FREQUENTly asked questions

general

When is the 2025 ukbc?

The 2025 UK Beatbox Championships will be taking place on the

20th & 21st September 2025.

Where is the 2025 ukbc taking place?

The 2025 UK Beatbox Championships will be taking place at the Trinity Centre, Bristol, UK

Where can I buy tickets for the 2025 ukbc?
What battle categories are there?

National
Solo, Team (2 vs 2), Loopstation & Under 18s categories

Interational
Battle Clock Beatbox Championships (International Category)

How can I enter the UKBC?

Submissions for the national competition of the UK Beatbox Championships 20925 are now CLOSED

International competitors can still enter the Battle Clock Beatbox Championships – MORE INFO HERE

Do I need to be UK Citizen/Resident to enter the UKBC?

To enter the national UKBC – YES

All participants in the UKBC must be a UK Citizen or Resident. If you are not a UK Citizen or have only been a UK Resident for a short amount of time you may be permitted entry if you plan to reside in the UK and agree to represent the UK while you are the reigning champion at future battles and events.

If you are a dual/multi national then you are permitted entry but must have not entered another national battle that year (e.g. if you are a French and UK dual national and have participated in the French Beatbox Championships in the past 12 months then you will not be allowed to enter the UK Beatbox Championships OR if you enter the UK Beatbox Championships you will not be allowed to enter and participate the French Beatbox Championships).

It is important to note that the UKBC does not aim to exclude anyone based on their nationality. The goal of the competition is to have a UKBC Champion who will represent the UK to the fullest at future events and battles.

To enter the Battle Clock Beatbox Championships you can compete and attend from anywhere in the world.

What are the prizes for UKBC 2025?

1st and 2nd Place will receive a certificate for their title, similar to those presented in previous years.  Details on further prizes for each category will be announced soon! 

Can Under 18s attend?

Yes but you/they must be 14+ years of age and all persons under the age of 18 either participating or attending the event must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Guardians must meet the following criteria:
  • A guardian will need to be over the age 21.
  • All participants under the age of 18 will need to provide a signed participation consent form from a parent or legal guardian. Please contact us for this form if you have not received it already.
  • A guardian can not be a competitor in the event.
  • A guardian cannot be a member of staff from the event or venue, or a member of the organising team. crew or a team volunteer.
  • A guardian can only act as guardian for 1 person under the age of 18, this means a 1:1 ratio, 1 guardian for every 1 under 18 individual.
  • A guardian will need to provide their full name (as on valid Photo ID), address, contact details, and details of the under 18 person they are acting as guardian for, in advance of the event in order to have their guardian status verified.
  • A guardian will need to provide valid photo ID at the event in order for them and the under 18 person they are acting as guardian to be admitted.
  • No persons under the age of 18 can be admitted to any event after party. 
If you need help with determining what is acceptable as ID, require an an under 18 participation consent form, or need any further information in relation to guardians or person under the age of 18 attending the event then please contact us on: admin@ukbeatboxchampionships.com

battle info

Do I need to register when I arrive?

All competitors must register with our check in team when they arrive at the venue. There will be a designated station for this at the venue, more info on this will be provided nearer the event. Failing to register on arrival may result in disqualification from the event due to a “no show”. If you are running late please contact UKBC as soon as possible to inform us.

What is the judging criteria?

Judges will be looking for many things in your eliminations and battles rounds. These can include:

  • Musicality (composition, pitch, tone, structure, timing)
  • Technicality (tone, clarity of sounds, complexity of beats and rhythms, flow)
  • Originality (uniqueness, innovation, freshness)
  • Performance (stage presence, captivation, audience, confidence, battle prowess) 
How are the eliminations judged?

Judges will rank the competitors based on criteria such as above. The ranks from each categories 3 judges will be then be scored and calculated to achieve a Top 16 Solo, Top 4 Team, Top 4 Loops & Top 4 U18s.

From this a battle bracket will be determined for the battles.

These are planned to be announced at the end of the Elimination day on 20th September, subject to change. These will also be posted online on the UKBC Instagram and FB pages.

