The 2023 Drum Corps International Summer Tour has arrived.
Thousands of performers are preparing to captivate drum corps fans across the United States this summer. Each DCI Tour event — starting with the first, Wednesday, June 28 in Rockford, Michigan — adds a new chapter to the story of the 2023 season.
There’s excitement and intrigue brewing around every facet of the upcoming season. As those details begin to weave together, let’s look at the key dates and storylines that could define the 2023 summer ahead.
View the complete 2023 DCI Tour Schedule
A look back at how the 2022 season ended
In order to understand where we’ll begin once the 2023 DCI Tour begins, let’s take a look at how last season shook out.
Blue Devils followed an undefeated path to the corps’ 20th championship in 2022, with their production, “Tempus Blue.” The Concord, California corps recorded its second unbeaten season in five years.
As the Blue Devils continued their impressive championship run, some corps made a spirited return to the final day of the competitive season. Troopers and Colts returned to the DCI World Championship Finals for the first time in over a decade. This also marked the first time since 2008 that multiple corps placed in the “Top 12” after not making the DCI Tour’s finale the previous year.
DCI’s Open Class corps also saw their fair share of historical moments in 2022. Vanguard Cadets took home the Open Class title in 2022 while Gold finished with their highest placement ever, capturing their first-ever silver medal.
From a distance: an overview of the 2023 calendar
Having refreshed the key details from the 2022 DCI season, let’s take a look at how the 2023 DCI Summer Tour is set to take shape.
2023’s schedule encompasses more than 80 events across 33 states.
Blue Stars lead the way with the summer’s most scheduled appearances at 24. The La Crosse, Wisconsin-based corps begins its season at the Midwest Premiere on June 28. Blue Stars are also one of 13 corps that have 20 or more shows on their schedule this season.
Seven of the top-eight DCI World Championship finishers from 2022 — including each of last season’s medalists — will have their first head-to-head meeting at July 18's DCI Broken Arrow presented by Oklahoma Baptist University Athletic Bands.
The 2023 schedule also includes a pair of returns. Seattle Cascades will make their first DCI Tour appearance in nearly 1,500 days on July 12 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Spirit of Atlanta also rejoins the tour schedule for the first time since 2021 on July 8 in Lexington, South Carolina.
Read: Renewed local focus leads Cascades back to the DCI Tour
Opening weekend
Rockford, Michigan will play host to the opening event of 2023, the DCI Midwest Premiere on Wednesday, June 28.
Watch the DCI Midwest Premiere live on FloMarching.com
The five corps set to appear were all World Championship finalists in 2022. Three of those corps placed among the top 10.
The defending champions, Blue Devils, will begin their quest for a record 21st gold medal on July 1 at Corps at the Crest in Vista, California, joined by nine other corps from the western United States.
On the opposite coast of the U.S., three of 2022’s top corps from Open and World Class divisions, including the silver-medalist Boston Crusaders, will begin their seasons at The Beanpot in Lynn, Massachusetts.
A rivalry renewed
Following the July 4th holiday, July 5 looks to have its own share of fireworks.
The defending co-silver medalists Bluecoats and Boston Crusaders will meet for the first time in 2023 at the Summer Music Games in Cincinnati, held in Mason, Ohio. The two corps spent much of last season swapping places with each other on the scoreboard.
Boston Crusaders placed ahead of Bluecoats in seven head-to-head matchups — most of those wins coming in the home-stretch of the season. The Ohio-based corps caught back up when it mattered most, however, tying with its Boston counterpart at the final two events of the season.
The July 5 slate in Cincinnati also includes one other corps from 2022’s top four — Carolina Crown, which was in the competitive mix with Boston Crusaders and Bluecoats for the majority of the 2022 DCI Tour.
Other notable dates to know
July 18: A deep lineup is set to take over Oklahoma, as seven of the 2022 top-12 corps will appear at DCI Broken Arrow. In 2022, Blue Devils won the event by nearly two points.
July 22: San Antonio, Texas’ DCI Southwestern Championship presented by Fred J. Miller, Inc. will host all but one of DCI’s 21 World Class participants, featuring the largest lineup of World Class corps prior to the DCI World Championships. Five of the last eight DCI Southwestern Championship winners have gone on to win the Founders Trophy in Indianapolis.
July 29: The DCI Southeastern Championship presented by Ultimate Drill Book will host 10 World Class participants at Center Parc Credit Union Stadium, the host site of the 1996 Summer Olympics. In 2022, Blue Devils won the event for the first time since 2017.
July 30: The day after the DCI Southeastern Championship, 12 World Class corps will travel to Winston-Salem, North Carolina for NightBEAT. Seven of the last eight DCI World Champions have also taken top marks in Winston-Salem.
August 4-5: J. Birney Crum Stadium will once again host the two-day DCI Eastern Classic event. Blue Devils placed first on day one and Carolina Crown placed first on day two in 2022.
August 7-8: The DCI Open Class Championships will return to Wildcat Stadium in Marion, Indiana, on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University for two days of competition to kick off World Championships Week.
August 10: Competition at Lucas Oil Stadium will serve as the culmination of the DCI Tour for the 14th-straight season. Some 35 corps and thousands of drum corps fans will descend upon Indianapolis for the preliminary round of the 2023 DCI World Championships.
August 11: The top-25 corps from the DCI World Championship Prelims will take the field for the penultimate competition of the DCI World Championships. Semifinalists will contend for a spot in the “Top 12” and a chance to lift the Founders’ Trophy.
August 12: It all comes down to this. The top-12 corps will compete on the final day of competition for the opportunity to call themselves DCI World Champions. Preceding the evening event outside Lucas Oil Stadium will be the return of the SoundSport International Music and Food Festival. Bigger and better than ever fans will be able to celebrate the conclusion of the 2023 DCI Tour with SoundSport and DrumLine Battle performances along with the first-ever DCI Block Party featuring some of Indianapolis’ most popular gourmet food trucks, exhibitors and more.
Looking ahead
While the 2023 DCI Summer Tour features many marquee dates and events, these are just a handful of the dozens of exciting moments in store for the upcoming summer season.
Don’t miss a second of the action — find a DCI Tour event near you, subscribe to watch live events, rebroadcasts and archives on FloMarching, and follow along on social media as Drum Corps International’s 2023 season unfolds.