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Monday, 6 October, 2025
Over 150 individuals representing more than 50 bands came together on Saturday 27 September at Durham Miners Hall for The Brass Band Conference 2025: The Next Generation. The event focused on the future of the brass band community and provided a platform for fresh perspectives and practical discussions.
Keynote speaker Martin Green highlighted the wellbeing that banding creates for people and the importance of being open to collaboration, innovation and writing new music for brass band. Calling for greater investment in young people and community-led creativity, he reflected on the joy of discovering the vibrant brass band scene local to him, remarking that banding is “huge but hidden in a lot of places.”
On Martin Green’s address, our CEO Kenny Crookston reflected: “Martin’s words perfectly encapsulated the theme of this year’s Conference. There is so much to be positive about within the brass banding world, but sometimes we need someone to stand on a stage and remind us of those positive impacts banding has both directly and indirectly. As Martin stated in his speech, banding isn’t merely a hobby but a lifestyle.”
Session highlights included a thought-provoking discussion from Flowers Band on how they plan their Brass in Concert sets, and a lively panel of young professionals sharing their insights into the opportunities and challenges facing the next generation of brass musicians. Delegates were also treated to a fantastic morning performance by the resident Redhills Youth Brass Band.
The achievements of the brass banding community were celebrated with a presentation of the annual Brass Bands England Awards, recognising outstanding contributions across the movement.
Looking over the day, delegates reflected that the theme of The Next Generation was “a very important choice” and sessions “sparked conversations about young leaders”. Delegates praised the networking opportunities, and in particular Martin Green’s keynote
Redhills’ Head of Operations Rob Guest welcomed the conference, commenting: “Brass bands remain a vital part of the cultural life of Durham’s coalfield communities, providing the soundtrack to everyday life in our village halls, churches and bandstands. We were therefore especially proud to host the 2025 Brass Bands England Conference at Redhills, bringing people from across the country together to explore the present and future of brass banding. The event was a resounding success, and it was inspiring to see so clearly that the future of brass bands is in safe hands.”
We look forward to continuing the conversation through its Youth Voice Working Group, ensuring that young people’s perspectives remain at the heart of its work. Anyone interested in contributing is encouraged to contact sarah@bbe.org.uk.
Members can access session slides, resources, and the brand-new two-part Essential Youth Voice Guide in the BBE Member Resources library.