The Drum Corps International World Championships, Aug. 8-13 2011, will mark a week-long celebration of the "very best" in the world of marching music. Featuring a high level of performance excellence coupled with an intense competitive spirit, more than 40 drum and bugle corps made up of some 5,000 young performers will take the field throughout the course of the week, creating unparalleled excitement as they vie for the World Championship title. But the World Championships are more than competition and placements. With thousands of fans, supporters and alumni traveling from all over the world, "Finals Week" is also the biggest social gathering of the year for the entire drum corps community. In and outside the stadium, individuals can meet with friends both old and new to share their common passion for drum corps. Use this guide below to plan your week and take advantage of everything Drum Corps International and the cities of Michigan City and Indianapolis have to offer. We'll be updating this guide throughout the week of the Championships with any new information that becomes available! New and notable for the 2011 World Championships:
  • Michigan City, Indiana will host the Open Class World Championship in its entirety over two days of competition.
  • For the first time ever, all World and Open Class corps will go head-to-head starting with the World Championship Prelims at Lucas Oil Stadium.
  • The Open Class Individual & Ensemble Competition will take place on Wednesday at the Indiana Convention Center.
  • Fans will enter through the east entrance for all events taking place at Lucas Oil Stadium.
  • The Festival Marketplace at Lucas Oil Stadium has a new location, situated all along the stadium concourse as fans make their way from the entrance to seating areas.
  • The corps warm-up area has a new location at Military Park in downtown Indianapolis.
  • The Celebrate Indy Arts! Parade on Saturday morning will feature all non-finalist corps and members of the local Indianapolis arts community.
Jump to day:
Eastern time zone unless otherwise noted.

Ames Field

MONDAY, AUGUST 8

Opening Ceremony Where: Ames Field, 2501 Franklin St./State Route 421, Michigan City, IN When: 4 p.m. CT Admission: Free with your ticket to the Prelims About: The 2011 Drum Corps International World Championships get their official start as Michigan City Mayor Charles Oberlie, delivers opening remarks during this brief ceremony. Open Class Quarterfinals Where: Ames Field, 2501 Franklin St./State Route 421, Michigan City When: Gates open 3 p.m. CT, First corps steps off at 4:30 p.m., Last score announced 10:30 p.m. Admission: $15 general admission About: In its fourth anniversary in Michigan City, the Open Class Prelims will kick off 2011 World Championship competition. Taking place at Ames Field, an intimate stadium built with drum corps in mind, this event will feature all participating Open Class corps as well as the International Class Yokohama Scouts (Japan) and Jubal (The Netherlands). Buy tickets to this event. View the lineup and performance order for this event.

Ames Field

TUESDAY, AUGUST 9

Open Class Finals Where: Ames Field, 2501 Franklin St./State Route 421, Michigan City When: Gates open 5 p.m. CT, First corps steps off 6 p.m., Awards ceremony 10:30 p.m. Admission: $25 reserved, $15 general admission About: The DCI World Championships continue on Tuesday, Aug. 9 as the 12 top scoring Open Class corps from the Prelims compete for the title of World Champion. In a new format for 2011, this will be the very first time that the Open Class Champion is crowned in Michigan City. Buy tickets to this event.

Historic Union Station

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10

Open Class Individual & Ensemble Competition Where: Indiana Convention Center, 100 S. Capitol Ave., Indianapolis When: 2 p.m. Admission: Free and open to the public About: Open Class corps will head to downtown Indianapolis on Wednesday, giving their individuals and small ensembles the chance to shine. The addition of vocal solo and ensemble categories to this year's competition will give more corps members than ever before the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities. Hall of Fame Kickoff Party Where: Historic Union Station Grand Ballroom, 23 W. Louisiana St., Indianapolis When: 9:30 p.m. – 2 a.m. Admission: Access to the ballroom is free and open to the public About: A wildly popular event in 2009 and 2010, Drum Corps International hosts its third annual Hall of Fame Kickoff celebration to start the 2011 World Championships in Indianapolis off with a bang. Evening festivities include live music, games and auctions, with a special presentation recognizing the DCI Hall of Fame Class of 2011. Proceeds will benefit various Hall of Fame projects, one of which is the Jim Jones Leadership Scholarship, an award administered by a committee of Hall of Fame members.

Lucas Oil Stadium

THURSDAY, AUGUST 11

Corps Warm-Up Zone Where: Military Park, 601 W. New York St., Indianapolis When: Early morning until last performing corps warms up Admission: Free and open to the public About: The "show before the show" gets a new location in 2011. Come see your favorite corps warming up before their competitive Prelims performances at historic Military Park, a 14-acre green space bordering the campus of IUPUI. Learn more about Military Park. DCI Festival Marketplace Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, 500 S. Capitol Ave., Indianapolis Marketplace Hours: 8:30 a.m. until stadium clears at end of Prelims event Admission: Free with your ticket to the Prelims About: Come grab some cool new gear from DCI, your favorite corps and DCI's corporate sponsors! Entertainment, souvenirs, information, and other items and activities will be awaiting. In a brand new location for this year, immediately upon entering Lucas Oil Stadium's east-side entrance, fans will find themselves immersed in the Festival Marketplace with booths lining the concourse leading to the seating area. World Championship Prelims Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, 500 S. Capitol Ave., Indianapolis When: Gates open 8:30 a.m., First corps steps off 9 a.m., Last score announced 11:30 p.m. Admission: Tickets start at $25 About: In a twist to the traditional World Championship format, the Prelims competition will feature a veritable "all-skate" of DCI corps. In addition to the performances of all 23 World Class groups, Open and International Class corps will also be invited to compete at this event. More than 40 corps are scheduled to go head-to-head in this all-day competition at Lucas Oil Stadium. View the lineup and performance order for this event. Big, Loud & Live 8 Theater Broadcast Where: More than 500 movie theaters across the U.S. When: 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT Admission: $18 (may vary by theater location) About: If you can't make it to Lucas Oil Stadium, you can still watch the incredible corps performances. Celebrate the "best of the best" as Drum Corps International presents its 2011 World Championship Prelims on the big screen! Presented by DCI and National Cinemedia's Fathom Events, Big, Loud & Live 8, will be simulcast from Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium bringing you the complete live performances of the top 15 corps and highlights from throughout the day. Learn more and find a theater near you!

