UniBrass Contest and Gala Concert

ICC Wales, Celtic Manor Resort, Newport

The annual inter-university brass band championships (UniBrass) return to South Wales for 2026, bringing more than twenty of the best university bands from across the country together to perform sets full of fantastic music, storytelling, and humour. Join us to find out who will be crowned UniBrass champions for 2026, and be sure to be entertained along the way at the event described as "the most innovative thing to happen to banding in 100 years”.

PLUS: join us after the contest for our annual gala concert, this year featuring the internationally renowned trumpet soloist, Louis Dowdeswell. Louis - whose experience includes performing on records by the likes of Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, and Billie Eilish - will be joined in an exclusive one-off performance by a live rock band, plus the City of Cardiff (Melingriffith) M1 Brass Band. Promising a combination of brass band classics, pop covers, and jazz infused showpieces this is a concert with something for everyone that’s not to be missed.