All CSBC Contests Schedule for October 3, 2026

Student safety is the first priority at every CSBC event. Elevated heat requires advance preparation and active monitoring throughout the day. Please share this advisory with directors, staff, students, families, volunteers, and event personnel before arrival.

Marching Band creates significant heat exposure. Wool and heavy uniforms trap heat. Carrying instruments and equipment increases physical effort. Long warm-ups and staging waits extend time in the sun. Metal instruments, harnesses, and equipment can become hot enough to cause injury.

Do not ask anyone to push through symptoms or remain in formation when they need water, shade, or medical attention.

COMPETING SCHOOLS: DIRECTORS AND STAFF

Before the event:

• Directors are the decision makers for their programs.  Each program and individual tolerances may differ from event decision.  Ultimately, it is your responsibility to decide what is best for your program.
• Review the forecast and prepare for changes to warm-up, staging, uniforms, and performance times.
• Arrange a lightweight uniform option if possible. Plan to keep jackets, shakos, and other heavy layers off until needed and remove them promptly after performance.
  • If an ensemble chooses to perform in an alternate uniform such as band t-shirts and shorts, rest assured that scoring will not be impacted nor any penalties will be assessed.
• Bring refillable water bottles for every student, extra drinking water, and cooling supplies. Confirm where water refills, shaded rest areas, and medical services will be available.
• Identify students who need closer monitoring, including those with recent illness, previous heat illness, limited heat acclimatization, or relevant medical conditions. Follow their individual health plans.
• Assign adults to monitor students during warm-up, staging, performance, and recovery. Review how to reach event medical personnel.

During the event:

• Keep warm-ups short and reduce physical intensity. Avoid repeated full runs in the heat.
• Schedule frequent water and cooling breaks. Students must be able to drink before they feel thirsty.
• Keep students in shade or a cooled space until staging staff are ready for them.
• Provide help moving heavy equipment. Store instruments and equipment out of direct sun when possible. Check metal surfaces, harnesses, and handles before use.
• Use a buddy system, supported by adult supervision. Check students after performance, when symptoms may become more apparent.
• Stop a student’s activity immediately if symptoms appear. Notify event medical personnel. Do not return the student to warm-up or performance without medical assessment and clearance.

STUDENTS AND FAMILIES

• Arrive rested, eat regular meals, and begin the day hydrated. Drink water regularly throughout the event.
• Wear lightweight clothing when out of uniform. Use sunscreen and a sun hat when appropriate.
• Take cooling breaks between activities. Families and spectators should also use shade and water.  We strongly recommend bringing an umbrella for the bleachers.
• Report headache, dizziness, nausea, cramps, or unusual weakness immediately. Tell an adult if a teammate appears unwell.
• Do not leave an ill student alone or send them to the medical area without an adult.

CONTEST HOSTS: VENUE AND EVENT ORGANIZERS

Before gates open:

• Provide accessible drinking water and refill stations near warm-up, staging, and performance areas. Check supplies throughout the event.  (We suggest having 5-gallon ice water jugs at designated “hydration stations” for students to refill reusable water bottles).
• Establish clearly marked shaded rest areas and a cooled recovery space. Tell schools where these are located before arrival (you know your campus better than your visitors).
• Arrange qualified medical coverage. Confirm the emergency response plan, ambulance access, and supplies for rapid cooling, including cold-water immersion when directed by trained medical personnel.
• Assign a person to monitor conditions and a person authorized to modify or stop activities. Brief staging crews, announcers, volunteers, and school contacts.

During the event:

• Communicate with your designated Head Judge regularly.
• Recognize that heat index describes shaded conditions. Direct sun, hot turf or pavement, heavy uniforms, and physical exertion can increase risk. 
• Shorten staging waits. Move waiting groups into shade and provide water access during delays.
• Communicate changes promptly through CSBC via the Head Judge.
• Monitor volunteers and spectators as well as performers. Respond to unsafe conditions or symptoms even before a listed threshold is reached.
• For turf fields, coordinate watering of the field during breaks to reduce the temperature of the performance surface.  Arrange this in advance with site grounds crews.

