Bands interested in participating in the III Volotea Blues Challenge to represent Spain at the European Blues Challenge 2027 can now register here! The deadline is June 7th. We encourage you to sign up!
Until the 2024 edition, the selection of the band representing Spain at the European Blues Challenge (EBC) was conducted entirely online through a process organized by the Barcelona Blues Society (SBB). Furthermore, the winning group received no financial support to cover their performance in Europe. This was a significant concern for the SBB, as it created a disadvantage compared to most participating European countries, which had long been organizing live selection processes and sponsoring their winning bands.
Fortunately, this issue was resolved in 2024 thanks to an initiative by the Bilbao Blues Festival to host the final selection of the Spanish representative through the “Volotea Blues Challenge.”
Basically, the process will be as follows:
The Barcelona Blues Society will manage the online call for groups wishing to participate in the EBC. These groups will be featured on the blog: https://sites.google.com/view/ebu-spain/home.
Registered bands will be evaluated electronically by an advisory council—consisting of approximately 65 experts from across Spain with proven knowledge of the blues world—consistent with previous years. The entire process will continue to be supervised by the Barcelona Blues Society.
The Advisory Council will vote between June 8th and June 21st, 2026. Results will be made public between June 25th and July 1st, 2026, on the blog https://sites.google.com/view/ebu-spain/home.
The four highest-rated bands will advance to the grand final (Volotea Blues Challenge), held in Bilbao on July 26th, 2026, at 7:00 PM. During the final, each band will perform a 30-minute set before a prestigious jury of blues experts, who will select the winner. This group will represent Spain at the European Blues Challenge 2027. The performance at the national final includes backline, PA, and a cash prize for each of the four finalists (€1,000 + VAT for the three runners-up and €3,000 + VAT for the winning band).
The winning musical group must commit to participating in the European Blues Challenge without changing any of the members who took part in the selection process.
You can consult the TERMS AND CONDITIONS for participation on the BLOG: https://sites.google.com/view/ebu-spain/home, where the Barcelona Blues Society manages the selection process for the bands competing in the Bilbao grand final.