Sunday, August 10, 2025
1pm-8pm*
MadLife Stage and Studios
8722 Main St., Woodstock, GA 30188
The Atlanta Blues Society’s 2025 Blues Challenge will take place on Sunday, August 10, 2025 at MadLife Stage and Studios in Woodstock, GA. Doors will open at noon and the competition will start at 1pm. There will be up to 12 acts competing and the event should end about 8pm. There is an admission charge of $15 for ABS members and $20 for Non-members, which will help fund the production costs of the competition. The winners will represent Atlanta in the International Blues Challenge (IBC) in Memphis, TN, which will be held January 13 – 17, 2026.
There are three categories for the challenge acts: Youth, Solo/Duo, and Band. Each act will perform a 25-minute set and will be judged by non-biased judges according to the rules set by the Blues Foundation for the IBC. In addition to the judged winners, we will also have a People’s Choice winner who will be determined by vote of the paying attendees at the event. All prize winners will be invited to play at the Atlanta Blues Society’s Holiday party in December, where the prize money will be awarded along with any tips raised at the party.
MadLife Stage and Studios offers a concert quality music venue, accommodating up to 284 music-loving patrons. They will be serving delicious food and drinks for the attendees. We will have raffles for special prizes, and proceeds will go toward the prize money for the winning acts. Come and hear the best up & coming acts in the Atlanta area, and cheer on your favorites. No jam at this event.
Tickets will be available on the MadLife website (soon!) and available for purchase the door, day of the event. Watch this space – more updates to come!
The Challenge is brought to you by our Crossroads Sponsor, Dr. Love
and by our Mojo Sponsor, The Sean Costello Memorial Fund for Bipolar Research
- Ending time approximate, depending on number of bands