Solo Elimination Rounds

The Top 30 Solo competitors will perform a 1:30min elimination round on 20th September 2025.

Once all competitors have performed, the judges will rank their results and a Top 16 will be decided and put into brackets for the battles on the 21st September. These are planned to be announced at the end of the Elimination day, subject to change.

If you miss your name being called or are not in the venue then you may forfeit your place in the eliminations and a reserve participant can be called up. 

Once the timer has started it can only be stopped or reset if there is a technical issues such as a microphone not working.

Loopstation Elimination Rounds

The Top 8 Loopstation competitors will perform an elimination round on 20th September 2025. Once all competitors have performed, the judges will rank their results and a Top 4 will be decided and put into brackets for the battles on the 21st September 2025. These are planned to be announced at the end of the Elimination day, subject to change.

If you miss your name being called or are not in the venue then you may forfeit your place in the eliminations and a reserve participant can be called up. 

Once the timer has started it can only be stopped or reset if there is a technical issues such as a loopstation crashing or sound not coming through. These will not be reset if you make a mistake due to fairness.

Team (2v2) Elimination Rounds

The Top 8 Team competitors will perform a 1:30min elimination round on 20th September 2025. Once all competitors have performed, the judges will rank their results and a Top 4 will be decided and put into brackets for the battles on the 21st September 2025. These are planned to be announced at the end of the Elimination day, subject to change.

If you miss your name being called or are not in the venue then you may forfeit your place in the eliminations and a reserve participant can be called up. 

Once the timer has started it can only be stopped or reset if there is a technical issues such as a microphone not working.

Under 18s Elimination Rounds

This year, the Top 8 Under 18 competitors will perform a 1:30min elimination round on 20th September 2025. Once all competitors have performed, the judges will rank their results and a Top 4 will be decided and put into brackets for the battle directly after the Elimination Round.

If you miss your name being called or are not in the venue then you may forfeit your place in the eliminations and a reserve participant can be called up. 

Once the timer has started it can only be stopped or reset if there is a technical issues such as a microphone not working.

Solo Battle Rounds

The Top 16 Solo competitors go through to battles on 21st September and will be placed into a bracket based on their ranking. There will be a Top 16, Quarter Final, Semi Final and Final round, there will be no small final/3rd place battle. Each solo competitor will perform a 1:30min round twice in the standard A-B-A-B format. There will be no overtime.

There will be a coin toss at the start of each battle and the solo competitor can then decide if they will go first or second. Once decided, this will be the format for the battle. So if Beatboxer A wins the coin toss and they decide to go first then the rounds will be Beatboxer A – Beatboxer B – Beatboxer A – Beatboxer B. 

If you miss your name being called or are not in the venue and ready to enter the stage for your battle then you may forfeit your place and if your opponent is on stage then they could advance to the next round by default.

Once the timer has started it can only be stopped or reset if there is a technical issues such as a microphone not working. These will not be reset if you make a mistake, this is to have fairness across all battles.

Inappropriate touching to a competitor will result in a disqualification, this does not mean you can’t battle but use beats instead of anything physical. 

Team (2v2) Battle Rounds

The Top 4 Team competitors go through to battles on 21st September and will be placed into a bracket based on their ranking. There will be a Semi Final and Final round, there will be no small final/3rd place battle. Each team will perform a 2min round twice in the standard A-B-A-B format.

There will be a coin toss at the start of each battle and the team can then decide if they will go first or second. Once decided, this will be the format for the battle. So if Team A wins the coin toss and they decide to go first then the rounds will be Team A – Team B – Team A – Team B. There will be no overtime.

If you miss your name being called or are not in the venue and ready to enter the stage for your battle then you may forfeit your place and if your opponents are on stage then they could advance to the next round by default.

Once the timer has started it can only be stopped or reset if there is a technical issues such as a microphone not working. These will not be reset if you make a mistake, this is to have fairness across all battles.

Inappropriate touching to a competitor will result in a disqualification, this does not mean you can’t battle but use beats instead of anything physical. 

