DJ Battle Festival
Sunday, September 27 · 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM · Mt. Trashmore Park · Virginia Beach. Eight DJs. Three rounds. One champion. Bring your best set, your cleanest edits and your crowd control — DJs, we want YOU!
Hosted and organized with DJ Rell, who rocks the decks on a DDJ Rev 5 or DDJ REV 1 with Serato DJ and Virtual DJ software.
8 DJs enter
Competitors advance 8 → 4 → 2 until one champion is crowned.
3 rounds
Showcase, relay battle and a genre gauntlet championship round.
House sound provided
2 QSC 12.2 and 2 EV 12 ZLX speakers will be on stage for the battle.
$25 admission fee
Each competing DJ pays a $25 admission fee — the champion takes home a cash prize.
Clean edits only
Family-friendly event — explicit music may cost points or lead to disqualification.
Battle Format
The DJ Battle Festival runs 60–90 minutes and features eight competing DJs. Judges score each round and advance the top performers until one DJ is crowned champion.
Round 1: Introduction / Showcase
10 minutes per DJEach DJ gets 10 minutes to introduce themselves, shout out their social media and current residencies, and showcase their style, creativity and ability to control the crowd.
Round 2: In the Mix — Relay DJ Battle
10 minutes total · 90-second segmentsTwo DJs face off in a 10-minute relay. Each performs in alternating 90-second segments, signaled by a buzzer. A color card on each table lets the crowd know who's playing.
Round 3: Championship — Genre Gauntlet
10 minutes per DJ · 90-second prepFinalists draw four genres from a bowl. Each DJ gets 10 minutes to weave all four genres into a live mix, with 90 seconds of prep and hands in the air until the buzzer starts their set.
Tie-Breaker
If the championship round ends in a tie, tied DJs compete in a 90-second sudden-death mix using one surprise genre drawn from the genre gauntlet bowl. Judges' decisions are final.
Scoring
Requirements
- House PA provided. The stage will be loaded with 2 QSC 12.2 and 2 EV 12 ZLX speakers — just plug in and play.
- Bring your own equipment — laptop/tablet/iPad, DJ controller or turntables, microphone, headphones and connecting cords (RCA, XLR, AUX) to plug into the house system. Our host DJ Rell performs on a DDJ Rev 5 or DDJ REV 1 connected to Serato DJ software and Virtual DJ software.
- Arrive early, stay if needed. Competitors should plan to arrive before the scheduled start for possible setup and sound check. If you need extra time to break down your gear, plan to stay past 3:30 PM.
- Clean edits only. All music, samples and chants must be family-friendly. Explicit content may result in point deductions, disqualification or stoppage at the judges' discretion.
- Judges' decisions are final. Any disputes go to the event organizer after the round.
Champion Prize
The 2026 DJ Battle Festival champion takes home a cash prize, a gold-plated record frame and bragging rights for the year.
Enter the battle.
Fill this out with your DJ info and a performance video link. We'll review submissions and email you with next steps. You must be 16 or older to enter. All battle sets are 10 minutes. There is a $25 admission fee per competing DJ, and the champion takes home a cash prize. Competitors should plan to arrive early for possible setup and stay past 3:30 PM if needed to break down gear. Let us know if you want to compete, judge, or both.