Battle of the Beats Expression of Interest

What is Battle of the Beats?

The Battle of the Beats competition is a key event in the Georges River Youth Festival (GRYFest), designed to showcase the talents of young, amateur musicians.

The competition is open to musicians under the age of 25, and all musical genres are welcome. To ensure fairness, only amateur musicians are eligible, meaning those signed to record labels cannot participate. A panel will review applications and select the finalists based on their artistic abilities. The winners will be determined by community judges during the event.

• Five (5) musical acts will be selected to compete in the 2026 'GRYFest' (Georges River Youth Festival) Battle of the Beats competition.
• Do you have what it takes to claim first place and share in a prize pool of $5,000?
• The event will be held at 3Bridges Youth Zone, Penshurst Park on Friday 17 April 2026.
• We'll provide professional sound and lighting for all competing musicians.

Please note: those under 18 will require permission to enter from a parent/guardian.

What prizes are on offer?

Every artist can do with an upgrade to their gear, software, or system to advance their musical journey. We want to make this possible with prizes supporting your passion:

• First place - prize to the value of $2,000.00
• Second place - prize to the value of $1,500.00
• Third place - prize to the value of $750.00
• Fourth place - prize to the value of $500.00
• Fifth place - prize to the value of $250.00

What more do you need to know?

• All musical genres are welcome!
• The average age of each act is to be under 25.
• Each act is required to have some form of demonstrable connection to the Georges River local government area. No connection to Georges River would void the EOI submission.
• Musical acts will be chosen to compete based on their artistic ability. A cross-organisational panel will review all applications.
• Seven (7) acts will be shortlisted. Five (5) will be selected to perform, and two (2) will shortlisted as 'reserve' acts.
• This competition is for amateur musicians only. Musicians signed by any record company (including independent record labels) are not eligible to compete.
• The use of explicit lyrics during performances is prohibited and will result in a zero (0) score in one (1) criterion during judging.
• Final prizes during the competition will be awarded by three (3) community judges.

Expressions of interest are open until Sunday 1 March 2026. So, make sure you're in it to win it!