Under 18s Battle Rounds

The Top 4 Under 18 competitors go through to battles on 20th September directly after Eliminations have been ranked. They will be placed into a bracket based on their Elimination ranking. There will be a Semi Final and Final round, there will be no small final/3rd place battle. Each solo competitor will perform a 1:30min round twice in the standard A-B-A-B format. There will be no overtime.

There will be a coin toss at the start of each battle and the solo competitor can then decide if they will go first or second. Once decided, this will be the format for the battle. So if Beatboxer A wins the coin toss and they decide to go first then the rounds will be Beatboxer A – Beatboxer B – Beatboxer A – Beatboxer B.

If you miss your name being called or are not in the venue and ready to enter the stage for your battle then you may forfeit your place and if your opponent is on stage then they could advance to the next round by default.

Once the timer has started it can only be stopped or reset if there is a technical issues such as a microphone not working. These will not be reset if you make a mistake, this is to have fairness across all battles.

Inappropriate touching to a competitor will result in a disqualification, this does not mean you can’t battle but use beats instead of anything physical. 

UKBC entry submission info

How can I enter the UKBC?

Once entry submissions are announced you can then read the entry submissions guidelines, record your entry and fill out the entry form for your chosen category.

Please enter one submission form per category you wish to enter (i.e. if you want to enter the Solo & Loopstation category please enter two separate submission forms for each category).

What battle categories are there?

Solo, Team (2 vs 2), Loopstation & Under 18s categories. Info on guidelines and rules are below.

Do I need to be UK Citizen/Resident to enter the UKBC?

All participants in the UKBC must be a UK Citizen or Resident. If you are not a UK Citizen or have only been a UK Resident for a short amount of time you may be permitted to participate if you plan to continue to reside in the UK and agree to represent the UK while you are the reigning champion at future battles and events.

If you are a dual/multi national then you are permitted entry but must have not entered another national battle that year (e.g. if you are a French and UK dual national and have entered the French Championships in the past 12 months then you will not be allowed to enter the UKBC OR if you enter the UKBC you will not be allowed to enter the French Championships).

We do not aim to exclude anyone from the UKBC due to their nationality but our goal is to have a UKBC Champion who will represent the UK at future events and battles.

If you are unsure, please contact us at admin@ukbeatboxchampionships.com so we can discuss with you further.

Can I process the audio of my entry?

Entries to UK Beatbox Championships may process audio mix after recording under the following rules:

  • The following effects processes may be used in the following categories:
    • Solo: EQ, Compression (including Multiband Compression) and Reverb.
    • Under 18s: EQ, Compression (including Multiband Compression) and Reverb.
    • Tag Team: EQ, Compression (including Multiband Compression) and Reverb
    • Loopstation: EQ and Compression (including Multiband Compression)
  • The use of a noise remover is permitted to remove background noise such as “hissing” from the recording.
  • No automation of any kind may be used on the parameters of the effects listed.
    This includes but not limited to:
    • Changing parameters over time of the entry.
    • Mixing different sounds with separate settings.
    • Use of AI or computerised automation such as Dynamic EQ or LFO’s. 
  • For the Team category, each member of the Team is permitted to use a different microphone and each have different processing (as above stated) applied, however automation is still  strictly not allowed. 
  • In the event that the Judges/UKBC team suspects that these rules have not been followed, we will ask for a copy of the raw audio to be sent and may request a meeting with you and/or the engineer who mixed/mastered the audio of the entry.
  • If you are found to have not followed these rules, your entry may face disqualification.
Raw Audio File

Each participant must keep RAW audio files of their demo entry and have these ready to send (if they are requested by the judges).

Please keep these ready until AFTER DEMO SUBMISSION RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT

Can I choose to defend my title?

Yes! The previous year’s competitors (e.g. in 2025 the 2024 Champion/s) are permitted to defend their title if they wish and by doing so will gain automatic entry to the Elimination round and therefore, not have to enter a demo submission. 

The only rule is that a reigning champion can only compete to retain their title to a maximum of two times, leading to a string of 3 wins in a row.  Should a competitor gain their third title in a row, they shall not be eligible for the following year’s competition. 

What are the Solo Entry guidelines?

