University Park

Battle of the Bands will give students a shot to open at Movin' On 2017

Fans responded as Wiz Khalifa's DJ hyped up the crowd before the rapper's performance at Movin' On 2014. Credit: Bill Zimmerman / Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Movin’ On, Penn State's annual music festival, is now accepting applications for its yearly Battle of the Bands competition scheduled for March 25 in Alumni Hall of the HUB-Robeson Center. 

Movin’ On has become one of Penn State’s most anticipated and welcomed traditions and has been named one of the top five student-run music festivals by Live Nation. Movin’ On’s mission is to promote student acts as well as provide a wide array of artists as a send-off to graduating seniors, all for free. The winner of the Battle of the Bands competition will be offered a 30-minute performance slot as the opener for Movin’ On 2017. Last year’s winner, Cecil Blutcher, opened for Sammy Adams, MisterWives, X Ambassadors, Nelly and Walk the Moon.

To be eligible for Battle of the Bands, at least one member of the band must be a current Penn State undergraduate or graduate student. This includes Penn State University Park and the 19 Commonwealth Campuses. 2017 marks the first year that Commonwealth Campus students are eligible.

In addition to the formal application, interested bands are required to submit their original music samplings as well as any media such as press kits, videos, interviews and articles. No recordings of song covers will be accepted. The Movin’ On 2017 CORE Committee will select eight bands from the total applications submitted to compete in Battle of the Bands. At the competition, these eight bands will be scored by a panel of judges in the categories of originality, musicianship, audience participation, stage presence and overall performance. For the chance to be a competing band in Battle of the Bands, visit bit.ly/Battle2017 to access the application and the 2017 rulebook. The application will close at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25. No late submissions will be accepted.

Email production@movinon.org with questions, comments or concerns regarding the application process or competition. For more information about Movin’ On, visit www.movinon.orgwww.facebook.com/psumovinonfestival, or email exec@movinon.org. Movin' On is on Twitter and Instagram at @PSUMovinOn.

Last Updated January 31, 2017