Two island bands featuring young musicians are to be picked to appear in next year’s Bermuda Festival.

Auditions are to be held next month to whittle down hopefuls to six bands, who will go on to the next stage of judging.

Dale Butler, one of three judges in the competition, said: “I have been longing for this opportunity for years in the belief that our young musicians represent a precious commodity that must be nurtured.

“Most youth bands have achieved high performance standards and I hope they will seize the chance to perform in the festival.”

The competition is open to all bands with two to eight musicians aged between 11 and 21 and any musical genre.

The first round of auditions will be held on Saturday, November 4 at City Hall in Hamilton.

Applications have to be in by Tuesday, October 31 and should be sent to outreach@bermudafestival.org.