Submit a Solo Video Submission of up to 1:30 minutes (90 seconds) +/- 5% in length. Not sticking to the length may result in marking your entry down. Your spoken intro to your entry is not included in this time limit.

At the beginning of your Solo Video Submission you must say, “My name is ________ and this is my submission to the UK Beatbox Championships 2025 Solo Category”. Upload your video to YouTube with the title “Your Name – 2025 UK Beatbox Championships Solo Entry”.

Entry videos must be shot live and overdubbing is not allowed. You can use minimal audio fx such as eq, compression and reverb and no automation of any kind is allowed. For more in-depth info on audio processing please read the “Can I process the audio of my entry?” question.

Judges will rank all entries and the Top 30 ranked Solo Battlers will enter the live Eliminations 20th September 2025. From this a Top 16 will be chosen to enter the battles on 21st September 2025.

What are the Team (2v2) Entry guidelines?

Submit a Team (Duos) Video Submission of up to 1:30 minutes (90 seconds) +/- 5% in length. Not sticking to the length may result in marking your entry down. Your spoken intro to your entry is not included in this time limit.

At the beginning of your Team Video Submission you must say, “Our name is ________ and this is our submission to the UK Beatbox Championships 2025 Team Category”. Upload your video to YouTube with the title “Your Name – 2025 UK Beatbox Championships Team Entry”.

Entry videos must be shot live and overdubbing is not allowed. You can use minimal audio fx such as eq, compression and reverb and no automation of any kind is allowed. For more in-depth info on audio processing please read the “Can I process the audio of my entry?” question.

Both team members must fill out an entry form with their details so we can contact both members so any important information does not get missed.

Judges will rank all entries and a minimum of Top 6 will be chosen to participate in the live eliminations on 20th September 2025. From this, a Top 4 will be proceed to the battles on 21st September 2025.

What are the Loopstation Entry guidelines?

This year we have expanded the loopstation category guidelines for entry, for all info please visit the Loopstation Rules page.

Coming soon!

What are the Under 18 Entry guidelines?

*IMPORTANT* Under 18s participants must be 14+ and no older than 17 years old upon entry and on the day of the battles. Under 18 battlers must also be accompanied by an adult parent or guardian (must provide ID) on the day of battles. If participants cannot attend the event with an adult then please inform UKBC in advance as permission into the event and venue will not be allowed.

Submit an Under 18 Video Submission of up to 1:30 minutes (90 seconds) +/- 5% in length. Not sticking to the length may result in marking your entry down. Your spoken intro to your entry is not included in this time limit.

At the beginning of your Under 18 Video Submission you must say, “My name is ________ and this is my submission to the UK Beatbox Championships 2025 Under 18 Category”. Upload your video to YouTube with the title “Your Name – 2025 UK Beatbox Championships Under 18s Entry”.

Entry videos must be shot live and overdubbing is not allowed. You can use minimal audio fx such as eq, compression and reverb and no automation of any kind is allowed. For more in-depth info on audio processing please read the “Can I process the audio of my entry?” question.

Judges will rank all entries and the Top 8 ranked U18 Battlers will enter the live Eliminations 20th September 2025. From this a Top 4 will be chosen to enter the battles on that same day (20th September 2025).

What are the entry requirements for under 18s?

You/they must be 14+ years of age and all persons under the age of 18 either participating or attending the event must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Guardians must meet the following criteria:
  • A guardian will need to be over the age 21.
  • All participants under the age of 18 will need to provide a signed participation consent form from a parent or legal guardian. Please contact us for this form if you have not received it already.
  • A guardian can not be a competitor in the event.
  • A guardian cannot be a member of staff from the event or venue, or a member of the organising team. crew or a team volunteer.
  • A guardian can only act as guardian for 1 person under the age of 18, this means a 1:1 ratio, 1 guardian for every 1 under 18 individual.
  • A guardian will need to provide their full name (as on valid Photo ID), address, contact details, and details of the under 18 person they are acting as guardian for, in advance of the event in order to have their guardian status verified.
  • A guardian will need to provide valid photo ID at the event in order for them and the under 18 person they are acting as guardian to be admitted.
  • No persons under the age of 18 can be admitted to any event after party. 
If you need help with determining what is acceptable as ID, require an an under 18 participation consent form, or need any further information in relation to guardians or person under the age of 18 attending the event then please contact us on: admin@ukbeatboxchampionships.com
What is the judging criteria for entries?

