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Dayton Fashion Takes Center Stage: The Clash Spring/Summer Fashion Show Hits The Brightside

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Get ready for an evening of bold silhouettes, fresh energy, and runway magic. On Sunday, May 31, the Clash Spring/Summer Fashion Show brings the region’s most exciting designers and emerging talent to The Brightside for a night where Dayton fashion takes the spotlight.

Produced by Clash Dayton and Paranormals Production, this highly anticipated showcase puts visionary designers and rising stars front and center. The event comes together in collaboration with The Dayton Sewing Collaborative and is sponsored by Dayton Creative Printing Inc. — a celebration of craftsmanship, creativity, and fearless style from start to finish.

Featured Collections

This season’s runway brings together a remarkable lineup of designers and makers:

  • Amy Kollar Anderson
  • Clash True Vintage
  • FIONA
  • Greta Grenadine
  • Kaylee Paige Designs
  • Strawb3rry Stitches
  • Tailored by Britt
  • Taylor Boothe
  • The Rose and Thorn
  • Trash-in Group Line

From vintage revival to avant-garde edge, each collection brings its own story to the runway. Expect striking looks, artistic expression, and the kind of vibrant community atmosphere that makes a Dayton night out unforgettable.

So dress to impress, grab your friends, and come celebrate the creativity pouring out of our city’s design scene.

Event Details

Clash Spring/Summer Fashion Show

Sunday, May 31, 2026

The Brightside — 905 E. 3rd St., Dayton

Doors 5:00 PM | Show 6:00 PM

Ages 13+

$25 Tickets available now: 

https://tickets.venuepilot.com/e/clash-spring-summer-fashion-show-2026-05-31-the-brightside-music-event-venue-dayton-0b3b1c

Raging Nathans Bring Punk Back to Dayton for First Hometown Show in 3 Years

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This Friday, May 29 at the SideDoor at The Brightside is going to get loud. Dayton’s own Raging Nathans are headlining their first hometown show in three years, and they’re not coming back quietly. Expect the melodic punk and full-throttle live energy that’s earned them a following on stages well beyond the Gem City.

They’re bringing friends, too. Sheller, Knavery, and Houseghost round out a four-band bill stacked with Midwest punk energy and heavy riffs. It’s a night built for anyone who likes their Friday fast, fuzzy, and unfiltered.

The details:

Friday, May 29

Doors at 7:00 PM, music at 8:00 PM.

Tickets are $15 presale / $20 day of show (if available)

The Brightside is at 905 E. Third St. in downtown Dayton.

All ages welecome

Grab your tickets before they’re gone: thebrightsidedayton.com

 

 

Lace Up for a Good Cause: Gospel on Skates Family Night Rolls into Kettering

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Looking for a fun, family-friendly night out that does some good? Sophia Learning Center has you covered. On Thursday, June 4, the Kettering-based preschool hosts its annual Gospel on Skates – Family Night from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. at Skateworld of Kettering (1601 E David Rd, Kettering, OH 45429).

It’s a night built for all ages: skating, clean music, live performances, family-themed raffles and giveaways, and some head-to-head family games to keep things lively. Whether you’ve got little ones or you just want an excuse to get back on wheels, it’s an easy yes.

The event doubles as a “friend raiser” for Sophia Learning Center, a Christ-centered preschool serving kids ages 3, 4, and 5. Enrollment for the 2026–27 school year (kicking off August 17) is already underway, and the event is a chance for families to meet the staff and learn more about the school’s approach to getting kids kindergarten-ready in reading, math, and faith. All proceeds go directly to the school!

EVENT INFO:
📅 Thursday, June 4
⏰ 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
📍 Skateworld of Kettering (1601 E David Rd, Kettering, OH 45429)
🎫 Tickets are $10, with concessions available for purchase separately.

 

Dayton Dance Initiative Presents “The Light In Between”

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The Dayton Dance Initiative proudly announces its 8th season performance, The Light In Between, presented June 26 and 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the PNC Arts Annex in downtown Dayton.