RECOGNIZE HEAT ILLNESS AND ACT

Possible heat exhaustion: Headache, dizziness, nausea, heavy sweating, muscle cramps, or unusual weakness.

Stop activity. Move the person to a shaded or cooled area. Remove heavy uniform layers and equipment. Apply cool, wet towels and contact medical personnel promptly. Offer small sips of cool water only if the person is fully alert, can swallow, and is not vomiting. Stay with them. Call 911 if symptoms worsen or they lose consciousness.

Possible heat stroke: Confusion, unusual behavior, slurred speech, staggering, collapse, seizures, or loss of consciousness. The person may still be sweating.

Call 911 and alert event medical personnel immediately. Begin cooling while help is on the way. Remove heavy layers and equipment. Use cold water and wet towels over as much of the body as possible. Trained medical personnel should initiate rapid whole-body cooling, preferably cold-water immersion when available. Do not give fluids to anyone who is confused or unconscious. Do not wait for a temperature reading before acting.

A performance schedule must never delay treatment.

Thank you for taking these precautions seriously and helping protect every student, staff member, volunteer, and spectator.

HEAD JUDGES: 

Head Judges will work with site contest coordinators to make any necessary changes to the schedule using guidance from the Field Conditions and Emergency Operations section on page 12 of the official CSBC Contest Rules & Procedures manual.

California State Band Championships

10/01/2026

The California State Band Championships is proud to announce a major evolution in our competitive structure — one that reflects the extraordinary growth of our participating programs and sets the stage for an even stronger future for the marching arts in California.

Beginning Fall 2026, CSBC will introduce a new Open tier within each existing division and expand our State Finals from 32 to 64 finalists.

CSBC Announcement Video

EXPANDED STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

This restructuring also transforms our State Finals. The new format advances 16 schools from each of four groups — Divisions 1–3A, Divisions 4–6A, Divisions 1–3 Open, and Divisions 4–6 Open — doubling the number of State Finalists from 32 to 64.

WHY THIS MATTERS

• Competitive Parity — Bands compete against programs with similar design ambition and resources, creating a more level playing field across all enrollment sizes.

• Broader Access to State Finals — Twice as many programs will experience the State Championships stage beginning in 2026.

• Artistic Pathways — The Open tier rewards innovation and advanced program design, while A Class ensures every program is recognized for excellence at their level.

Read the Full Explanation Document Here

Read our FAQ Section HERE

The California State Band Championships continues to evolve alongside the programs we serve. This new structure reflects our commitment to innovation, education, and the future of the marching arts in California.

This is an exciting chapter for every program in California, and we look forward to seeing you at the webinars.

The next era of CSBC begins now!

CSBC Where Champions Play!

CSBC is proud to present our 2026 Fall Schedule. Registrations will open at 12:00pm on April 1, 2026. All Registration are completed through Competition Suite. If you are new to CSBC please see the registration instructions

Note: This year's schedule shifted by 1 week. In consideration of the students, directors, staff and parents, the CSBC decided to not host any events on the weekend of October 31st.

The joint Boards of CSBC met this evening to discuss Division Championships.  As you are all aware the current forecast shows all of our sites will be impacted by heavy rain, thunder and lightning this Saturday.  

For those of you who e-mailed, called, texted, etc  thank you for reaching out.  We may not have been able to answer every call, text or e-mail, but we definitely heard your concerns.  

Our CSBC community (Board Members, Judges, Site Hosts, Directors, Instructors, etc…) have shown us an outpouring of support as we have worked toward a final decision.

We know that an indoor championship performance would present many challenges while also exposing students to some of the same safety concerns they would have on the field including loading trucks, warming up, and moving from place to place. We have approached this decision through the lens of student, director, and parent experience.

With this in mind, we have decided to reschedule Division Championships to Saturday, November 22nd, and State Championships (Finals) to Saturday, December 6th.   We are still working on final site assignments, and will get this information out to you as quickly as we can. We know that this is not an ideal scenario for anyone, but it is beyond our control.  

