​International Blues Challenge 2027

International Blues Challenge logo with blue shield icon and text on white background

5/27/2026:

An important message. Please read:

Attention SBS Members:
Due to a lower number of participants registering for the competition than anticipated, the IBC
Committee and I had to make the decision if it would be fiscally responsible for us to go forward
with having our annual local IBC Challenge. As you may have read in our recent newsletters and
social media, we have been working on getting our General Fund back to a more robust place. 

We are all in challenging times. For this reason, we decided that it would not be fiscally responsible

for the Committee to move forward and therefore we have decided to cancel our 2026 IBC Local Challenge. 

It was to be held at The Torch on June 6.


Any participants can contact me directly at shirley.sacblues@gmail.com to get a refund on their application fees.
The Committee is planning to hold the local Challenge next year and will be exploring revising
and updating our own guidelines.

Thank you all for your support. Please go support live blues music, especially our friends at the Torch Club!

To our Member Bands- thank you for joining the SBS.
We hope to have a strong return next year!


Shirley McCoy, Chairwoman, & the IBC Committee

Sacramento Blues Society


Poster for Sacramento Blues Society's International Blues Challenge local competition, blue guitar and bridge illustration.

Once again, congrats to our 2025-2026 musicians who represented the sbs
in memphis this past january, 2026.
Dirty Laundry(solo/duo) and Mike hammar & the Nails(band).
​we are proud of you all!

Six people stand on a small stage under colorful red and green lights in a dim bar.
The Blues Foundation logo and “International Blues Challenge” text in blue and black.

Our SBS IBC Fundraisers were strong events!
We are so pleased to be sending two acts to Memphis in January, 2026.
 we can keep showing these artists we are solidly behind them and let them know we are all Sacramento Strong. see below!

Black-and-white QR code with a small dinosaur silhouette in the center

 Help Send Dirty Laundry to Memphis!

Stylized black-and-white QR code with a small dinosaur icon in the center

Help Send Mike hammar & the nails to Memphis!

Right here, right now. Use these QR codes above
or
you can donate to their respective Gofundme campaigns:
​Via these links:

DIRTY LAUNDRY GFM: https://gofund.me/1fecd2c6
​
MIKE HAMMAR & THE NAILS GFM: https://gofund.me/6049f6f9
Six people standing on a small stage under red and green lights, with a blue curtain backdrop