This season features five new dance works choreographed and performed by artists from Dayton Ballet, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Cincinnati Ballet, Mutual Dance Theater, and an emerging student choreographer from Wright State University. The production continues Dayton Dance Initiative’s mission of fostering collaboration, artistic exchange, and innovative contemporary performance within the region’s professional dance community.

A major milestone for the organization, The Light In Between also marks Dayton Dance Initiative’s first-ever choreographic commission with an artist outside of Dayton. Supported through the Allegro Grant from The Dayton Foundation, the commission welcomes acclaimed artist David Morse of Cincinnati Ballet into the company’s expanding creative network.

Rooted in intimacy and connection, performances at the PNC Arts Annex place audiences in close proximity to the artists and creative process. Each evening will conclude with a post-show talkback, inviting audiences into deeper dialogue with the choreographers and performers.

“This season opens a new threshold for Dayton Dance Initiative,” says Artistic and Executive Director Jennifer Sydor. “Rooted in trust, time, and exchange, this first choreographic commission reflects our belief that connection-like light-travels, arrives, and reshapes the space it enters. What we practice here does not end in this space; it returns with us-not as answers, but as a subtle transformation that continues unfolding beyond the performance.”

Tickets are available through Dayton Live Ticketing, with prices ranging from $20-$36.50 plus fees. Student and professional artist discounts are available by phone or in person through the box office only by calling 937-228-3630.

Performance Information
The Light In Between

June 26 & 27, 2026 — 7:30 p.m.

PNC Arts Annex
46 W. Second Street, Dayton, OH
Tickets: $20-$36.50 plus fees

Student and professional discounts available through call in or the box office only.
Ticket link: Purchase Tickets Here

For more information, visit Dayton Dance Initiative

FromOhio Festival Lands in Springfield May 29–30, and Yes, It’s Free!

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Remember IndieCraft? It got a glow-up. The festival formerly known as IndieCraft is back this spring under a new name, a new mission, and a lineup that leans hard into its best instinct: that you don’t actually need to fly anyone in to throw a great music festival in this state. FromOhio Music Festival takes over downtown Springfield Friday, May 29 and Saturday, May 30, with eleven Ohio indie acts, two historic venues, and a weekend of craft beer and local food — all free and open to the public.

The pitch is right there in the name. Cincinnati, Columbus, and Dayton have quietly been running one of the more interesting regional indie scenes in the country, and FromOhio is built around the idea that a great festival bill doesn’t have to look outward to fill itself out. This year’s lineup is a real cross-section of where the corridor is right now:

  • The Ophelias (Cincinnati) are arriving fresh off Spring Grove, their new Julien Baker–produced LP on Get Better Records
  • Carriers (Cincinnati) — Curt Kiser’s heartland-rock-meets-dream-pop project is touring behind their 2025 LP Every Time I Feel Afraid. Stereogum’s been calling them “dreamy, Dylan-esque” for a reason.
  • M Ross Perkins (Dayton) is a 60s-inspired psych-pop charmer, written up in American Songwriter and Uncut
  • crabswithoutlegs (Dayton / Columbus) is an amazing 12-piece neo-soul-fusion powerhouse and 2023 Dayton Battle of the Bands winners
  • Heather Redman & The Reputation, Mol Sullivan, Visitor, Multi Ultra, Novel Vibrations, Rug, and Jess Lamb rounding out the bill across indie, soul, shoegaze, and rock

Mol Sullivan is one of the performers at this year’s FromOhio Music Festival

Performances split between Mother Stewart’s Brewing (a craft brewery in a beautiful old downtown warehouse) and the historic State Theatre, which are both walkable and genuinely lovely venues to see a band in. More food vendor and brewery partner announcements are rolling out in the weeks ahead, so keep an eye on socials.

Springfield’s about 30 minutes up I-70. Call it a day trip, call it a mini-vacation, call it the easiest free weekend on your spring calendar, but get it on the calendar!

