It has been confirmed that the Midlands Regional Championships will return to its former home at the Civic Hall in Bedworth in 2025.

The event will be run over the weekends of 8th & 9th March as well as Saturday 15th March.

The Third and First Section contests will be held on Saturday 8th March, followed the next day by the Fourth and Championship Sections. The Second Section will be held the following Saturday.

Well received

The decision is likely to be well received by the Midlands contesting fraternity, after the Bedworth venue was repurposed for an extended period as a Covid vaccination centre in late 2021 at very little formal notice to the Regional Committee.

It was later reported in the local Coventry Telegraph newspaper that the 763 seat venue would not reopen as an arts centre although there was the possibility that it would be developed as a multi-purpose hub.

The 2022 and 2023 Championships took place at The Core Theatre in Corby.

Despite the hard work of the Regional Committee, it proved to be unpopular, with the 2023 event marred by poor behaviour from a minority of attendees.

In 2024 it moved to the Corby Business Academy, but once again reports of alleged unacceptable behaviour threatened the future hosting of the event there.

20 year lease

However, in March it was announced that The Civic would reopen in phases after the council transferred its running to a community-driven organisation, Bedworth Civic Hall Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) on a 20-year lease.

It was reported that the organisation had gained £165,000 to help with its business plan aims.

New Regional website

The Midlands Regional Brass Band Championships recently launched their new website at: https://mabbc.org/