Blue Devils B surged from third place in preliminaries to claim the 2026 Drum Corps International Open Class World Championship with a winning score of 81.725. According to a news release from Drum Corps International, the Concord, California corps became the first Open Class ensemble to win the finals after trailing in preliminaries since 2008. This victory marks the program’s sixth Open Class title and its first since 2016.
The final standings showed a narrow margin of 0.25 points separating Blue Devils B from silver medalist The Battalion. Drum Corps International reported that while the Utah-based corps earned top scores in General Effect, the champions secured substantial leads in overall Visual and held a slim advantage in Music. The Battalion achieved its highest finish in program history, improving upon a bronze medal earned the previous year.
Gold took third place, extending a streak of seven consecutive seasons earning an Open Class medal. The southern California corps received its first-ever caption award for Color Guard. Memphis Blues finished fourth in its championship debut, becoming only the second corps since 2008 to place fourth or better in a first appearance. River City Rhythm, Columbians, Colt Cadets, Raiders, and 7th Regiment rounded out the top nine, with several groups achieving historic high scores or rankings. Les Stentors represented Quebec, Canada, improving its finals tally by more than a point, while Eclipse and Heat Wave also competed in the event.
For more information, visit dci.org.