The details:

  • When: Friday, May 29 & Saturday, May 30, 2026
  • Where: Mother Stewart’s Brewing (102 W. Columbia St.) & the State Theatre (19 S. Fountain Ave.), Downtown Springfield
  • Cost: Free and open to the public
  • More info & schedule: fromohiofest.com | @FromOhioFest | search “FromOhio” on Spotify for the official playlist

Henhouse Prowlers Bring Bluegrass to The Brightside

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Thursday, May 7 | Doors 7PM

There’s bluegrass, and then there’s bluegrass that’s been around the world a few times.

Chicago’s Henhouse Prowlers fall squarely in the second camp. For two decades, the four-piece — Ben Wright on banjo, Chris Dollar on guitar, Jon Goldfine on bass, and Jake Howard on mandolin — have been crisscrossing the globe at a pace most bands couldn’t survive: 34 countries, 5 continents, and a songbook that’s picked up souvenirs from every stop. They land at The Brightside this Thursday, May 7, and if you’ve never caught them live, this is the one to break the streak for.

The Prowlers are rooted in bluegrass and classic country, but trying to pin them there misses the point. Their latest record, Unravel, was produced by Stephen Mougin of the Sam Bush Band and lands as their most expansive work yet — road-worn storytelling, flashes of modern Americana, and the kind of ferocious picking that reminds you why this music has stuck around for a hundred years. The four-part harmonies are gorgeous. The chops are absurd. But the real reason to show up is what happens between the songs.

That’s where 20 years of touring earns its keep. The Prowlers don’t just play sets — they tell stories. Tales from the road get woven through the songbook, and somewhere in the night you’re likely to hear a bluegrassy take on a tune in a language you’ve never encountered before. As founding members of Bluegrass Ambassadors and longtime partners of the U.S. State Department, they’ve taken American roots music to places it rarely travels and brought pieces of those places home with them. It’s a band that genuinely believes music builds bridges words can’t — and after two decades of doing the work, they’ve got the receipts.

The Brightside is exactly the right room for this kind of show. Intimate enough to catch every harmony, loose enough to lean into the between-song stories, and the kind of venue where a band that’s logged this many miles can actually unwind and play.

Come hear what 20 years of chasing something beautiful sounds like.

Henhouse Prowlers at The Brightside

🗓️ Thursday, May 7, 2026

🚪 Doors 7PM / Show 7:30PM

📍 The Brightside — 905 E. 3rd St., Dayton

🎟️ $20 advance / $25 day of show

👨‍👩‍👧 All Ages

Ticket link 

Dayton Ballet and DCDC Unite for a Historic Night of Funk and Dance

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Something unprecedented is about to go down at the Victoria Theatre. For the first time, Dayton’s two powerhouse dance companies, Dayton Ballet and Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, are sharing the same stage for Rhythm of the City, a celebration of the funk music born right here in the Gem City.

Running April 10th through 12th, the production brings together choreographers Alia Kache, Gary W. Jeter II, and Brandon Ragland, who have each crafted new works set to the sounds of Dayton funk legends like Ohio Players, Zapp, Heatwave, Lakeside, Faze-O, and Shirley Murdock. The evening also features a world premiere composition by LaFrae Sci.

This isn’t a concert, and it isn’t a traditional ballet, it’s something entirely new. Dancers from both companies will perform together, translating Dayton’s musical DNA into movement. And between every act, Deron Bell & the Time To Groove House Band will be right there on stage keeping the funk live and loud.

The collaboration is a landmark moment for both organizations. DCDC, founded in 1968, and Dayton Ballet, one of the oldest ballet companies in the country, have operated in the same city for decades but have never come together on stage quite like this. Rhythm of the City is part of DCDC’s 57th season, themed “Dancing in Our Light,” and it feels like the kind of event that only Dayton could produce — a city where funk was invented now watching its two greatest dance institutions honor that legacy side by side.

HOW TO GO?

Performances are Friday, April 10 and Saturday, April 11 at 7:30 PM, with a Sunday, April 12 matinee at 2:30 PM. Tickets are available through Dayton Live.

