Band and Driver Advice

Advice for Bands and Drivers

Please find below specific information relating to the 2025 Brass Band Contest in Tameside, we hope on behalf of the Friends of Tameside Whit Friday Brass Band Contest that you will be able to join us on this spectacular occasion.

Child Performance Licences

The F.O.W.F.B.B.C hold a Body of Persons Approval (BOPA) so individual licences will not be required. However we are required to feedback to Tameside's Education Welfare Team after the event. When booking in your will be asked 3 specific questions in relation to players of compulsory school age.

1) How many compulsory school aged young people (5-16 years) are playing with the band?

2) How many appropriate adults are accompanying them?

3) Does your band hold an up to date and robust safeguarding policy?

Please ensure you have all necessary information to expedite the booking in process. You can also pre-register your band before the contest to save time whilst booking in on the day. The pre-registration is open until 12 noon on Thursday 14th June 2025.

General Event Info-

You can follow the event on Twitter by following us @tmbc_culture and using the hashtag #Whitfriday25 and on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/WhitFridayContest.

The 2025 contest takes place at 11 venues across the borough. 2025 sees the welcome return of Stalybridge Celtic to the Tameside circuit. The contact details for each contest can be found here in the "About Us" section.

The complete results will be posted both here on Tameside Council's website on the next working day following the event, once they have undergone a robust 3 part verification process.

The Friends of Whit Friday Brass Band Contest are delighted to announce, the Tameside overall Youth Contest that started back in 2020 will continue in 2025.

Youth bands competing at a minimum of six venues (just as in the open and local championships) will all qualify for the Tameside Overall youth contest. With the winner being awarded £200 and the runner up £100, in addition to the money youth bands can win at the various venues.

The entry fee's have been increased across all venues to £3.00. This is to cover increased administrations costs.

Bands should provide Stamped Addressed Envelopes to all contests to receive their adjudicators notes.

Coach Drivers Information

Can we please ask that coach drivers pay attention to the chief traffic marshal at each location, they will provide info in relation to rest breaks and tachographs, these marshals will advise the best location at their contest for such breaks to be taken to avoid creating traffic issues in line with the global risk assessment and we hope you will help us with this

Heyrod and Droylsden; any drivers needing a tachograph break should take them at other venues. Unfortunately due to their geographical locations these contest do not have capacity for tacho breaks to be taken safely.

Denton Contest; Coaches are asked to approach the contest from Ashton Road (A6016) only. The contest will be operating a one way system to ease potential traffic congestion. Do not approach the Denton Contest from Corporation Road or you will be turned away.

Top Mossley Contest; takes place at Seel Park, home of Mossley AFC, Market St, Mossley, Ashton Under Lyne, OL5 0ES.

The Stalybridge Celtic Contest is back for 2025 and takes place at Bower Fold, home of Stalybridge Celtic FC, Mottram Road, Stalybridge, Cheshire, SK15 2RT

The Broadoak Contest; takes place at at Ashton Under Lyne RFC, St Albans Ave, Gambrel Bank, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 8TU and has been since 2017.

Hyde Central Contest; Coaches are asked to approach the contest from Hamnett St only, drivers to use postcode SK14 2EX. Access to Hamnett St is via , Russell St and New Beech St from Clarke Way.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Borough, should you need any advice please contact the individual contest secretaries or Tameside Council Cultural Services on 0161 342 4144.

Kind regards

Friends of Tameside Whit Friday Brass Band Contest in partnership with Tameside Cultural Services.