Festivals and finals

Fanfare is the statewide festival of bands and orchestras from Queensland state schools. Fanfare consists of regional festivals held between May and June 2024, followed by regional finals and state final later that year.

Once nominations close, all schools receive further details regarding their regional festival via email from their Fanfare regional coordinator.

Every nominated ensemble will be allocated a session time for their performance at their relevant regional festival. This will be communicated through the coordinating teacher from the school by the relevant regional festival coordinator.

It is the responsibility of the school's coordinating teacher to inform the various conductors, teachers and ensembles involved from their school of these details.

Each ensemble performance will be professionally adjudicated.

The adjudicator will:

• provide positive and constructive feedback to the students and the conductor
• award each participating ensemble with a certificate at the end of their performance
• determine how many ensembles will perform and which ensembles will perform in the regional final.

Fees apply to all schools participating in Fanfare. Travel and associated expenses for schools to attend their relevant regional festival and regional finals must be covered by the school. Schools who make the state finals will be eligible for a travel subsidy and will be provided with further information once state finalists are announced.

Regional festivals information

Downloadable certificates

Regional festival certificates

• Platinum award
• Gold award
• Silver award
• Bronze award
• Participation award

State finals

The Fanfare primary and secondary state final concerts showcase the high quality of school-based ensembles in Queensland state schools.

The state finals will be held in Brisbane on Thursday 15 August (primary) and Friday 16 August (secondary) at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University. After all regional finals have been completed, the adjudicators will convene to select up to 5 primary ensembles and up to 5 secondary ensembles who will be invited to perform at the primary and secondary Fanfare state finals in Brisbane. The state finalists will be selected from the group of ensembles awarded the most outstanding performance (maximum 15 across the state) at the regional finals. No more than one ensemble from any one school can be represented in the state final.

Project consent

All students and conductors participating in the Fanfare 2024 state finals are required to complete the project consent forms.

All individuals required to sign the project consent forms must read the terms and conditions of the forms. The use of project consent forms is part of the department's consent procedure for the use of photos and/or images from Fanfare 2024.

• Instrumental Fanfare 2024 project consent form
• Ministerial consent form

School ensembles selected for the primary and secondary state final will be required to submit the completed forms to the Fanfare program manager prior to the state finals. Any questions about the project consent form should be directed to the Fanfare program manager.​