2026 Iowa Blues Challenge – Sunday, October 4
@ xBk LIVE, 1159 24th Street, Des Moines, IA
This competition will determine who will represent Iowa at the International Blues Challenge (IBC) in Memphis, Tennessee, where hundreds of blues acts from around the world gather on historic Beale Street to perform before music industry professionals, festival talent buyers, and media representatives. The IBC offers artists valuable exposure, networking opportunities, and the chance to advance their careers.
Competing acts will vie for a prize package that includes cash awards, paid performance opportunities (including, but not limited to, the Winter Blues Fest), and a travel stipend to help offset expenses for the International Blues Challenge. The Central Iowa Blues Society, an Affiliate of The Blues Foundation, is proud to send Iowa’s representatives to this prestigious international event.
CALL FOR ACTS
The Central Iowa Blues Society is seeking acts for the 2026 Iowa Blues Challenge. This competition will decide who will represent Iowa in the 2027 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN where hundreds of acts from around the world converge on Beale Street to perform before music industry pros searching for new talent, with the chance to win prizes, notable gigs, and make career-changing contacts!
Iowa Blues Challenge applications are available now. We will begin accepting submissions on a first come first serve basis beginning July 6th 2026. NOTE: We cannot accept applications prior to that date.
- Application AVAILABLE NOW download above
- Application SUBMISSION begins July 6, 2026 (do not submit before July 6)
- Application DEADLINE is August 31, 2026 (or until four solo-duo and four band applications are submitted– whichever comes first)
NOTE: the application is a fillable PDF. You will need to save to your
device and then complete it and SAVE again to retain the information.
Once completed and saved, submit with your high resolution photo.
Please contact the Iowa Blues Challenge Chair with questions.
Julie Spong — 515-401-8495 or challenge@cibs.org
HOW TO COMPETE – IMPORTANT INFORMATION
- Up to FOUR Bands will be chosen to participate
- Up to FOUR Solo/Duo acts will be chosen to participate
- There must be three entries in each category to hold the competition
- Only Acts with a COMPLETED application will be accepted; meaning all sections of the application must be completed and photo submitted
- Completed applications should be emailed to Julie Spong at challenge@cibs.org
RESTRICTIONS
- An act may enter the IBC a maximum of three times after which they are no longer eligible
- An act may not participate In the IBC three consecutive years
- Acts are limited to the state of Iowa
PERFORMANCE CATEGORIES
- Band: any act with more than two members
- Solo/Duo: any act with only one or two members
EQUIPMENT PROVIDED
- A PA system, mic, drum kits and throne
- Drummers may bring their own throne, cymbals, snare, and kick pedal
TIME LIMITS
- Each act is allotted 20 minutes for their performance. Timing begins when the first note is played
- Please review all rules and scoring criteria at https://blues.org/official-ibc-rules/
JUDGING
Acts in the Central Iowa Blues Challenge perform for a panel of independent judges and are scored using the same criteria used by the Blues Foundation at the IBC. You can find the rules and criteria at: https://blues.org/official-ibc-rules/. The highest scoring act in each category will be our representatives.
2026 IOWA BLUES CHALLENGE SPONSORS
