Massive drum corps news just dropped.

DCI Open Class veterans Gold and The Battalion have both been approved to transition into the World Class beginning with the 2027 DCI Summer Tour.

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After a successful vote by DCI's member organizations in addition to a multi-year examination of the organizations' finances and operations, both Gold and The Battalion are excited to endeavor on a new adventure in their new class. 

A recent success story of the transition from Open Class to World Class is Spartans, which just completed its first full season as a DCI World Class member with their show, 'On the World Stage.'

Here's what the two ensembles had to say to DCI about the move:

“This is a culmination of everything we’ve been building over the last 12 years. For our staff and members, there’s definitely excitement, but I think it will mostly feel like a natural next step, because we’ve always seen ourselves as headed in this direction. We’ve been incredibly honored by the new fans we’ve met on the road as our tours have grown longer each year. We’re excited to grow that community as we take this step.” - Tyler Hess, director of The Battalion

“Moving into World Class is a big moment for Gold. It’s something we’ve been working toward for a long time, even if it wasn’t always the immediate goal in front of us. We’ve always worked hard to make drum corps accessible and to create a place where members can grow as performers and as people. That remains important to us regardless of what classification we compete in.” - Kevin Valentine, executive director of Gold

To read DCI's full press release, click here.

The Battalion had a breakout year, earning the silver medal at DCI Open Class World Championships (81.500) and 20th at DCI World Championship Semifinals (79.225).

Gold finished out the 2026 DCI season placing third at DCI Open Class World Championships (80.300) and 22nd at DCI World Championship Semifinals (77.975).

Interested in marching Gold or The Battalion in 2027? Click here for more information about Gold's audition process, and here for more information about The Battalion's audition process.