207 bands entered for 2025 World Championships as draw revealed

Across all grades, 207 bands have entered the 2025 World Championships on August 15th and 16th at Glasgow Green, Glasgow, an increase of three over last year’s event.

As pipes|drums concluded in April, 14 bands are entered in Grade 1, the same number as in 2024. Five non-UK bands are competing – 36% of the field.

Grade 1 bands will again perform a Medley and an MSR on each day. With only 14 in the grade, the randomly drawn order-of-play is not as important, but bands still prefer to play as close to the end of the event as possible.

There is a different draw each day, and most bands are slotted earlier one day and later the other, apart from Str. Thomas Alumni of Houston, which is on eighth both days. Closkelt of Northern Ireland has the misfortune of drawing fifth on Friday and first on Saturday.

Manawatu Scottish from New Zealand will travel nearly 12,000 miles to be first on in Friday’s MSR at 9:30 a.m., but they can look forward to playing eleventh in the MSR on Saturday at 12:58 a.m. Canada’s Simon Fraser University will be pleased with playing twelfth on Friday and tenth on Saturday.

Friday Order of Play
Grade 1 (Medley and MSR)
1. Manawatu Scottish (New Zealand)
2. Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia (Scotland)
3. ScottishPower (Scotland)
4. Police Scotland Fife (Scotland)
5. Closkelt (Northern Ireland)
6. Johnstone (Scotland)
7. Inveraray & District (Scotland)
8. St. Thomas Alumni (USA)
9. 78th Fraser Highlanders (Canada)
10. St. Laurence O’Toole (Republic of Ireland)
11. Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia (Scotland)
12. Simon Fraser University (Canada)
13. Field Marshal Montgomery (Northern Ireland)
14. Ravara (Northern Ireland)

Saturday (Medley and MSR)
1. Closkelt
2. 78th Fraser Highlanders
3. Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
4. St. Laurence O’Toole
5. Inveraray & District
6. Ravara
7. Field Marshal Montgomery
8. St. Thomas Alumni
9. ScottishPower
10. Simon Fraser University
11. Manawatu Scottish
12. Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia
13. Police Scotland Fife
14. Johnstone

Nine non-UK bands are entered – 43% of the field.

The change came after Grade 2 band leaders requested that the RSPBA broaden the event rather than the one-and-done system the association has always used. Reports that Grade 2 would be held on Friday have proven incorrect.

Saturday Grade 2 (Medley and MSR)
1. Buchan Peterson (Scotland)
2. Royal Burgh of Annan (Scotland)
3. Vale of Atholl (Scotland)
4. Bucksburn & District (Scotland)
5. Denny & Dunipace (Scotland)
6. Cascadia (USA)
7. Oban (Scotland)
8. Uddingston (Scotland)
9. Grampian Police Scotland (Scotland)
10. Ulster Scottish (USA)
11. City of Edinburgh (Scotland)
12. North Stratton (Canada)
13. Los Angeles Scots (USA)
14. Tullylagan (Northern Ireland)
15. Manorcunningham (Republic of Ireland)
16. Peel Regional Police (Canada)
17. Brieg (Brittany)
18. St. Joseph’s Clondalkin (Republic of Ireland)
19. Glasgow Skye Association (Scotland)
20. City of Dunedin (USA)
21. Coalburn IOR (Scotland)

The RSPBA has not determined the judges for several events, including both Grade 1 contests on Friday. David Hilder and Shaunna Hilder of British Columbia will make their World’s judging debuts after completing the association’s onboarding process over the last off-season.

All Juvenile band events are being held on Friday, with the final band, Novice Juvenile A, Preston Lodge High School, competing at 7:04 pm. It is unknown whether the results of the Juvenile grade events will be announced on Friday or Saturday nights.

Event sponsors Glasgow Life and Glasgow Council have determined that, rather than providing passes to competing pipers, drummers and those involved directly with bands, only those wearing their band uniform will be allowed into the park for free. All others must purchase a ticket.

Advance tickets for Friday are priced at £13.50 for adults, £11 for children and concessions, and £27 for a family pass. Prices are about 40% more if purchased on the day.

Sitting in the arena on Friday will cost £42 in advance or £46.50 at the gate.

Attending Saturday costs a lot more, with advance tickets priced at £25 adults, £19 kids and concession, and £59.50 family, and on the day £30.50 / £25 / £72.50, respectively.

Ticket prices for seats in the Saturday arena have not been announced.

If you want to purchase tickets for both days, a discount of about 20% will be applied.