 

Petty Thieves Are Coming to The Brightside and They Won’t Back Down

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There are certain songs that don’t just play, they land. They hit you somewhere between the chest and the memory, and suddenly you’re seventeen again, windows down, singing like no one’s watching. Tom Petty had a gift for writing those songs, and this Saturday night, a Dayton all-star band is keeping that gift alive.

Petty Thieves make their Brightside debut on Saturday, March 28th, and if you’ve ever loved a Tom Petty song, this is the show you didn’t know you needed right now.

The Petty Thieves aren’t just a cover band running through the hits on autopilot. They’re a local group with a genuine love for the man and his music, and on Saturday they’ll perform two full sets, one packed with the greatest hits everyone knows by heart, and a second diving deeper into the catalog with the kind of fan-favorite deep cuts that remind you just how rich that body of work really is. From the anthems to the album tracks, it’s going to be a night that does the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer proud.

The Brightside, tucked into the East Third Street corridor at 905 E. 3rd St., is exactly the kind of room a night like this deserves: warm, intimate, and built for music that means something. It’s all ages, so bring the whole crew!

Tom Petty always said he wrote for the people who felt like outsiders, the dreamers, the ones who refused to give up. Dayton has always been that kind of city. Saturday night at The Brightside, it all comes together.

🎸 The Petty Thieves — A Tribute to Tom Petty

📍 The Brightside | 905 E. 3rd St., Dayton, OH 45402

🗓 Saturday, March 28 | Doors 7 PM | Show 8–10 PM

👨‍👩‍👧 All Ages Welcome

🎟 Tickets: venuepilot.com

DAYTON SILENT DISCO IS THROWING A PROM NIGHT — AND YOU’RE INVITED

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Dust off your corsage and break out your best formal fit — Dayton Silent Disco is bringing Prom Night back to the 937!

On Friday, March 27th, The Brightside Music & Event Venue (905 E. 3rd St.) transforms into the most unique dance floor in the city for one of Dayton’s most fun recurring events. Doors open at 8:00 PM with music kicking off at 8:30 PM and the party running all the way until 1:00 AM.

If you’ve never been to a silent disco, here’s the deal: everyone wears wireless headphones and gets to choose their own musical adventure. This year’s Prom Night features three DJs spinning simultaneously — flip between channels all night long:

🟢 KimL — EDM

🔵 Sexbox — 70s, 80s & 90s

🔴 John Chapel — Modern Hits

Whether you’re feeling nostalgic or want to stay in the moment, there’s a channel calling your name. Dress up, grab your crew, and get ready to dance.

Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Grab yours at daytonsilentdisco.com before they’re gone.

📍 The Brightside | 905 E. 3rd St., Dayton, OH 45402

🗓 Friday, March 27 | Doors 8 PM | Music 8:30 PM – 1 AM

🎟 $15 Advance / $20 Door

 

Montgomery County’s Special Projects Grant Now Accepting Applications

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Arts and cultural organizations across Montgomery County have the opportunity to bring creative projects to life. Applications for the 2026–2027 Special Projects Grant opened today, March 20, with up to $275,000 in total funding available through the Montgomery County Arts & Cultural District.

Dayton Dance Initiative is a past recipient of Special Projects Grant funding

Administered by Venus Child Productions, the grant awards up to $15,000 per project to 501(c)(3) nonprofits, schools, and government agencies located in or primarily serving Montgomery County. This cycle features an extended 18-month project window running from July 2026 through December 2027, giving organizations more time and flexibility to plan and execute their work.

Eligible projects span six categories: Cultural Heritage, Cultural & Multi-Arts, Education, Literary Arts, Performing Arts, and Visual Arts. In a notable change from previous cycles, the Letter of Intent phase has been removed. Applicants now proceed directly to the full application.

“We want to make this process as accessible as possible,” said Libby Ballengee, Program Administrator at Venus Child Productions. “Whether you’re a first-time applicant or a returning grantee, the streamlined application and extended timeline are designed to support strong, thoughtful projects.”

Two free virtual information sessions are scheduled for prospective applicants:

Signature Educational Solutions

Both sessions will be recorded and posted online. New applicants are especially encouraged to attend.

