World’s draw shows 204-band entry across all grades

If the total entry at the 2024 World Championships is an indication, the rebound of the competitive pipe band community post-pandemic shows a solid gain. 204 bands across all grades are set to compete at the August 16-17 competition at Glasgow Green in Glasgow, an increase of 14 bands over the 2024 contest.

Of particular note, an impressive 49 bands over three heats are entered for Grade 4B, and Grade 2 rises to 19 contestants, just short of the threshold of 22 for breaking the event into heats. Nine of the bands in Grade 2 are not from the UK. Each band will have one short performance to determine their placing.

As pipes|drums predicted, 14 bands comprise Grade 1, with every band competing four times – twice on each of Friday and Saturday. Here’s the Grade 1 order of play:

Friday

1. Closkelt (Northern Ireland)
2. Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia (Scotland)
3. Police Scotland & Federation (Scotland)
4. ScottishPower (Scotland)
5. Simon Fraser University (Canada)
6. St. Laurence O’Toole (Ireland)
7. Field Marshal Montgomery (Northern Ireland)
8. Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia (Scotland)
9. City of Dunedin (USA)
10. 78th Fraser Highlanders (Canada)
11. Inveraray & District
12. Johnstone (Scotland)
13. Police Scotland Fife (Scotland)
14. St. Thomas Alumni (USA)

Saturday

1. St Laurence O’Toole
2. Simon Fraser University
3. Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia
4. Inveraray & District
5. Field Marshal Montgomery
6. Police Scotland Fife
7. Closkelt
8. ScottishPower
9. City of Dunedin
10. St. Thomas Alumni
11. Johnstone
12. Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia
13. 78th Fraser Highlanders
14. Police Scotland & Federation

Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia will defend their 2023 title at the event.