The Blue Mountain High School Marching Band will host the 2026 Tournament of Bands Region II and IV Championships on , bringing eight marching bands to the Blue Mountain Eagles’ Nest Stadium.
Competition Time and Admission
The competition begins at 6 p.m., with gates and concessions opening at 5 p.m. General admission tickets are $10, and the event is open to the public.
Eight Marching Bands Scheduled to Participate
- Blue Mountain
- Central Mountain
- Lake-Lehman
- Mahanoy Area
- Mifflin County
- North Schuylkill
- Panther Valley
- Southern Tioga
Regional champions will be crowned during the competition. Scores will also determine rankings and seeding for bands advancing to the Tournament of Bands Atlantic Coast Championships.
Putting the Spotlight on Marching Bands
Blue Mountain High School band director Chris Evans said the event gives students an opportunity to perform with the audience’s attention focused on their music and field shows.
“This is an opportunity for everyone to focus on music and the bands. Often at football games the performances are not given full attention, now the spotlight is on the bands!” Evans said. “This is a great opportunity to have the full attention of the audience as a band and for the performers to see their peers doing what they love the most.”
Blue Mountain’s Recent Competition Results
Blue Mountain also hosted the regional championships in 2025, earning first place in Region 2 Group 3-A with its field show, “The Best of Tom Cruise.”
This season, the band’s “Best of 2000s” field show earned first place in Group 3-A at the second annual Mahanoy Area Tournament of Bands competition in September. The band also placed second in Group 3-A at North Schuylkill’s Tournament of Bands competition on October 3.
The program’s competitive history includes 14 Tournament of Bands Chapter Championships, two Atlantic Coast Championship silver medals and two bronze medals. In the Cavalcade of Bands circuit, Blue Mountain earned four championships, three silver medals and two bronze medals.
A Growing Marching Band Program
Evans said the program shifted its approach following its pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing students to continue learning music and performing while participating in other sports and activities.
Since that change, the band has more than doubled in size, according to Evans. It continues to perform at football games, regional competitions and community events.
More information about the Tournament of Bands is available at www.njatob.org.