The application deadline is Friday, May 1, 2026 at 4:00 PM EST.

Full program guidelines, FAQs, and the online application are available at specialprojectsgrant.com.

Paid Leave Takes the Crown as Dayton Battle of the Bands Delivers Its Biggest Night Yet

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A sold-out Brightside ballroom, six fierce finalists, and a packed house that proved Dayton’s music scene is very much alive and loud.

If you weren’t at The Brightside’s Dayton Battle of the Bands Finale, you missed something special, and you probably heard about it from someone who was. The ballroom hit capacity, the energy was electric from the first chord to the last note, and somewhere in the crowd, a kid in the front row was watching a local band tear it up like it was the most important thing they’d ever seen. Maybe it was.

This year’s Battle of the Bands was a landmark. For the first time, all playoff rounds were held inside The Brightside’s ballroom and the finale sold out completely. Six bands, Catsteel, Good Soup, Obscured, Paid Leave, Tronee Threat, and Yuppie, brought everything they had to one of Dayton’s most beloved stages. The level of talent on display was a reminder that this city’s music scene is alive and well.

Paid Leave wins the 2026 Dayton Battle of the Bands. Photo by Victoria Swearingen

AND THE WINNER IS…

Paid Leave took home the top prize, with Good Soup earning runner-up honors and Yuppie finishing third. But ask anyone in that room and they’ll tell you all six bands showed up to win. The prize package for the champion is no joke: a headlining performance at Levitt Pavilion this summer, a recording session with Huge Face Productions, a merch package from Little Monster Printing, and $1,000 courtesy of The Brightside. That’s the kind of launchpad that can change a band’s trajectory.

THE AFTER PARTY (A FIRST)

This year also marked the first-ever Battle of the Bands After Party, hosted by Toxic Brew and headlined by past winner Freakquency. Because why let a legendary night end before it has to? Big thanks to title sponsors Tony & Pete’s and all the sponsors who helped make 2026’s Battle of the Bands the biggest one yet.

Dayton’s music scene has always punched above its weight. Events like Battle of the Bands are why, and if the next generation of fans crowding The Brightside’s ballroom is any indication, it’s not slowing down anytime soon.

Gem City Groundlings Brings Tony Award–Winning Dark Comedy God of Carnage to Dayton This March

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Civility doesn’t stand a chance — and the results are absolutely hilarious.

Dayton’s Gem City Groundlings is bringing the Tony Award–winning dark comedy God of Carnage to the stage this month, and if the material is any indication, audiences are in for one unforgettable night out.

Written by playwright Yasmina Reza, the play drops audiences inside the Novaks’ living room, where two sets of parents gather to calmly sort out a playground altercation between their kids. Mature. Measured. Completely adult about it. For about five minutes. What unfolds from there is a razor-sharp, escalating demolition of social niceties — egos collide, alliances flip, and the thin veneer of civilized behavior peels back to reveal something far more entertaining underneath.

It’s the kind of show that makes you laugh, squirm, and quietly wonder if you’ve been in that exact living room before.

For Gem City Groundlings, it’s a natural fit. The company has built its local reputation on bold, actor-driven work that doesn’t shy away from complexity — and God of Carnage is exactly that kind of theatre. Sharp, intimate, and impossible to look away from.

A Few Dates Worth Noting

The run kicks off March 4 with a Preview Night, and Sunday, March 8 is Pay-What-You-Can Donation Day — a great opportunity to catch a sharp production at your own price.

Performance Schedule

God of Carnage plays two Dayton-area venues this month:

The Lift — March 4–8 114 S. June St., Dayton, OH 45404

Brick and Beam Event Center — March 12–14 55714 Hills Ave., Kettering, OH 45414

Tickets and info at gemcitygroundlings.com — or follow Gem City Groundlings on social media for updates.

 

 

Go Behind the Glass at Belle of Dayton Distillery on Thursdays

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If you’ve ever sipped a well-crafted spirit and wondered how it got from grain to glass, Belle of Dayton Distillery has you covered, and it’ll only cost you ten bucks.

