California, you've waited long enough! Prepare yourself for a weeklong, unprecedented drum corps event throughout the state as Drum Corps International's (DCI) latest addition, the Tour of Champions, invades California with the first late season event to take place on the West Coast in DCI's 32 years of existence, as well as the first-ever drum corps event to take place at the Rose Bowl. The Tour of Champions not only allows fans on the west coast to witness late-season drum corps for the first time ever, but also gives them the first chance ever to see the six DCI World Championship corps – Blue Devils, The Cadets, The Cavaliers, Madison Scouts, Phantom Regiment and Santa Clara Vanguard perform during the four-show stint in California from August 10-14, straight off the intense culmination of the competitive season at the World Championships in Denver the week before. Dave Gibbs, director of the Blue Devils, says that West Coast fans should expect an excellent show. "The West Coast fans are going to see drum corps as they've never seen it before. It's going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We're going to see drum corps at its highest level," Gibbs said.

Flint Center, in Cupertino
After a two-day stint in Southern California including the highly anticipated event at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday, Aug. 11, the Tour of Champions will caravan up the coast for a unique indoor mass-performance at the Flint Center in Cupertino on Friday, Aug. 13 at 8 p.m. The very next day – Saturday, Aug. 14 - the corps will take over Spartan Stadium near the campus of San Jose State University for the grand finale of the first-ever Tour of Champions. "Usually, these corps compete against each other," famed drum corps personality Michael Cesario says. "I'm excited to see what they can do when they're working together and cheering each other on. It's going to be magical." Stay tuned in to DCI.org for tickets on sale near the end of March, as well as further details surrounding the Drum Corps International Tour of Champions.