The Great American Brass Band Festival returns for the summer of 2026, celebrating 35 seasons of free, live music, featuring a range of genres to appeal to a variety of music fans.
Do you enjoy more traditional brass band music? We got you covered.
Want something steeped with funk or hip-hop? We’ve got that too.
Or maybe a little ‘Nawlins vibe? Yeah, those bands are coming as well.
Make your plans to be in Danville June 25-27 to enjoy some or all of the bands performing downtown and on the grand lawn at Centre College.
Thursday, June 25
Music in the Park, 6-9 p.m. at Weisiger Park, downtown by the courthouse.
7:30 p.m. – Lee Carroll’s C the Beat – Lee Carroll’s C the Beat is a high-energy brass ensemble that fuses traditional jazz influences with contemporary grooves to deliver an engaging, rhythm-driven live performance.
Friday, June 26
Music at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, 4-5:30 p.m.
4-5:30 p.m. – Lexington Chamber Brass – Lexington Chamber Brass is a professional brass quintet that performs a wide range of literature for concert settings, weddings, church services, and many other occasions.
Bayou and Brass
Centre College Main Stage, 5-10 p.m.
5 p.m. – Circle City Sidewalk Stompers – The clown band! If you’ve been to the Great American Brass Band Festival before, you certainly will remember Sidewalk Stompers. Serious musicians having a good time performing for the crowd!
6:15 p.m. – Hot Sauce Brass Band – This second-line party band from Louisville is rooted in the traditional and contemporary repertoire of New Orleans, distilling their own spirit of original brass band music steeped in jazz, funk, the blues, pop and improvisation.
7:30 p.m. Mama Digdown’s Brass Band – For three decades, Mama Digdown’s Brass Band has been a tireless ambassador of New Orleans music, lighting up stages with the unmistakable sound of second line brass. Rooted deeply in the tradition of Crescent City street parades, they bring an electrifying mix of gritty funk, soul and raw energy to every performance—earning them a spot among the most thrilling live brass bands on the scene.
8:45 p.m. – Hot 8 Brass Band – The Hot 8 Brass Band is a high-energy New Orleans ensemble known for blending traditional brass sounds with hip-hop, funk, and second-line rhythms into powerful, modern performances.
Saturday, June 27
Centre College Main Stage
Block 1 (9 a.m.-4 p.m.)
The first block is more traditional brass music with wind ensemble, British brass band, big band, and brass quintet.
9 a.m. – 202nd Army Band – The 202nd Army Band is a versatile military ensemble that performs a wide range of music—from patriotic marches to contemporary hits—supporting troop morale and connecting with communities through live performances.
10 a.m. – Pine Mountain Wind Symphony – The Pine Mountain Wind Symphony is a distinguished concert band known for its rich, full sound and dynamic performances of both classic wind literature and contemporary works.
11 a.m. – Parade on Main Street – Several of the bands performing on stage will also be in the parade, along with a variety of other units. Follow the final band as they make their way down to the Centre College campus to kick off an afternoon and evening of music!
12 p.m. – Advocate Brass Band – Local brass musicians who always put on a great show!
1 p.m. – Crossroads – A British style brass band from Indianapolis playing many genres of music.
2 p.m. – Lexington Chamber Brass – If you missed them at Shaker Village on Friday afternoon, this is a second chance to see them… or a chance to see them again!
3 p.m. – Brass Band of Louisville – The Brass Band of Louisville is a vibrant ensemble that brings the British-style brass band tradition to life with powerful, polished performances ranging from classical repertoire to contemporary favorites.
Block 2 (4-11 p.m.)
The second block is for more eclectic brass groups featuring funk, soul, hip-hop, bhangra and jazz fusion.
4 p.m. – Circle City Sidewalk Stompers – The clown band! If you’ve been to the Great American Brass Band Festival before, you certainly will remember the Sidewalk Stompers. Serious musicians having a good time performing for the crowd!
5:15 p.m. – Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band – Described as “a joyful cacophony of Balkan, Klezmer and funk, with a tasteful thrash of metal thrown in for good measure.” Plan to be on your feet when this band takes the stage!
6:15 p.m. – Sooza Brass Band – Sooza is a six-piece brass band from Gainesville, Florida, playing Brass Funk, Disco, and Metal Music
7:30 p.m. – DuPont Brass – DuPont Brass is a one-of-a-kind, brass-driven supergroup hailing from the vibrant DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. Born out of the musical halls of Howard University, this once humble quintet of music scholars has blossomed into a dynamic 10-piece force, featuring brass, a rhythm section, and vocal prowess. Their journey began with humble origins, as they busked in Metro stations to fund their education, but has since catapulted them onto prestigious stages across the nation.
9 p.m. – Brass Against – If you are into bands like Tool, Rage Against the Machine, Soundgarden, Black Sabbath, Run the Jewels and other similar bands, this will be the band to watch as the 2026 festival closes out on Saturday night.
Brass Against has toured extensively throughout the world playing shows and festivals and have shared the stage with Tool, Prophets of Rage, Lenny Kravitz, Living Colour, Royal Blood, Mike D (Beastie Boys), Ben Harper and more.
For more details about this year’s Great American Brass Band Festival, go to https://gabbf.org/festival
