.jpeg)
Get stoked—Ernie Ball’s Vans Warped Tour Battle of the Bands Powered by Guitar Center is back for 2026, giving unsigned artists a big break: a shot at performing on the 2026 Vans Warped Tour main stage at one of six festival dates, plus a prize package that includes a treasure trove of gear and $1,000 Vans gift card.
Six winners, including one grand prize winner, will be chosen by a panel of judges.
Get the scoop here on the Battle of the Bands competition, eligibility, how to submit and prizes.
How Does the Warped Tour Battle of the Bands Competition Work?
First, entrants are screened for eligibility, measured and ranked based on online activity during the contest window. The top 100 submissions for each of the six venues then move on to the next phase.
Next, a panel of judges reviews a total of 600 submissions and selects finalists for each of the six Warped Tour dates. Judging criteria will be based on musical originality, entertainment value, creativity and technical ability.
Finally, the six finalists advance to a final round where one grand prize winner is chosen.
Who Can Enter Battle of the Bands 2026?
The contest is open to eligible U.S. residents who are 18 or older at the time of entry. Each individual participant must be unsigned to a major label and have made less than $100,000 from music the prior tax year.
As always, check the full fine print to make sure you and your bandmates qualify.
How to Submit to Warped Tour Battle of the Bands 2026
Submitting is straightforward. After registering and filling out your Ernie Ball Vans Warped Tour Battle of the Bands profile, you’ll upload a video submission that features an original song—it could be a practice, performance, lyric or full-on music video—and stays within the six-minute limit.
You can submit up to three videos, and if you upload more than one, you’ll need to designate your favorite by keeping it in the #1 spot on your timeline.
You can increase your chances of moving on to the next phase if you can get your friends to create a profile and upvote your video—bonus points if you promote your profile on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Threads and X by sharing your submission link.
Act fast and sign up now if you want in, as the entry window closes at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time May 1, 2026.
Battle of the Bands Prizes: What Winners Get
The six finalists win an opening main stage slot at one of two festival dates in Washington, D.C., Orlando, Florida and Long Beach, California.
All winners will receive a heap of gear from SJC, Zildjian, Marshall, Ernie Ball, BOSS, Electro-Voice, Universal Audio, Gallien Krueger, Remo, Vic Firth, Mackie, KORG, Neural DSP, Humes & Berg and a $1,000 Vans gift card.
One grand prize winner will receive all the standard prizes plus an even more comprehensive gear stash, in addition to a $5,000 gift cards for both Guitar Center and Smartpunk Manufacturing.
Check out the full list of gear under the Prizes section of the contest official rules.