The Emergenza Festival began in 1990 in Rome, when a group of musically minded friends staged their own showdown, mostly for fun. After securing sponsorship from a local radio station in 1992, the Emergenza team realized it had a chance not only to promote unsigned talent, but to market services and products to musicians participating in the event.

In the last 20 years, Emergenza has mushroomed to include thousands of club dates across Europe, North America, Australia, Japan and Russia.

In bars and clubs from Stockholm to Montreal, Berlin to Melbourne, a crowd vote sends the winning band from each evening to the next round until the field is whittled down to a handful of contenders from each region.

In the finals held in each major city, a jury of music industry professionals determine the winners. Those bands then compete at the international finals in August of every year in Germany.

The ultimate winner, decided by a jury panel in Germany, will get an International Tour, but even bands that don't make it past the regional finals may win notice - and the occasional recording contract - from label scouts who so frequently attend the Emergenza events.

If you want to play live, sign your band for free!!