Every Thursday at 6:30 PM, the distillery at 122 Van Buren Street opens its doors for a behind-the-scenes tour of their production space. A knowledgeable spirit expert walks you through the copper still, fermentation tanks, and bottling line, plus gives you a peek at their limited-release spirits. Along the way, you’ll learn about the distillation process and get a few liquor myths busted for good measure. The tour wraps up with a guided tasting of their handcrafted spirits, right in the heart of the production area.

At $10 per person, it’s one of the more affordable nights out you’ll find in Dayton, and a genuinely fun one. Whether you’re planning a date night, a friends’ outing, or just looking to geek out about craft spirits, this is the kind of low-key, high-quality experience the 937 does well.

Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes early to check in and grab a drink in the Van Buren Room before the tour kicks off. Spots are first-come, first-served, but you can reserve your place online ahead of time, and the payment is collected at check-in. Note that all guests must be 21+ with a valid ID.

Reserve your spot at belleofdayton.com/pages/tours.

Belle of Dayton Distillery | 122 Van Buren Street, Dayton, OH 45402

Every Thursday at 6:30 PM | $10/person | 21+

Six Dayton Women Are Changing Everything — And YWCA Is Here for It

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The YWCA Dayton Women of Influence Awards Luncheon returns March 12, and this year’s honorees represent the very best of what our city has to offer.

This year, YWCA Dayton pauses to ask a simple but powerful question: who are the women making Dayton a better place? The answer shows up on March 12 at the Women of Influence Awards Luncheon, held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Dayton Convention Center.

Now in its 28th year, this is no small affair. More than 800 of the region’s leaders, influencers, and community champions fill the room, making it the single largest daytime nonprofit luncheon in the entire Miami Valley. If you’ve never been, this is the year to go.

Meet the 2026 Honorees

This year, six women from across the fields of business, education, health, and the performing arts will be recognized for the impact they’ve made not just in their industries, but in the fabric of Dayton itself.

Debbie Blunden Diggs, CEO and Artistic Director of the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, has spent her career keeping one of Dayton’s most celebrated cultural institutions alive and thriving.

Myla Cardona Jones, CEO of the Brunner Literacy Center, is doing the quiet, essential work of making sure Dayton’s residents have the literacy skills they need to build better lives.

Robyn Lightcap, Executive Director of Preschool Promise, is fighting for the city’s youngest kids, making sure quality early childhood education isn’t a privilege, but a promise.

Heather Salazar, President and CEO of Pink Ribbon Good, has built an organization that centers the real needs of those navigating breast cancer in our community.

Lisa Wagner, Executive Director of Levitt Pavilion Dayton, has turned a riverside stage into one of the most beloved free music experiences in the region.

Rounding out the class is Vicki Giambrone, Partner at CBD Advisors, who will receive the Betsy Whitney Lifetime Achievement Award, the evening’s highest honor, reserved for women whose contributions to Dayton span decades.

Why It Matters

The YWCA’s mission: eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, and dignity for all isn’t just a tagline. It’s what connects every woman on this list. As Interim CEO Teresa Sanders says, the luncheon exists to “help women break the glass ceiling.” Year after year, the honorees prove that ceiling doesn’t stand a chance.

Whether you’re coming to support a friend, connect with Dayton’s movers and shakers, or simply celebrate women who are doing the work — this is one of those events that leaves you feeling proud to call this city home.

Get Your Tickets

Thursday, March 12 | 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Dayton Convention Center

Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available now here: https://www.ywcadayton.org/womenofinfluence

For sponsorship inquiries, reach out to Teresa Sanders directly at [email protected].

 

Make New Friends: Beauty Boost Dayton Brings Friend Speed Dating to The Brightside

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No awkward silences. No pressure. Just good people and good vibes.

Let’s be honest — making friends as an adult is harder than it should be. Beauty Boost Dayton gets it, and they’re doing something about it.