Drum Corps International HQ

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12

DCI Headquarters Open House Where: 110 W. Washington St., Suite C (Northwest corner of Illinois and Washington Streets, below Panera and Weber Grill) When: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Admission: Free and open to the public About: Stop on by and have a chat with Drum Corps International employees while taking a tour through the DCI corporate headquarters in downtown Indianapolis. Corps Warm-Up Zone Where: Military Park, 601 W. New York St., Indianapolis When: Approx. noon until last performing corps warms up Admission: Free and open to the public About: Watch your favorite corps warm up before they take the field for the Semifinals competition. Military Park is a little less than a mile from Lucas Oil Stadium. DCI Festival Marketplace Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, 500 S. Capitol Ave., Indianapolis Hours: 12:30 p.m. until stadium clears after the Semifinals event Admission: Free with your ticket to the Semifinals About: Purchase souvenirs and other merchandise from your favorite World and Open Class corps, Drum Corps International and more! The Festival marketplace in 2011 is located throughout the main stadium concourse leading from the stadium's east entrance to the seating areas.

Age-out Ceremony
World Championship Semifinals Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, 500 S. Capitol Ave., Indianapolis When: Gates open to marketplace 12:30 p.m., First corps steps off 2 p.m. Admission: Tickets start at $25 About: The World Championship Semifinals features the top 25 corps as determined by Thursday's marathon Prelims event. These corps will duke it out for a spot in the coveted "Top 12," giving them one more chance to perform on Saturday. Jubal Drum & Bugle Corps Anniversary Performance Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, 500 S. Capitol Ave., Indianapolis When: 10:30 p.m. Admission: Included as part of Semifinals admission About: In honor of its 100th anniversary this year, Jubal of Dordrecht, the Netherlands will entertain the Semifinals audience with a selection of tunes that pay homage to this Dutch corps' past, present and future. Age-Out Ceremony Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, 500 S. Capitol Ave., Indianapolis When: 10:45 p.m. Admission: Included as part of Semifinals admission About: Drum Corps International honors the graduating class of 2011 – corps members who have dedicated their time, passion and hard work to the drum corps activity over many years in this special ceremony.

American Legion Mall

SATURDAY, AUGUST 13

Celebrate Indy Arts! Parade Where: American Legion Mall, 700 N. Pennsylvania St., Indianapolis When: 11 a.m. Admission: Free and open to the public About: This first ever parade will bring all non-finalist corps (both Open and World Class) together with members of the local Indianapolis arts community for the most musical, creative and fun-filled parade to ever hit the streets of the Circle City. Stepping off at 11 a.m., the parade will wind through the streets of downtown Indianapolis. Concluding the event, more than 2,000 brass musicians from all of the participating corps will assemble on the American Legion Mall to play an en masse rendition of "Battle Hymn of the Republic." Corps Warm-Up Zone Where: Military Park, 601 W. New York St., Indianapolis When: Approx. 4 p.m. until last performing corps warms up Admission: Free and open to the public About: Watch your favorite corps warm up before they take the field for their final performances of the 2011 season.

Lucas Oil Stadium
Lucas Oil Stadium "Backstage" Experience Where: Lucas Oil Stadium (meet Missouri St. Loading Dock on west side of stadium), 500 S. Capitol Ave., Indianapolis When: 3 p.m. Admission: Free with ticket to the World Championship Finals About: Feel the anticipation and excitement through a corps member's eyes right before heading into competition. During this backstage tour of Lucas Oil Stadium, we'll take you from the stadium entrance tunnel right out onto the field. Bring your camera so you can take your photo next to the DCI Champions Trophy! DCI Festival Marketplace Hours: 3:30 p.m. until stadium clears after the Finals event Admission: Free with your ticket to the Finals About: Depending on how many Championship events you'll be attending this week, here's either your first or final opportunity to purchase souvenirs from Drum Corps International, the corps and DCI's corporate sponsors! World Class Finals Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, 500 S. Capitol Ave., Indianapolis When: 3:30 p.m. gates open to Festival Marketplace, 5:30 p.m. U.S. Marine Drum & Bugle Corps performance, Awards ceremony 10:30 p.m. Admission: Tickets start at $35 About: The Top 12 corps will compete for the last time in 2011 and for the chance to be named Champion. These 12 fantastic corps will put on a show you won't want to miss! Special events and times subject to change.

HELPFUL LINKS

Tickets: DCI.org/tickets Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association: VisitIndy.com Indianapolis maps and visitors guides: VisitIndy.com Indianapolis news: TheIndyChannel.com Lucas Oil Stadium: LucasOilStadium.com Downtown Indianapolis parking: IndyDT.com