Join us for a three-day feast of live music! Hear performances from talented young musicians, from jazz, soul and funk groups to choirs, orchestras and much more.
Open to the public, every July, thousands of young musicians from across the UK perform at world-class venues in Birmingham as part of the annual Music for Youth National Festival.
Not-to-be-missed highlights this year include:
- Performances by the next generation of young musicians (full line-up to be announced on 1st June)
- ‘Fringe stages’ in Centenary Square, featuring a mix of musical performances
- Workshops with industry professionals
- Frequencies New Music Residency for 16-25 year olds. Selected participants will be collaborating with local orchestras to upscale their music for a performance at the Royal Albert Hall in November. Applications for the New Music Residency are now closed and selected participants will be announced soon. To find out more, click here.
- A specially curated Youth Citizen’s Assembly where young people get to have their say in the future of the music industry (facilitated by leading music industry experts).
- A fantastic Showcase Concert.
Get your National Festival tickets now!
Thursday 4th July
Performances and Workshops 10:15am to 12:45pm
Percussion Ensembles
Performers:
LMT Percussion Ensemble
The King’s School, Grantham Senior Percussion Ensemble
NYPE
Poole Grammar School Percussion Ensemble
Gwent Percussion Ensemble
St Mary’s College Senior Percussion Ensemble
SCPE (Surrey County Percussion Ensemble)
Composition Workshop 11am to 12:30pm
Performances and Workshops 1:45pm to 4:15pm
World, Folk and Roots
Performers:
Walthamstow School for Girls Year 10 Steel Band
Zingaresque
St Philomena’s African Drumming Group
Birmingham Schools’ Raga & Tala
Farnham Taiko
Salt Pie Lane, Queen Elizabeth School, Kirkby Lonsdale
North Tyneside Steelband
Composition Workshop 2pm to 3:30pm
Performances and Workshops 5pm to 7:30pm
Ensembles
Performers:
Birmingham Schools’ Guitar Ensemble
Y-Not Arts (NMPAT)
Cardinal Newman Catholic School Guitar Ensemble
Birmingham Schools’ Recorder Sinfonia
Downend Pops Orchestra
Rubik’s Cube
Fringe Stage 12pm to 6pm
Friday 5th July
Primary Live 11am to 12 noon, and 1pm to 2pm
Performers:
Harrow Tamil School Orchestra
CBSO Career Accelerator Fellows
One Voice Huddersfield - Juniors
NSB Symphony Orchestra
BTEC Yr 2 band 1 - Molli and Co.
Performances and Workshops 3pm to 5:45pm
Brass and Wind
Performers:
Bishop Stopford School Brass Band
Swindon Young Musicians Wind Band
NMPAT County Training Brass Band
St Helens Youth Brass Band
Oxfordshire Youth Wind Orchestra
Hampshire County Youth Band
Southampton Youth Wind Band
Saint Cecilia’s Church of England School Concert Band
Performances and Workshops 6:15pm to 9pm
Brass and Wind
Performers:
Dame Alice Owen's School Concert Band
Musica Shelley Concert Band
Sandbach School Wind Orchestra
Sponne School Brass Band
Elland Silver Youth Band
Birmingham Schools' Wind Orchestra
Gloucestershire Youth Wind Orchestra
Northamptonshire County Youth Concert Band
Performances and Workshops 11am to 12:30pm
Jazz, Funk and Soul
Performers:
Coombeshead Academy Soul Band
Richard Lander Soul Band
Soul Patrol
Barton Peveril College Soul Band
Performances and Workshops 1pm to 2:30pm
Jazz
Performers:
Lipson Co-operative Academy Big Band
York Music Forum Youth Jazz Ensemble
Greenhead College Big Band
Cardiff and Vale Music Service Youth Jazz Orchestra
Performances and Workshops 3:30pm to 5:30pm
Jazz
Performers:
Oxfordshire Youth Jazz Collective
Gloucestershire Youth Jazz Orchestra
The Cooperative Big Band
Nmpat County Youth Big Band
Sponne Jazz Orchestra
Evening Showcase 7pm to 9pm
Performers:
Youthsayers
NSG Tie Rack
Stars Collective
Newquay Tretherras Jazz Band
Chords and Fiddles
Dagrau Tân
Wigan Youth Jazz Orchestra
