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Rules and Regulations

• All entrants must be enrolled as a full-time student in Abu Dhabi and will process their payment for their entry fee by bank transfer to The British School Al Khubairat (BSAK) by the stated deadline; Thursday 5th February 2026.
• All entrants must be 18 years or under on 01 September 2025.
• Entrants do not need to have passed any exams, however must be of the requisite standard for their chosen category.

Entry Procedure

Each Entrant will be required to complete and submit an online ADYM Application Form and to upload documents as outlined below:

• Online Entry Form

• Participant EID Copy; both front and back side

• Participant Professional School Head Shot in School Uniform Photo Specifics: 300 DPI .png or .jpeg NO PASSPORT PHOTOS OR SELFIES

• Participant Round 1 (One) Piece - .pdf format, One (1) piece allowed and must not exceed 5 mins in length.

• Participant Semi Final Piece - .pdf format, One (1) piece allowed and must not exceed 5 mins in length.

• Participant Backing Track (if applicable) - mp3, wav, or m4a format

• Bank Receipt as proof of payment.

Event Particulars

The event commences on Saturday 11th April 2026 and concludes with the Grand Final on Friday 17th April 2026.

Entry Guidelines

ELIGIBILITY AND SUBMISSION

• Late entries will not be permitted.
• The Host School reserves the right to decline any entries that are deemed incomplete or do not meet the required standard or criteria.

SOLOIST ENTRY FEES AND PAYMENT

• Soloist entrants must submit full payment via bank transfer to The British School Al Khubairat (BSAK) on or before the deadline: Thursday 5th February 2026.
• Entry fees, once received are deemed non refunable.
• Entrants who have not made full payment by the due date will be deemed to have withdrawn from the competition.

ENSEMBLE ENTRY FEES AND PAYMENT

• Ensemble entries must be submitted directly by an Abu Dhabi School, with a limit of one (1) entry per category.
• Schools who have not made full payment by the deadline: Thursday 5th February 2026 will be deemed to have withdrawn from the competition.

ACCOMPANISTS AND PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

• Entrants must provide their own accompanists. The Host School can assist in putting you in touch with an accompanist if required.

USE OF AUDIO/SOUND EQUIPMENT

• Backing Tracks are permitted only in the Contemporary category and must be uploaded in mp3, wav, or m4a formats on the online form.
• It is recommended to bring a copy of your backing tracks on USB to the competition in the case of technical errors.
• Amplifiers, microphones, and effects processors may be used only in the Contemporary category.

ADJUDICATION

• The adjudicator’s decisions are final, and no discussions will be held regarding the results.

Timeline of events

Provisional Schedule

The above schedule will be confirmed by the end of January.

Soloist Category

This section is open to individual performers as per the following criteria:

• Intermediate Level: intended for students performing at a Grade 5 to Grade 6 standard, as outlined by Ofqual and the MTB, ABRSM and Trinity examination board standards.
• Advanced Level: intended for performers at a Grade 7 level and beyond, as outlined by Ofqual and the MTB, ABRSM and Trinity examination board standards.

The soloist competition is further divided into three (3) distinct categories; Classical, Contemporary and World Music, to give soloists the opportunity to perform music that best suits their interests, strengths, and artistic identity.

CLASSICAL

There will be six (6) different competing sections under the Soloist Classical Category area.

• Piano
• Guitar- Classical & Acoustic
• Brass
• Strings
• Woodwind
• Singing

CONTEMPORARY

There will be three (3) different competing sections under the Soloist Contemporary Category area.

• Drum Kit
• Guitar- Electric and Bass
• Singing

WORLD MUSIC

This category will remain an open platform, rather than being divided into two distinct categories; intermediate and advanced levels, to accommodate the varying levels of musical proficiency among participants.

Competition Structure

ROUND ONE

Round One - One (1) Piece will be of the performer’s choice and must not exceed more than 5 minutes in length.

Please note that the level of difficulty of the piece performed must be of the correct grade standard for the category entered.

The Host School will advise that any performance may be terminated if it runs any longer than 5 minutes.

ROUND TWO

Round Two pieces will be taken from the Instrumental Set Piece list ADYM 2026 found under ‘Set ADYM 2026 Pieces’.

The Host School will advise that any performance may be terminated if it runs any longer than 5 minutes.

SEMI FINAL ROUND

The Host School will advise that any Semi Final Round Piece - One (1) piece will be of the performer’s choice and must not exceed 5 minutes in length.

FINAL ROUND

The level of difficulty of the piece performed must be of the correct grade standard for the category entered.

The Host School will advise that any Final Round performance may be terminated if it runs any longer than 8 minutes.

The adjudicators' decisions are final, and no further discussions will be held regarding the results.

The following table outlines the approximate percentage of entrants from each category who will advance through each round.

* Please note that this is a guide and subject to alteration at the discretion of the adjudicators.

Ensemble Category

Each ensemble performance should last no longer than 6 minutes. This should be one piece only.

The Organisers advise that any performance may be terminated if it runs any longer than 6 minutes.

REPERTOIRE

Repertoire must reflect the spirit and merit of the event.

CRITERIA

• Ensemble performances which utilise improvisation are required to be supported with an explanation of the stimulus for that improvisation.
• Any Ensemble performance cannot contain more than 1 (one) piano.
• Ensemble entries must be submitted by an Abu Dhabi School with only one entry in each category permitted.

The Ensemble category consists of three (3) distinct categories; Classical, Contemporary and Vocal. These categories are further divided into six (6) distinct competing individual categories:

CLASSICAL ENSEMBLE

• Small Classical Ensemble - up to 9 performers. No use of electronic instruments will be permitted.
• Large Classical Ensemble - 10 or more performers plus a student or adult conductor. No use of electronic instruments will be permitted.

CONTEMPORARY ENSEMBLE

• Small Contemporary Ensemble - up to 9 performers, if an ensemble uses instruments that require amplification or electronics, such as electric guitar, bass, keyboard, or drum kit, they will compete in this category. These ensembles typically use electronic equipment.
• Large Contemporary Ensemble -10 or more performers plus a student or adult conductor, if an ensemble uses instruments that require amplification or electronics, such as electric guitar, bass, keyboard, or drum kit, they will compete in this category. These ensembles typically use electronic equipment.

VOCAL ENSEMBLE

• Small Vocal Ensemble - between 2-9 singers plus a student conductor or student accompanist if required. This may include acoustic accompaniment; however, no use of electronic instruments will be permitted.
• Large Vocal Ensemble - 10 or more singers plus a piano accompanist and conductor, if an ensemble includes both vocalists and acoustic instrumentalists, they will compete in this category.

COMPETITION STRUCTURE

The format of the Ensemble competition will be as follows:

World Music

This new category allows musicians to explore and perform music that reflects a variety of cultures, whether through traditional performance, contemporary interpretation, or innovative cross cultural fusion.

This is a non competitive platform introduced this year for young musicians.

It’s aim is for cultural appreciation, inclusion, and a deeper understanding of the global language of music.

INSTRUMENTS

Music that originates from, or is influenced by, a specific cultural tradition or region.

Examples such as but not limited to as follows:

• Oud
• Guzheng
• Sitar
• Djembes and other African Percussion
• Celtic instruments such as the bagpipe

REPERTOIRE

To maintain the integrity and authenticity of this category, performers are encouraged to keep the repertoire as close to its original traditional form as possible. This includes preserving traditional melodies, and rhythms that reflect the cultural roots of the piece.

While respectful interpretation is welcome, the aim is to honour the original style and context of the music being performed.