Drum Corps World Championships in Rochester starts Friday

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The best drum corps members from across the U.S. will compete in Rochester starting Friday at 6 p.m. for the 2022 Drum Corps Associates World Championships.

The competition runs from Friday through Sunday and features dozens of drum and bugle corps. VisitRochester said the event is expected to draw 4,000 people.

For days that require tickets, you can buy them here. Here’s the schedule for the competition:

6:00 pm – 10:00 pm EDT

• Friday: The individual and mini drum corps competition will be held at the Rochester Convention Center, 123 East Main Street. The competition runs from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. It’s free to attend.
• Saturday: The world championship preliminary rounds will be held at the Rochester Community Sports Complex on 460 Oak Street. The competition runs from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are $10.
• Sunday morning: Alumni of the Drum Corps Associates will perform at the Rochester Community Sports Complex. It runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Sunday afternoon: The world championship finals will also be held at the Rochester Community Sports Complex. The finals run from 5 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.

2022 marks the 20th time that the Drum Corps Associates has chosen Rochester as the location for the championships. This is the 55th year of the competition, typically held on Labor Day weekend.

Mayor Evans spoke about the championship’s impact on Rochester.

“We are looking forward to 3 action-packed days this Labor Day weekend,” Evans said. “This is the community’s chance to see and hear incredible performances and the world’s best drum corps of all ages. so we salute DCA for the dedication to producing this healthy, fun and family-filled event that’s been going on since 1964.”

This is the first in-person Drum Corps Associates championship held since 2019. Rochester was chosen to host the 2023 championships as well.

You can learn more about the competition here.