BandWagon Magazine Battle of the Bands Finale!
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BandWagon Magazine Battle of the Bands Finale – Jan 23, 2026 | The Oriental Theater
The competition ends here. After five preliminary rounds across the Colorado Front Range, the top bands from Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and Greeley meet under one roof for the BandWagon Magazine Battle of the Bands Finale at the historic Oriental Theater. One night. One stage. One shot at glory.
Since 2011, BandWagon Magazine’s annual Battle of the Bands has showcased the region’s most exciting rising artists. What began as a northern Colorado tradition has grown into a statewide showdown, where local musicians square off for $5,000 cash, the cover of BandWagon Magazine, and the kind of bragging rights that echo through green rooms forever. Past champions include bands like Slow Caves, The Burroughs, Flahoola, Underseer, and Graham Good & The Painters.
This year’s finalists earned their place by winning one of the November preliminary rounds:
• Nov 7 – Black Buzzard Oskar Blues (Denver) - Hand Turkey
• Nov 8 – Lulu’s Downtown (Colorado Springs) - Evan Bingham & Rude Mood
• Nov 14 – Black Buzzard Oskar Blues (Denver)
• Nov 22 – Moxi Theater (Greeley)
• Nov 28 – Sound Bar (Fort Collins)
How the scoring works:
Each band is judged by a panel of approximately ten adjudicators, with each judge awarding up to 100 points. Fan voting adds a new twist: every ticket holder receives two votes, and each fan vote adds one point to a band’s overall score.
Example: A band earning 800/1000 from the judges and receiving 40 fan votes will finish with 840 points.
About BandWagon Magazine & BandWagon Presents:
BandWagon Magazine is a monthly arts and entertainment publication founded in 2011, committed to highlighting artists, events, and creative culture across northern Colorado and Wyoming. In 2021, BandWagon expanded with BandWagon Presents, producing concerts, comedy, and festivals throughout Colorado and Wyoming from offices in Greeley and Denver. BandWagon works hard to deliver the best experience we can for the artists performing and the fans who show up to support them.
On January 23, 2026, the finalists hit the stage, the judges take their seats, the crowd casts their votes, and one band will walk away as the 2025 Battle of the Bands Champion.