Youth Citizens' Assembly 10am to 2pm
National Youth Choir Workshop 2:45pm to 3:45pm
National Youth Choir Workshop 4:45pm to 5:45pm
Guest Reception 6:15pm to 7pm
Performances and Workshops 2pm to 4:30pm
Infants & Junior Choirs
Performers:
True Colours Project
Gwent Junior Choir
Monmouth Prep School Choir
Hatchell Wood Primary Academy
Leics Sing Junior Choir
Coldfall Primary School Choir
The Walker Box Beaters
Performances and Workshops 5:15pm to 7:45pm
Choirs
Performers:
Echoes of the East
Luckley House School Junior Choir
Christ's Hospital Gospel Choir
Corby Business Academy Choir
Boston Youth Pop Choir
Oxfordshire County Youth Choir
Lodge Moor Children and Youth Choir
Monmouthshire Comprehensive Cast of Les Mis
Performances and Workshops 10:15am to 12:45pm
Choirs
Performers:
Cardiff High School Senior Choir
Humphry Davy School Impact Choir
Mountbatten Chamber Choir
Haverfordwest High's Tenors with Change
Manor School Vocal Trio
Bishop Douglass - Musical Theatre Club
NSG Madrigalis
Chelmsford County High School for Girls Gospel Choir
Performances and Workshops 2pm to 4:30pm
Infants & Junior
Performers:
City Junior School Violeta Quartet
Silkstone Common Junior and Infant School Orchestra
London Irish Music School
Ysgol y Wern Clarinet Orchestra
Barry Primary String Ensemble
'The Sheringham Ukes'
St John's Orchestra
Performances and Workshops 5:15pm to 7:45pm
Ensembles
Performers:
The Verano Guitar Quartet
Manor School String Ensemble
Oxfordshire Youth Brass Ensemble
Sponnaissance
Harrow Music Improvisation Group
Castle Band
Chordis Caerllion
Fringe Stage 11am to 8:30pm
(Jazzlines 5pm to 6:30pm)
Saturday 6th July
Performances and Workshops 10:15am to 1pm
Orchestras
Performers:
Musica Kirklees Youth Orchestra
Milton Keynes Youth Orchestra
Birmingham Schools' Symphony Orchestra
Xaverian College Orchestra
Carmarthenshire Intermediate Orchestra
Northamptonshire County Youth Orchestra
West Sussex Youth Orchestra
Cornwall Youth Orchestra
Performances and Workshops 2pm to 4:30pm
Orchestras, String & Chamber
Performers:
Birmingham Schools' Junior String Orchestra
Cardiff and Vale Youth String Orchestra
Truro Youth String Orchestra
Northamptonshire County String Sinfonia
Bridgend Music Service - Senior String Ensemble
Create Music Youth String Ensemble
Torbay & South Devon Music Centre Youth Strings
Showcase 7pm to 9:30pm
Night of 1,000 Voices
Performers:
ABC Caerdydd & ABC Y Fro
East Riding Signing Choir
Pheasant Bank Academy
Simply Strings Chamber Ensemble & Newport Cathedral Choristers
Cornwall Youth Choir
Wallington Girls Gospel Choir
Harmony Heights
Plymouth College Jazz Band
Sedgehill Rap Collective
Performances and Workshops 10:30am to 12:30pm
Chamber
Performers:
Deko String Quartet
Penarth Clarinet Quartet
Arnold Wind Quintet
Rossignol String Quartet (Hanson Arts)
Performances and Workshops 1:45pm to 3:45pm
Ensembles
Performers:
Albemarle Chamber Ensemble
Ashleigh and Lily
VibaDuo
Oxfordshire Youth Bassoon Ensemble
Performances and Workshops 5pm to 7pm
Ensembles
Performers:
Cardiff and The Vale Harp Ensemble
The Kings of Wessex Brass Ensemble
Northamptonshire County Horn Ensemble
Gwent Harp Ensemble
CBSO Strings Workshop 3pm to 4:30pm
Composition Workshop 3:15pm to 4:15pm (Ratcliffe Room)
Performances and Workshop 3:30pm to 6pm
Frequencies
Performers:
Medical Weapons
Devil's Puppets (Malton School Rock Band)
Palemoon
White Leather
Clyde Love
stageminus
POWERJAM BAND PROJECT - 'BLUEZD'
Performances and Workshop 6:45pm to 9pm
Frequencies
Performers:
LVC (Lewisham Vocal Collective)
Les Etoiles
The Rakels
Zephyrus
VOYAGE
The Shugs
The Spit Game
Fringe Stage 11am to 7pm
I had an amazing time over the weekend playing at the National Music For Youth Festival with The Mountbatten Concert Wind Band… It was an amazing experience and I’m so glad I got the chance to play there!
