Battle of the Bands 2026 –
The Winston Churchill School
Battle of the Bands 2026 was an unforgettable evening of live music, creativity and student talent at The Winston Churchill School. This year’s event showcased not only musical ability, but also the independence, teamwork and dedication of our performers.
A total of nine bands took to the stage, each having formed their own groups, organised rehearsals and either written or arranged the music they performed. The standard this year was exceptionally high, with every band bringing something unique to the night.
The full lineup for the evening was:
· Rising Devils- Decisions (original song)
· Moving Horizons – Sk8ter Boi (Avril Lavigne)
· Kilamova – Bad Romance (Lady Gaga)
· Mixtape – Ghostbusters
· Motive – Head in the Sand (original song)
· Fiction – Only Exception (Paramore)
· The Guilty Party – Locked Out of Heaven (Bruno Mars)
· The Eaglestones – Say It Ain’t So (Weezer)
· Ultra Violet – Forget You (CeeLo Green)
We were delighted to welcome three judges: Mr Parsons, Mr Antony and Seb Mikkelsen, who had the difficult task of selecting standout performances. Alongside the judges’ decision, the audience also had their say through a popular vote, adding to the excitement of the evening.
The judges awarded a High Commendation to The Guilty Party for their performance of Locked Out of Heaven, praising their energy and stage presence. Their performance truly lit up the room and set a high benchmark for the night.
Choosing an overall winner was no easy task, but the judges ultimately selected Moving Horizons as their champions. Performing Sk8ter Boi, they impressed with an incredibly slick and professional performance—made even more remarkable by the fact they achieved this with just three band members.
The audience vote told its own story, with Motive emerging as the crowd favourite. Their performance clearly resonated with the audience, earning them well-deserved recognition on the night. Possibly the headbanging and epic guitar solos swayed them!
As tradition dictates, both winning bands returned to the stage for a final performance, bringing the evening to an exciting close.
As a reward for their success, Moving Horizons and Motive will have the fantastic opportunity to perform at St John’s Fete, as well as take part in a Band Skills Masterclass hosted by some of our judges—an invaluable experience to further develop their musical talents.
A huge thank you must go to Miss Wells and the Tech Team—Steffan, Alex, Aiden and Holly—for all of their hard work throughout the day during soundchecks and for ensuring that every performance ran smoothly.
Thank you also to Aditya for helping to organise and host the event so successfully.
Congratulations to all of the bands who performed. The effort, creativity and commitment shown by every group made this year’s Battle of the Bands a huge success. We look forward to seeing how these musicians continue to grow—and to another incredible event next year!
Mrs Antony
Deputy Head Music
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