St. Louis Blues Society - International Blues Challenge

The Road to Memphis and the International Blues Challenge

The International Blues Challenge (IBC) represents a worldwide search for the Blues Band and Solo/Duo Blues Acts ready to perform on the international stage, yet just needing that extra big break. Each Affiliate of The Blues Foundation has the right to send a band and a solo/duo act to represent its organization at the IBC.

The IBC is judged by blues professionals from across the world who have years of experience in listening to, producing, and creating blues music. The Blues Foundation has established a set of criteria by which all acts are evaluated throughout the five days of the IBC.

Affiliated organizations are required to stage a regional preliminary IBC competition, with the winner of that event representing the organization in the International Blues Challenge held annually in Memphis, TN along historic Beale Street. While Affiliated Organizations are encouraged to follow The Blues Foundation’s structure and rules during their local challenges, each organization is free to structure its preliminary rounds as it sees fit, as long as a true challenge between multiple acts takes place resulting in a single band and/or solo/duo act being identified as the affiliate representative.

The St. Louis Blues Society holds its local preliminary IBC competition, The Road to Memphis, each year in the fall. Bands or solo/duo acts seeking to participate in the competition must complete and submit an application for admission. Applications well be available here on this page beginning August 1, 2024. The Road to Memphis takes place on Sunday, September 22, 2024 at 3pm at BB's Jazz Blues and Soups.

The Blues Foundation IBC takes place January 7-11, 2025 in Memphis TN.

Due to low response, we regret that the 2023 Road to Memphis was cancelled. We recognize that it is a lot of work for our local bands to get their applications together and submitted on time. We want to thank the two St. Louis bands that went through the trouble. We hope to see their applications again next year.

Thank you Benbow City Shuffle and Lady J Huston Band for your time and effort.

Congratulations to the 2019 Road to Memphis local challenge winners who represented St. Louis at the 36th International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN, January 2020.