaca community, as all bands across the campus compete and celebrate the music they create together.
While inherently a competition, as many of my bandmates and competitors have said, Big Red Battle of the Bands is fundamentally a celebration of music in the community, and an opportunity to recognize the incredible accomplishments of other like-minded musicians. So many bands have had a chance to define their abilities, or to prove themselves as an up and coming force, or to keep pushing their boundaries year after year to achieve the unthinkable. Regardless of the result, bands have and continue to make their mark on the community through Big Red Battle of the Bands.
In the three years the competition has been going so far, there have been three winners: After Six in 2022 and 2023, Paragon in 2024, and Lucky Strike in 2025. Competition has gotten tighter and tougher over the years, but there's always room for a dark horse to come through and win it all! I already know we're looking forward to an absolutely incredible competition!
Get your bands ready, turn your amps up, and let’s get loud! It’s time for Big Red Battle of the Bands 2026!
Lucas Mitchell, Jazz+ President and 2024 BRBB winner with Paragon
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