6th Annual Battle of the Bands

The City of Boca Raton will hold its 6th Annual Battle of the Bands on Friday, Aug. 7, at Mizner Park Amphitheater, adding a live music competition to Palm Beach County’s Aug. 7-9 weekend lineup. The free event runs from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at 590 Plaza Real, according to the city’s event page. The Palm Beach Post included it this week in its roundup of top things to do across the county for the weekend. Eight local acts are scheduled to compete, split between under-20 and over-20 categories. ### When and where is the competition? Friday, Aug. 7, is the date listed by the City of Boca Raton for the competition at Mizner Park Amphitheater in downtown Boca Raton. The city says the event starts at 7 p.m. and ends at 10:30 p.m., with lawn seating and blankets or lawn chairs encouraged. Palm Beach Illustrated’s event listing says the broader on-site programming begins at 6 p.m. and runs through 10:30 p.m. (myboca.us) Mizner Park Amphitheater, at 590 Plaza Real, is the named venue on city and local event listings. The competition is part of Boca Raton’s “Summer in the City” programming, according to third-party event coverage and the city’s announcement. ### Which bands are competing this year? (myboca.us) Eight bands are on the 2026 lineup, according to the City of Boca Raton’s event page. In the under-20 category, the listed acts are Plan 9, Prickly Dogfish, The Ruffles and The Introverts. In the over-20 category, the city lists Rock Candy, Box of Rocks, Foxy Dubs and The Marina Effect. (weekendbroward.com) Palm Beach Illustrated published the same finalists in its preview of the event. The city’s posted show schedule alternates the two divisions through the evening rather than grouping each category together. ### How is the night scheduled to unfold? The city’s posted rundown starts with Plan 9 at 7 p.m. and Rock Candy at 7:25 p.m. (myboca.us) Prickly Dogfish follows at 7:50 p.m., Box of Rocks at 8:15 p.m., The Ruffles at 8:40 p.m., Foxy Dubs at 9:05 p.m., The Introverts at 9:30 p.m. and The Marina Effect at 9:55 p.m. At 10:10 p.m., the schedule calls for judging deliberation, followed by an awards ceremony at 10:20 p.m. (myboca.us) The city has described the competition as a showcase for local and emerging musicians. ### What else is happening besides the music? A Pop-Up Youth Market is also scheduled during the event, according to the city’s event page. (myboca.us) The market runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and is aimed at participants ages 13 to 20 with small businesses or products to sell. Palm Beach Illustrated said the youth market will feature products and businesses created by young local entrepreneurs. (myboca.us) The pairing of the concert competition and market has also appeared in the city’s earlier announcement about applications for bands and youth vendors. ### How does this fit into the weekend lineup? The Palm Beach Post listed the Battle of the Bands among its top five things to do in Palm Beach County for Aug. 7-9. The roundup grouped the Boca Raton competition with other weekend events in Delray Beach, Wellington and West Palm Beach. (palmbeachillustrated.com) Friday’s event remains scheduled for Aug. 7 at Mizner Park Amphitheater, with the city’s page carrying the full band lineup and timetable. The final item on that posted schedule is the awards ceremony at 10:20 p.m. (myboca.us) (palmbeachpost.com)