Results
August 13, 2026

Pipe Idol Heat 4 won by Andrew Zhao; Grand Final now set

The fourth and final heat of Piping Live!'s 2026 Pipe Idol competition was won by Andrew Zhao of Houston, chosen by an unidentified group of three judges to go through to the four-piper Grand Final later in the day.
Features
August 13, 2026
Piping Live! Wednesday: caught in the camera eye of Alister Sinclair
Features
August 13, 2026
Great Music, Piping Legends, and a healthy dose of Donald MacLeod: Wednesday at Piping Live! 2026, with Iain MacDonald
Results
August 13, 2026
Olivia Corcoran: overall winner of CLASP Grade 1 Piping Live!
Features
August 12, 2026
Worlds Week Question of the Day #2:
Features
August 12, 2026
Time’s a-tickin’ on the Pick the Sixin’! Get in your prediction for a chance to win $7K+/£3.7K+ in piping and drumming goods and services!
Results
August 12, 2026
Kai Hay takes Pipe Idol Heat 3
Features
August 12, 2026
Piping Live! Tuesday: images from the omnipresent camera eye of Alister Sinclair
Features
August 12, 2026
Starting Young and Finishing Strong: Tuesday at Piping Live! 2026, with Iain MacDonald
More stories
Reviews
August 12, 2026

Freaky and beautiful art: Eilidh MacDonald reviews “N C // 20 Pipers” at Piping Live! 2026

"If your goal is to understand what's happening and to assess how good it is, you will never achieve it."
Results
August 12, 2026

Christopher Couperthwaite wins CLASP Grade 2 at Piping Live!

Christopher Couperthwaite of Germany was the overall winner of the CLASP Grade 2 World Solo Amateur Piping Competition...
Results
August 11, 2026

2026 International Quartet champions: Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia

After two knee-knocking, stomach-churning, why-did-I-ever-volunteer-for-this? performances, Peoples Ford Boghall &...
Results
August 11, 2026

Worlds Week Question of the Day #1: Is it time to replace the Grade 1 and Grade 2 MSR?

We're asking one important question each day of Piping Live! 2026. Here are responses from Tuesday, August 11th, on...
Exclusively for pipes|drums subscribers
From the archives
Features
August 14, 2025
Piping Live! 2025 Wednesday images by Alister Sinclair
pipes|drums is pleased to bring our followers daily Piping Live! images by Alister Sinclair, one of Scotland’s...
This day in history
August 13, 1949
Glasgow Police win World Pipe Band Championship, Edinburgh.
OUR MOST RECENT VIDEOS

Pipe Idol 2026 Heat 4 winner Andrew Zhao

Q of the Day: Should associations regulate the use of artificial intelligence in competition?

Pipe Idol 2026 Heat 3 winner Kai Hay

Q of the Day: Is it time to replace the MSR for Grade 1 and Grade 2 competitions?

Upcoming events
Strathclyde Suite, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall | August 13, 2026

Pipe-Major Alasdair Gillies Memorial Recital Challenge

Glasgow Green, Glasgow | August 14, 2026
World Pipe Band Championships
Almonte, Ontario | August 22, 2026
North Lanark Highland Games
Rothesay, Scotland | August 22, 2026
Rothesay Highland Games
Caledonian Hotel, Edinburgh | August 29, 2026
Captain John A. MacLellan MBE Memorial Dinner-Recital Competition
See All Events
POLL

How much does it matter to you that someone judging you or your band is accredited with an association?

  • Essential. I won't be judged by unaccredited people.
  • Important. But I'd probably still play.
  • Not too important. Accreditation doesn't mean much.
  • Unimportant. The only thing that matters is their history of competition success.
  • I don't compete, solo or band
You've already voted today.
Get the Newsletter!
Sign up to receive our most popular stories in your inbox every month.
Thank you, you have successfully subscribed for our newsletter, please check your email

Registration

Forgotten Password?