On Wednesday, March 11th, The Brightside plays host to one of the most refreshingly fun concepts to hit Dayton’s social scene: a friend speed dating night designed to help women in the city actually connect — without the cringe. Presented by Beauty Boost Dayton, the community that has been bringing women together through wellness, fitness, and empowerment events across the Miami Valley for years, this one is all about building real friendships in a low-pressure, high-energy atmosphere.

The night kicks off at 6:30 PM with open mingling, Friend Bingo, and a series of experience stations to ease you into the room. At 7:00 PM, the main event begins — structured “friend speed dating” with conversation prompts to keep things flowing naturally. From there, an empowerment speaker (or a hands-on craft experience) takes the stage at 7:30 PM, before the evening wraps at 8:30 PM with new connections made and good energy to carry home.

Whether you’re new to Dayton, looking to expand your circle, or just ready for a night out with intention, this is the event for you.

Wednesday, March 11th

6:00 PM – 8:30 PM

The Brightside, 905 E. 3rd Street, Dayton

Tickets: $25 | FREE with Beauty Boost membership

Dayton Has a Music Scene. Battle of the Bands Is Proving It.

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The Bruins performing at Dayton Battle of the Bands at The Brightside

Six local bands battle for the crown at The Brightside on March 7, and the whole city’s invited.

If you’ve spent any time in Dayton’s music scene lately, you’ve probably felt it, something is happening here. New artists are finding audiences. Bands that used to play for twenty people are playing for two hundred. The 2026 Dayton Battle of the Bands didn’t cause all of that, but it’s been a pretty good mirror for it.

Six weeks. Twenty-seven bands. Hundreds of people showing up on weeknights to hear original music from artists they’d never heard of before. And now, on Saturday, March 7 at The Brightside Music & Event Venue, it all comes down to one night.

The six acts advancing to the Finale each won their respective genre night, earning their spot in front of a live crowd that voted with their applause and their feet. The bands include: Obscured, Catsteel, Tronee Threat, Good Soup, Yuppie, and Paid Leave.

Libby Ballengee has been running Venus Child Productions and booking at The Brightside long enough to know what a good scene looks like and what it takes to build one.

“Battle of the Bands isn’t just a competition, it’s an engine for growth,” she says. “Over six weeks, dozens of bands built professional skills, captured images and video, and put themselves in front of bookers, festival organizers, and audiences who are actively engaged in Dayton’s creative economy. That’s real ecosystem building.”

sheller performing at The Dayton Battle of the Bands Finale

Of the 27 acts that competed this season, every single one walked away with something stage time, exposure, connections, content. The six in the Finale just happen to be the ones still standing.

The Finale is a general admission, all-ages show at The Brightside, one of Dayton’s best rooms for live music. Doors open at 6:00 PM, music starts at 7:00 PM, and the night runs until 11:00 PM. Every ticket ($15 advance / $20 day-of) comes with one vote toward the championship, so you’re not just watching, you’re part of the decision.

New this year, you can pre-order sandwiches from Tony & Pete’s with your ticket for pickup at the venue. Because good music tastes better on a full stomach.

The winner walks away with a $1,000 cash prize, a professional EP recording session at Huge Face Productions, a custom merchandise package from Little Monster Printing, and a performance slot at Levitt Pavilion Dayton’s summer concert series, one of the most visible stages in the city.

Every finalist receives $250 cash, a live music video from Sound Valley with audio mastering from Huge Face Productions and Dayton Sound Studios, a merchandise discount from Little Monster Printing, and gift cards from Music Go Round and Dayton Pizza Factory. Not bad for a Tuesday night out.

The Details: Dayton Battle of the Bands Finale

Saturday, March 7, 2026

The Brightside Music & Event Venue

905 E. Third St., Dayton, OH 45402

Doors 6:00 PM | Show 7:00 PM | All Ages

Tickets: $15 advance / $20 day of show

https://tickets.venuepilot.com/e/dayton-battle-of-the-bands-2026-finale-2026-03-07-the-brightside-music-event-venue-dayton-b892e6

daytonbattleofthebands.com  |  thebrightsidedayton.com

The 2026 Dayton Battle of the Bands is presented by The Brightside in partnership with Venus Child Productions and Sound Valley.