WMC opening weekend lives up to all expectations

During last Thursday's opening, 18,000 visitors enjoyed a spectacular street parade through the center of Kerkrade. This vibrant atmosphere set the stage for the fantastic brass band competitions held on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Tiny margins in the top division

The brass band competitions in the Concert Division, in particular, drew large crowds to the Rodahal on Saturday and Sunday. In this division, the Swiss ensemble Brass Band Treize Étoiles claimed the world title, beating Belgium’s Willebroek by a margin of just four-hundredths of a point. This razor-thin margin created an incredibly exciting and euphoric atmosphere inside the Rodahal.

Stadium guarantees a spectacle

The atmosphere was equally electric in the stadium during the WMC’s most spectacular events: the marching and show competitions. More than 9,000 spectators braved tropical conditions to enjoy the bands and corps competing in the 1st, 2nd, and youth divisions across the show, marching, and marching parade categories. In the youth division, DVS Katwijk secured the world title.

Stadium guarantees a spectacle

The atmosphere inside the stadium was electric during the WMC’s most spectacular events: the marching and show competitions. More than 9,000 spectators braved tropical conditions to enjoy the bands competing in the 1st, 2nd, and youth divisions across the show, marching, and marching parade categories. In the youth division, DVS Katwijk claimed the world title.

In the 1st division marching category, the honor went to the Ratchasima Witthayalai Marching Band from Thailand. In the 1st division marching parade, the Polyhymnia Music Association Percussion Group from Lemelerveld delivered an outstanding performance, while the title for the 1st division show went to the M.E.T.R.O. Show and Drum Fanfare Band from Scheveningen.

WMC Director Bart Van der Roost is delighted with how the opening weekend unfolded. "With the parade and a fantastic first weekend, we’ve proven that the tradition our festival represents is very much alive. Personally, there were far too many highlights for me to witness them all live as festival director, so I’m grateful that our stream allows me to watch them again! It was wonderfully warm—literally, during the award ceremonies, and in the hearts of our participants and volunteers."

BLOW!

The town center of Kerkrade was also bustling with activity during the 'BLOW! WMC óp d’r Maat' event and in the City Park. For four weekends, the attractively decorated covered area on the Market Square serves as the musical hub for all of Kerkrade and the surrounding region.

Livestream

The WMC’s ‘VIDA’ livestream has also been well received by viewers. “People are really happy that it exists and that the quality is good. It was a bit of a nail-biter whether music fans would actually find the platform. That certainly seems to be the case after the first weekend, with thousands of subscribers. People from all over the world are tuning in to the WMC’s new streaming platform, and that’s just awesome,” says Edwin Hijman, WMC media producer.

Program

The final marching and show competitions are scheduled for next weekend. World titles will be contested in the highest categories of marching, marching parade, and show at the Parkstad Limburg Stadium. In addition, the percussion competitions will take place in the theater over the weekend of July 17, 18, and 19.

For more information and the program, visit: https://www.wmc.nl/en