The road to the DCI World Championships steps off this week, as the 2026 Drum Corps International Annual Meeting comes to Indianapolis, January 8-11. More than just a calendar kickoff, this four-day summit serves as the drum corps activity’s strategic headquarters, where the collective vision for the 2026 season and the long-term future of the marching arts takes shape.
Downtown Indy is set to host nearly 500 stakeholders, ranging from corps directors and instructional personnel to the next generation of student leaders. While the meetings provide a vital platform for the business and logistics of the summer season ahead, the 2026 agenda also focuses on collaborative growth, offering a “think tank” environment where World, Open and All-Age Class organizations and SoundSport teams can interface to learn, collaborate and strengthen the overall DCI community.
From deep dives into the creative process to essential seminars on participant safety and operational sustainability, this year’s schedule is designed to be as multidimensional as the performances audiences will see on the field this summer.
Who's in attendance?
While the meeting is organized into specialized “tracks” for different areas of the activity, the 2026 format introduces a more fluid experience. This year’s vision emphasizes cross-collaboration, giving attendees the flexibility to step outside their traditional roles and engage in a diverse array of sessions spanning every corner of the DCI landscape.
Corps directors: Representative leaders of DCI’s World, Open, and All-Age Class corps who will meet in various separate and combined sessions.
Corps instructors, designers and judge administration: Annually this group converges to take a look at current practices and what can be improved on the educational and creative side of the activity going forward.
Drum majors: 45 corps member leaders representing World, Open, and All-Age Class organizations will take part in the annual DCI Drum Major Leadership Summit.
SoundSport managers: Representatives from new and existing SoundSport teams will convene to discuss the continuing evolution of this rapidly-growing branch of the DCI family tree.
Corps boards: Board members from many of the participating corps will also be in Indianapolis to discuss strategies for growth and sustainability, participant safety and organizational governance.
On the schedule
The following are highlights of a number of the sessions on the schedule for meeting participants:
1. From Broadway to the football field
Highlighting the first day that the full complement of meeting participants will be in attendance will be a keynote from Ian Weinberger, whose resume reads like a theatre lover’s dream: music director of “Hamilton” on Broadway for nearly 1,200 performances, current music director of “Chess,” and credits spanning “The Book of Mormon,” “Kinky Boots,” and more. Weinberger is a Northwestern University graduate with a degree in music education and percussion performance, giving him a unique perspective on the intersection of high-level musical theatre and competitive marching music.
As part of a Friday evening session, Weinberger’s keynote message, “In the Room Where it Happens,” plans to explore how the creative process translates across these worlds, setting an inspirational tone for the weekend’s educational sessions.
2. Building culture and community
The human experience at the heart of drum corps takes center stage in sessions examining how organizations build culture year-round, not just during the summer tour. “Shaping the Participant Experience” brings together corps administrators from World, Open, and All-Age classes to discuss their approaches to creating meaningful experiences for members.
Jack Kaplan (tour director and director of membership for the Boston Crusaders) and the corps’ administrative team will share insight on how they use surveys and data to ensure they’re meeting member and staff expectations. The Drum Major Leadership Summit, running throughout the weekend, will focus on drum majors as the bridge between staff and membership, with sessions on leadership practices and balancing responsibilities.
“Divide & Conquer,” a Saturday morning session, explores successful recruiting and staffing strategies across all competitive levels, while dedicated sessions for SoundSport teams continue to integrate this growing branch of the DCI family tree into the broader conversation about participant experience and organizational growth.
3. Designer showcases
An anticipated element of this year’s meeting is a series of presentations examining how content and context elevate show design. These sessions, titled, “What the What?” break down brass, percussion, and visual design with many of the activity’s leading voices.
Friday evening features members of the 2025 DCI World Champion design teams – Boston Crusaders, Spartans and Reading Buccaneers – breaking down the concept of “overall effect” and discussing how they built their winning productions. These sessions will continue into Saturday with caption-specific breakouts diving into music integration, visual vocabulary, and the implementation of creative vision from the top to bottom of a drum corps organization.
4. Operations and real-world challenges
Beyond the creative side of drum corps, the 2026 meeting tackles the practical realities of running a modern marching organization. These sessions will address the full spectrum of operational challenges — housing and rehearsal site acquisition, schedule logistics that balance rehearsal time with adequate sleep, and the important management of health, wellness and safety across the activity.
“Dollar & Cents: The ‘Why’ Behind Budgets” brings together decision-makers to discuss how they prioritize spending on gear, routing, payroll, and overall budget allocation. Another session, “Getting to the Gate” offers an open discussion between ensembles and DCI event staff on building positive relationships and experiences on show days.
The administrative team from the Bluecoats will share strategies for housing site acquisition, followed by continued discussion with DCI’s housing team, offering practical insights that every corps can apply regardless of competitive class or budget size.
Stay posted to DCI.org and social media platforms for additional coverage from this week’s DCI Annual Meeting.
