Wangaratta will host its North East Battle of the Bands heat on Sunday 4 October. For those still keen to enter - and join the current line-up comprising Lily Alice, Fair Warning, Charley Miller, Anthony Chisholm, The B500’s and Stage Fright - registrations close this Sunday 27 September via https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/nWcABC5PSz The youth-friendly all ages event, funded by Amplify (formerly FReeZA), will run from 2pm to 5pm on 4 October at The Vine Hotel. Wangaratta's heat is the second event on the six-round schedule, which kicks off in Chiltern on 3 October, with others to be staged in Mansfield on 10 October, Avenel on 17 October, Albury on 23 October, and Corryong on 31 October. It offers locals a chance to support the region's young musicians as they go head-to-head and battle it out for prizes and bragging rights. The battle is open to solo musicians, duos and bands of all genres aged between 12 and 25 years from the Wangaratta, Indigo, Mansfield, Strathbogie, Towong and Albury local government areas. The winning acts will perform at the All-Ages Gig at the Spring Ditch Festival in Stanley in 2027. The solo and band winners from the Wangaratta heat will get to play at the rural city's New Year's Eve event. For those eager to watch some young talent in action, free tickets to the Wangaratta Battle of the Bands can be secured at https://events.humanitix.com/2026-battle-of-the-bands-wangaratta Food and soft drinks will be available from the venue, but as a youth event there will be no alcohol, drugs, vaping or smoking permitted.