In an effort to minimize the impact to you and your band families, we felt that this was the most fair and equitable way to move forward.  Please be a little patient with us as there are a lot of moving pieces to this last minute change (flight / hotel cancellations, confirmation of new hosting sites, securing of adjudication panels, etc).  

We will continue to communicate information as soon as it becomes available.  Please make sure that you have e-mail addresses and cell phone numbers listed in your competition suite profile. (not in the group data, but under your actual profile settings).  We will be e-mailing and texting over the upcoming days.  

We are looking forward to a successful 2025 Championships, and wish everyone the best of luck!

The Joint Boards

CSBC, SWJN, and SWMEA

The 2025 final grid is now available with scores through 11/8/2025. The average of the ensemble's two highest scores are used to determine performance order for Division Championships. After Division Championships, the winner of each division (both the Northern California Sites and Southern California Sites) plus the next 10 highest scores (Divisions 1-3 / 4-6) then promote to State Finals the following weekend. The performance order for State Championships is set by the ensemble score from Division Championships.

State Championships is split into two competitions an open class of divisions 1-3, and an open class of divisions 4-6.

So Cal Grid

Nor Cal Grid

The 2025 grid is now available with scores up through 11/1/2025. The average of the ensembles two highest scores are used to determine performance order for Division Championships. After division championships, the winner of each division (both the Northern California Sites and Southern California Sites) plus the next 10 highest scores (Divisions 1-3 / 4-6) then promote to State Finals the following weekend. The performance order for State Championships is set by the ensemble score from Division Championships.

State Championships is split into two competitions an open class of divisions 1-3, and an open class of divisions 4-6.

So Cal Grid 11/1/2025

Nor Cal Grid 11/1/2025

The 2025 grid is now available with scores up to 10/31/2025. The average of the ensembles two highest scores are used to determine performance order for Division Championship. After division championships, the winner of each division (both the Northern California Sites and Southern California Sites) plus the next 10 highest scores (Divisions 1-3 / 4-6) then promote to State Finals the following weekend. The performance order for State Championships is set by the ensemble score from Division Championships.

State Championships is split into two competitions an open class of divisions 1-3, and an open class of divisions 4-6.

So Cal Grid

Nor Cal Grid

Welcome Coastline Travel Group as Our New Presenting Sponsor!

We're thrilled to announce that Coastline Travel Group (CTG) is joining CSBC as our new Presenting Sponsor. This partnership represents an exciting milestone in our mission to support and elevate the marching arts across California.

What This Means for CSBC

As our Presenting Sponsor, Coastline Travel Group will provide travel management services for CSBC judges, ensuring a seamless and professional experience for those adjudicating California's premier marching band performances.

About Coastline Travel Group

CTG is an industry leader in group and luxury leisure travel, known for combining innovative planning tools with highly personalized service. Since 1980, they've hosted the Hawaii Invitational International Music Festival—a Spring Break tradition that brings together thousands of student performers including marching bands, orchestras, choirs, and dance ensembles for an unforgettable celebration, highlighted by the spectacular Salute to Youth Parade along Waikīkī Beach.

"In partnering with Coastline Travel Group, we are aligning with a company that shares our commitment to community, innovation, and excellence. Their support will help us continue to provide unforgettable experiences for student performers and audiences alike."— Michael Spillman, Vice President of CSBC

We look forward to a successful partnership with Coastline Travel Group and are excited to welcome them to the 2025 season!

Visit Coastline Travel Group

We are excited to announce that registration for the indoor season will open on Wednesday, October 1st at 12:00 PM (noon).

Registration will be conducted through Competition Suite. To have your group added to Competition Suite, please email info@calstatebandchamps.org.

Please ensure your organization is ready to register at that time, as we anticipate strong participation and spots may fill quickly.

We look forward to another outstanding indoor season with your programs. If you have any questions about registration or the upcoming season, please don't hesitate to contact us.