Judging criteria will be based on but not limited to Originality, Musicality, Technicality, Flow/Performance and Stage Presence (live battles only).

For more information on judging criteria examples visit the battle info page here.

Media Release Form

All competitors must agree to, complete and sign a Media Release Form prior to the event to be allowed to participate in the live event. Under 18 competitors must get their parent or legal guardian to sign on their behalf.

Code of Conduct

All competitors must agree to, complete and sign a Code of Conduct form prior to the event to be allowed to participate in the live event. Under 18 competitors must get their parent or legal guardian to sign on their behalf. 

The Code of Conduct can be found here.

BATTLE CLOCK BEATBOX CHAMPS info

Why an International Competiton?

The UK Beatbox Championships is now celebrating its 20th Anniversary and is recognised for its professional-level competition that brings together talented musicians from across the UK and for the first time in its 20 years, the globe.

As part of the 20-year celebration and with D-low’s creative involvement as artistic director, we will hold an international battle to celebrate beatboxers form around the world and giving them to chance to battle on the UKBC stage.

The competition consisting of part invitation and part wildcard (online submission) entry will be the first time it has happened at the UK Beatbox Championships.

How can I enter the UKBC: Battle Clock International Comp?

Read all the relevant entry guidelines, record your wildcard and fill out the entry form for the Battle Clock Beatbox Champs International category below

ENTRY FORM HERE

IMPORTANT – If you do not fill out and submit a entry form this will mean your entry video will not be seen and subsequently not be a valid entry into the competition.

What is the format of this competition?

The Battle Clock Beatbox Championships (International Category) will work like this:

There are 4 invitees and (at least) 4 wildcard places available.

20th September 2025 (Day 1)

  • Showcase Eliminations of 3 minutes each
  • From this a Top 8 ranking will be decided who will go directly into Top 8 (Quarter Final) battles that night

21st September 2025 (Day 2)

  • Top 4 (Semi Final) from yesterday’s winners
  • Top 2 (Final) battle
  • Find out who the Battle Clock Beatbox Champion is!
How does the "Battle Clock" work?

The “Battle Clock” will works as follows:

As seen very rarely in the beatbox battle scene, this battle format will be using a ‘chess clock’ or ‘buzzer’ to pass the round over to your opponent.

Each battle will consist of 2 minutes of battle time, per battler (4 minutes in total). This 2 minutes can be used however the current battler chooses and they can “buzz” over their round by hitting the button on stage. For example, Beatboxer A could start and use 40 seconds of their 2 minutes (leaving 1 minute 5o seconds left) then “buzz” over to Beatboxer B who uses 1 minute of their 2 minutes and so on until each beatboxer’s 2 minutes is finished. Judges will then vote in the normal judging style.

RULES

There are only 2 rules for this category and these are:

  1. You must press the buzzer/button at least once per round (so you must pass the round to your opponent at least once)
  2. You can only press the buzzer/button up to a maximum of 6 times
Can anyone enter this part competition?

Yes anyone from around the world is permitted to enter and submit an entry.

However, if you are already a participant in the UK Beatbox Championships you will not permitted entry. This is to help keep the whole competition fresh and unique !

If you are chosen to enter the battle you will be responsible for your own entry into the UK and any visa requirements that may be needed for your visit. Important – make sure you will be able to get a visa in time. You can find more info here: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa

We are of course here to help and can supply invitation/visa support letters to help with the process. If you think you require one or are unsure, please contact us at admin@ukbeatboxchampionships.com so we can discuss with you further.

Is there an age limit for this category?

