Dayton Sound Studios

The annual concert series competition kicks off in January at the Brightside Music and Events Venue in downtown Dayton and features six preliminary rounds from which six finalists are chosen to compete at the finale on Saturday, March 7. “The goal of Dayton Battle of the Bands is to give a platform for the outstanding local musical talent we have in the Dayton community, while providing a prize package that helps launch them to their next level,” says organizer Libby Ballengee of Venus Child Productions.

The preliminary rounds are organized by genre and are judged by both a crowd vote and a panel of judges made up of local music industry professionals and tastemakers. The winner of the finale is chosen entirely by the audience. The competition is for original music only with participants who live within a 35-mile radius of downtown Dayton.

Grand Prize winner gets:

$1000 cash prize, a Free EP recording session with Dayton Sound Studios, the opportunity to perform at Levitt Pavilion Dayton during the Summer 2026 Concert Season and 50, 1 color design T-shirts, printed by Little Monster Printing.

Black Friday Deal:

This year for Black Friday they are offering a special on the  Battle of the Bands Series Pass!  Get the  SERIES PASS for just $50 (Regularly $75) – That’s just $7.14 per show!