The new nationwide competition for the professional drummers of tomorrow.
Are you between 10 and 18 years old, play drums, and have always wanted to showcase your skills to a professional jury without being judged on your music-reading abilities?
Then apply now with your application video!
Show us your musical skills and your creativity on the drum set — Show us how you rock!
A world-renowned jury will evaluate your groove, your creativity in fill-ins, and your interpretation of your favourite pop, rock or metal song.
The competition is organised by:
We are pleased to announce that the first leading manufacturer, Sonor Drums, will be supplying equipment for the four finalists who will perform on the main stage at The Europe Drum Show, Saturday 11th April 2026, in Messe Friedrichshafen.
**The first round of the completion will take place via a digital pre-selection.**
Send us your application video and sign up.
We can’t wait to meet the professional drummers of tomorrow!
Mobile Schlagzeugschule save yourself long trips and at the same time take the pressure off yourself and your family. We, the Mobile Drum School, offer you state-of-the-art lessons tailored to you, your wishes, and your talent. All this takes place in a fully air-conditioned former ambulance converted into a live-stage environment. And we bring it right to your home.
The State Music Council of Brandenburg has been the umbrella organisation for all professional associations, societies, institutions, and individuals involved in amateur and professional music in the state of Brandenburg since 1990. It represents the interests of its members to the parliament, the government, and the municipal authorities, and also advises these bodies on music policy matters. Additionally, it serves as a cooperation partner and organiser of state and nationwide projects aimed at promoting young talent and strengthening both the amateur and professional music scenes.
The Europe Drum Show is a two-day event entirely dedicated to drummers – to celebrate, promote, and support their fantastic community! Drummers of all skill levels are warmly welcome at this family- and community-oriented event. There’s nothing else like it! Experience all your favourite products for drums and percussion – including world premieres, artist performances, clinics, and lessons from the best in the scene.
Send us your application video and sign up.
We can’t wait to meet the professional drummers of tomorrow!
APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 15, 2026
By March 12, 2026, a nationwide and international jury will make the preliminary selection.
On March 15, 2026, the 4 finalists will be announced on Instagram: @landesmusikrat.brandenburg and @theeuropedrumshow
Participation is open to all individuals between 10 and 18 years old who:
Play drums – with or without lessons, whether privately or at a public music school.
Residents of Germany.
Have not participated in the Jugend musiziert competition in the past and will not participate in 2026.
Registration is possible exclusively via the online registration form.
A valid email address is required to complete the registration.
For minors, an additional parental/guardian consent form is required.
If a minor does not have their own email address, the parent or guardian may provide their own email address and manage the registration on behalf of the minor.
What can you submit?
By submitting the registration, the participants and/or their legal guardians accept the conditions of the competition as stated in the call for entries. Compliance with the competition rules are the responsibility of the participants and will be reviewed again at each stage of the competition. In the event of non-compliance with the rules, the respective organisers reserve the right to take appropriate measures, including disqualification. In cases of doubt, the organisers will make the final decision. A chaperone for minors must be registered in advance. If invited to the final, the chaperone will receive access to all event areas. In the case of illness or cancellation, there is no alternative opportunity to participate in the competition.
Send us your application video and sign up.
We can’t wait to meet the professional drummers of tomorrow!
Final
11 April 2026 | from 9:30 AM
Messe Friedrichshafen
The 4 finalists should plan to arrive on 10 April.
Registration on the day of the final (11 April) takes place from 8:00 to 8:30 a.m.
Warm-up and practice before the show will be possible in the Mobile Drum School located on the exhibition grounds.
Bringing your own cymbals or drum set components is not permitted.
Professional equipment, including a double bass pedal, will be provided.
You may bring your own drumsticks.
Admission to The Europe Drum Show is free of charge for the finalists and their immediate family members.
Prizes cannot be paid out in cash.
Instruments will be provided by the organisers.
Send us your application video and sign up.
We can’t wait to meet the professional drummers of tomorrow!
Final
11 April 2026 | from 9:30 AM
Messe Friedrichshafen
You will have 7 minutes of performance time in front of the jury and a public audience.
You will present a song of your choice. This may be the same or a different piece than the one used in your application video.
Your performance options are the same as for the application video.
This means:
You may play to a drumless playalong
You may perform together with a guitarist. Bringing additional musicians is not permitted. *For the live shows, Simon Dreher will play the guitar.*
A drum solo may be included as part of your performance. However, an exclusive solo performance without accompaniment is not allowed.
You must perform without sheet music.
The jury reserves the right to stop the performance in case of exceeding the allotted time. After your performance, a public jury evaluation will take place. The organiser is liable for personal injury and property damage.
Notes
Participation in the final does not obligate you to perform at any further concerts.
Any opportunity for additional performances as part of winning prizes is optional and does not have to be accepted.
Send us your application video and sign up.
We can’t wait to meet the professional drummers of tomorrow!
By registering for Germany’s Next Top Drummer, participants (in the case of minors: their legal guardians) agree that image, audio, and video recordings that show or capture the participants or their performances may be created, processed, and edited as part of their participation in the competition, and may be used without temporal or spatial limitation across all known and unknown types of use for the following purposes:
The granted usage rights include, in particular, the right to publish, reproduce, distribute, publicly display, and make publicly accessible the participants’ images, audio, and video recordings online (e.g., internet), offline (e.g., print, audio-visual media), and in other media (e.g., broadcast) for the purposes of:
Furthermore, participants (in the case of minors: their legal guardians) consent to the transfer of the above-mentioned image, audio, and video recordings and the associated usage rights under the following conditions:
Send us your application video and sign up.
We can’t wait to meet the professional drummers of tomorrow!
For the planning and execution of the competition, the processing of personal data isrequired. This is carried out in accordance with the provisions of the European GeneralData Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG-new), and, ifapplicable, other relevant legal regulations.The legal basis for the collection and processing of personal data is provided by:
For details regarding the categories of data processed, the groups of persons affected by the data processing, the “flow of data” within the competition, the rights of the data subjects, and the storage and deletion periods, please refer to the privacy policy.
Send us your application video and sign up.
We can’t wait to meet the professional drummers of tomorrow!