Anyone can enter but you/they must be 14+ years of age and all persons under the age of 18 either participating or attending the event must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

Guardians must meet the following criteria:
  • A guardian will need to be over the age 21.
  • All participants under the age of 18 will need to provide a signed participation consent form from a parent or legal guardian. Please contact us for this form.
  • A guardian can not be a competitor in the event.
  • A guardian cannot be a member of staff from the event or venue, or a member of the organising team. crew or a team volunteer.
  • A guardian can only act as guardian for 1 person under the age of 18, this means a 1:1 ratio, 1 guardian for every 1 under 18 individual.
  • A guardian will need to provide their full name (as on valid Photo ID), address, contact details, and details of the under 18 person they are acting as guardian for, in advance of the event in order to have their guardian status verified.
  • A guardian will need to provide valid photo ID at the event in order for them and the under 18 person they are acting as guardian to be admitted.
  • No persons under the age of 18 can be admitted to any event after party. 
 
If you need help with determining what is acceptable as ID, require an an under 18 participation consent form, or need any further information in relation to guardians or person under the age of 18 attending the event then please contact us on: admin@ukbeatboxchampionships.com
What are the entry guidelines?

Submit a Solo Video Wildcard of up to 1:30 minutes (90 seconds) +/- 5% in length. Not sticking to the length may result in marking your entry down. Your spoken intro to your entry is not included in this time limit.

At the beginning of your Video Submission you must say, “My name is ________ and this is my submission to  Battle Clock Beatbox Championships at UKBC 2025”. Upload your video to YouTube with the title “Your Name – 2025 UKBC – Battle Clock Beatbox Championships”.

Entry videos must be shot live and overdubbing is not allowed. You can use minimal audio fx such as eq, compression and reverb and no automation of any kind is allowed. For more in-depth info on audio processing please read the “Can I process the audio of my entry?” question.

Judges will rank all entries and the Top 4 ranked International Battlers will join the 4 invitees to enter the live Eliminations 20th September 2025. From this a Top 8 will be ranked to enter the battles on 20th & 21st September 2025.

Can I process the audio of my entry?

Entries to UK Beatbox Championships may process audio mix after recording under the following rules:

  • The following effects processes may be used in the following categories:
    • Solo: EQ, Compression (including Multiband Compression) and Reverb.
    • Under 18s: EQ, Compression (including Multiband Compression) and Reverb.
    • Tag Team: EQ, Compression (including Multiband Compression) and Reverb
    • Loopstation: EQ and Compression (including Multiband Compression)
  • The use of a noise remover is permitted to remove background noise such as “hissing” from the recording.
  • No automation of any kind may be used on the parameters of the effects listed.
    This includes but not limited to:
    • Changing parameters over time of the entry.
    • Mixing different sounds with separate settings.
    • Use of AI or computerised automation such as Dynamic EQ or LFO’s. 
  • For the Team category, each member of the Team is permitted to use a different microphone and each have different processing (as above stated) applied, however automation is still  strictly not allowed. 
  • In the event that the Judges/UKBC team suspects that these rules have not been followed, we will ask for a copy of the raw audio to be sent and may request a meeting with you and/or the engineer who mixed/mastered the audio of the entry.
  • If you are found to have not followed these rules, your entry may face disqualification.
Raw Audio File

Each participant must keep RAW audio files of their demo entry and have these ready to send (if they are requested by the judges).

Please keep these ready until AFTER DEMO SUBMISSION RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT

Who is judging the wildcards?

D-Low 🇬🇧 || Heartzel 🇲🇾 || Zede 🇨🇭

What is the judging criteria for entries?

Judging criteria will be based on but not limited to Originality, Musicality, Technicality, Flow/Performance and Stage Presence (live battles only).

For more information on judging criteria examples visit the battle info page here.

Media Release Form

All competitors must agree to, complete and sign a Media Release Form prior to the event to be allowed to participate in the live event. Under 18 competitors must get their parent or legal guardian to sign on their behalf.

Code of Conduct

All competitors must agree to, complete and sign a Code of Conduct form prior to the event to be allowed to participate in the live event. Under 18 competitors must get their parent or legal guardian to sign on their behalf. 

The Code of Conduct can be found here.

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2025 UK Beatbox Championships
20th Anniversary
Festival of Vocal Arts