Illinois SuperState Concert Band Festival
May 7–8, 2027

krannert center for the performing arts

Hosted by the University of Illinois Bands, the SuperState Concert Band Festival celebrates the legacy and tradition of great music making by middle school/junior high and high school bands in the state of Illinois. Taking place in two rounds, this annual event begins with recorded applications that are evaluated by panels of renowned conductor/educators.

The on-campus festival will take place in the world-renowned Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. We look forward to two days of incredible performances presented by some of the very finest middle and high school bands in Illinois. This incredible event brings thousands of students, teachers, parents, and other supporters to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, and we look forward to having you here!

schedule:

In response to feedback we have received, starting in 2025, we began rotating the high school classes in order to more equitably serve schools that might have various conflicts on Fridays or Saturdays. This rotation will continue on a three-year cycle:

• 2027

  • Friday: Middle School/Junior High; High School Class 1A

  • Saturday: High School Class 2A; High School Class 3A

• 2028

  • Friday: Middle School/Junior High; High School Class 2A

  • Saturday: High School Class 3A; High School Class 1A

• 2029

  • Friday: Middle School/Junior High; High School Class 3A

  • Saturday: High School Class 1A; High School Class 2A

a note regarding superstate programming:

Participating ensembles are strongly encouraged to consider equitable, representative, and diverse programming for SuperState. The University of Illinois Bands regards diversity, equity, and inclusion as core values integral to guiding our progress toward excellence.

For invited ensembles, following the April program submission deadline, we will review your submission for concert duration. Please remember that total on-stage time is 20 minutes, and your repertoire selections should total less than 20 minutes. Repertoire choices should account for time between pieces, tuning, etc. Please be courteous to other performers and our schedule as you select your program. If a program exceeds the time limit, cuts or other alternatives will be requested.

Click the links below for more information.