“Guerra de Bandas” – Actual Festival 2027

"Guerra de Bandas," the 13th edition of this battle-of-the-bands competition tied to Spain's Actual Festival in Logroño, is open to bands and solo acts from anywhere in the country, in any style — the application itself is in Spanish. To enter, send a dossier by email (bio, gig history and recordings, plus links to your music online) between 12 August and 31 October 2026; you'll need at least 30 minutes of original material, since finalists must fill that much stage time. A jury selects 10 acts to perform live in Logroño between 2 and 4 January 2027, 15 minutes each, stretching to 30 minutes for the four who reach the final — arrive under or over time and you're penalized. The prize is not cash: the jury winner gets a paid, programmed slot at Actual Festival 2028, worth €2,500, paid against an invoice in two parts (€500 on winning, €2,000 after playing), so bands need to be able to invoice formally (a CIF or equivalent) and give up royalty claims for that performance. A separate audience prize of €300 goes by in-person vote during the live rounds. The festival supplies sound and lighting technicians, a PA, monitors and a house drum kit that acts must use, while bands bring their own backline; groups travelling 120km or more get €150 toward fuel plus a night's accommodation and food. Previous jury-prize winners can't re-enter, and the jury, made up of critics, musicians and cultural programmers, can decide not to award the prize at all.