Winter Guard World Championships Return to Dayton

(Photo: Bill Franz)

WGI Sport of the Arts (Winter Guard International) returns in a big way in April, when Dayton hosts the Color Guard Championships on April 11-13, Percussion Championships on April 18-20, and Winds Championships on April 20-21. Last year, collectively over the two long weekends, nearly 60,000 people attended, with an estimated direct spending economic impact of more than $18 million for the region!

About WGI Sport of the Arts

In the spring of 1977, a small group of representatives met and formed an organization to govern the color guard activity from coast to coast. The goal was to create a standard set of competition rules, establish a unity in judging techniques, and provide a national championship event. The organization that would bloom from this meeting was known as Winter Guard International.

Since its inception, WGI has drawn together the growing winter guard activity and provided leadership and guidance to generations of performers around the world. Today, WGI Sport of the Arts is the world’s premier organization producing indoor color guard, percussion, and winds competitions.  As a non-profit youth organization, WGI also serves as the governing body for the indoor color guard, percussion, and winds activities. It is called the Sport of the Arts because it brings music to life through performance in a competitive format. Even with more than 45 years of history, the sport continues to evolve and grow.

You can learn more about WGI at their website.

WGI uses a competition-based approach for organizing events in order to showcase youth activities in pursuit of high standards of achievement. Events include about 60 Regionals, which lead to the World Championships that evaluate more than 300 guards, 200 percussion ensembles, and 40 winds groups.

Events take place at several area venues, including the University of Dayton Arena, Dayton Convention Center and Nutter Center. General admission tickets may be purchased at the door for many events, with advance tickets available for finals events. See each of the sections below for more information and links to schedules and tickets.

Color Guard World Championships

The Winds schedule of events is as follows:

THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2024
University of Dayton Arena: Independent Open Prelims, Scholastic World Prelims, Independent World Prelims

Wright State University's Nutter Center: Scholastic Open Prelims, Independent Open Prelims

Xavier University Cintas Center: Scholastic A Prelims

Northern Kentucky Truist Arena: Scholastic A Prelims

Dayton Convention Center: Independent A Prelims

FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 2024
University of Dayton Arena: Scholastic World Semi-Finals, Independent World Semi-Finals, A Class Finals

Wright State University's Nutter Center: Scholastic A Semi-Finals, Independent Open Semi-Finals

Northern Kentucky University Truist Arena: Independent A Semi-Finals, Scholastic Open Semi-Finals

SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 2024
University of Dayton Arena: Open Class Finals, World Class Finals

Go to the Color Guard section of the WGI website for detailed information about schedules and how to get tickets.

Check out these video recaps of the 2023 Color Guard Open and World Class Finals!

Percussion Championships

Go to the Percussion section of the WGI website for detailed information about schedules and how to get tickets.

Winds Championships

The Winds schedule of events is as follows:

SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2024
Truist Arena at Northern Kentucky University: Winds Prelims

SUNDAY, APRIL 21, 2024
University of Dayton Arena: Winds Finals

Go to the Winds section of the WGI website for detailed information about schedules about how to get tickets.

Destination Dayton looks forward to welcoming all of the participants and spectators back to Dayton for this magnificent "Sport of the Arts!" Make the most of your time in Dayton by downloading our Visit Dayton app, as well as exploring our website for more about hotels, restaurants, attractions and other things to do while you're in town.

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