Drum Corps International World Championships set to take over downtown Indy

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The rumble of percussion, performers balancing on stilts, and perfectly synchronized color guard tossing wooden rifles are just a few of the spectacles people can witness inside Lucas Oil Stadium later this week.

The DCI World Championships will once again be hosted at Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis. The performances begin Thursday. The competition runs through Saturday with two, free events for anyone to attend.

Drum Corps International, Marching Music’s Major League™ is responsible for planning large-scale events and competitions for the world’s most elite marching ensembles.

The competitive performances begin Thursday with prelims and wrap with finals Saturday. Two events in between those bookends are free for families and will bring entertainment and musical education together.

DCI will host the Shining the Light on Music Education Friday afternoon on Monument Circle. It’s a partnership between DCI, Music For All and Downtown Indy, Inc. DCI says it’s an evening to celebrate teachers and music education and the important role they play in children’s lives.

There will be live performances by local musicians and others from around the world. It will end with the Shining a Light production shown nightly on Monument Circle.

DCI says it is fun for the whole family. There will be food vendors and plenty of entertainment including that from DCI’s DrumLine Battle division, SoundSport ensembles, and the INpact Band.

SoundSport International Music & Food Festival is the other free event. It will sprawl the 15,000 square feet of events space between the Indianapolis Convention Center, Lucas Oil Stadium, and South Street. The SoundSport and DrumLine Battle will perform, there will be food trucks and more entertainment leading up to when the gates open for the championship finals.

Information for the events are listed below.

DCI World Championship Prelims:
Lucas Oil Stadium
Thursday, August 10
11:45 a.m.
Ticket prices start at $32

DCI World Championship Semifinals
Lucas Oil Stadium
Thursday, August 10
1:00p.m.
Ticket prices start at $45

Shining the Light on Music Education
Monument Circle
Friday, August 11
5:00 p.m.
FREE

SoundSport International Music & Food Festival
Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis Convention Center, and South Street
Saturday, August 12
10 a.m.
FREE

DCI World Championship Final
Lucas Oil Stadium
Saturday, August 12
5:30 p.m.
Ticket prices start at $55

If you can’t make it to Lucas Oil Stadium, three Indianapolis-area movie theatres will be showing the prelims live with the return of Big, Loud & Live 18. The live feed will provide a 50-yard line seat to catch DCI’s top-15 performing corps battle it out for the chance to be named the 2023 DCI World Champion. 

Tickets are $22. The live showings begin Thursday, August 10th at 6:30 p.m at the following theaters: