BeatFest 2026
Thursday, May 28
Doors 4:30, Music 5:00
Columbia’s All-Student, Student-Run Music Festival
A Music Industry Club & Music Studio Club Production
Thursday, May 28
Doors 4:30, Music at 5:00
Ritzer Field, Columbia High School
Rain Date Friday, May 29
Students & Recent Alumni $5
Adults $15
BeatFest is proud to present…
EternalXeno
.
RTKRobbie
.
SOCKMOUTH
.
Ouroboros
.
ANDREW
.
Navo
.
Pheasant
.
Palisade
.
Sun Jackson
.
Zenobia
.
Esme
.
Road Dog
.
Arrested Development
.
Jitney
.
Delta
.
EternalXeno . RTKRobbie . SOCKMOUTH . Ouroboros . ANDREW . Navo . Pheasant . Palisade . Sun Jackson . Zenobia . Esme . Road Dog . Arrested Development . Jitney . Delta .
All proceeds benefit music programs at Columbia High School.
Thank You 2026 Sponsors
Love student-made music and wish you had sponsored? Contact CHSMPA for other music education sponsorship opportunities.
Have BeatFest Questions?
We got you.
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The planned Rain date is the next day, May 29. We’ll post here and in social media if the show is moved to the rain date. You won’t receive new tickets—the tickets for May 28 will still work. If it rains on May 29, we’ll burn that bridge when we get to it.
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Yes, you can buy tickets with cash, at the door on the day of the show. But there will be a line and buying now online will get you right in.
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Yes, you can buy tickets at the door with cash, credit cards or Apple Pay. No Venmo. But there will be a line and buying now online will get you right in.
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There will be candy, snacks and water for sale to benefit music at Columbia.
BeatFest is also working on a food truck court this year, featuring some of Maplewood & South Orange’s favorites. But this isn’t finalized yet.
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There will be a merch table at the show.
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BeatFest is student-run, from promotion to auditions, and from lighting to sound engineering. The Music Industry Club and the Music Studio Club lead the charge, with the amazing support of Ms. Emily Vite, Music Technology and Theory teacher. BeatFest is supported by CHSMPA.
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Come to the show and find out!
Seriously, not sure yet. But it is a great thing to come at the beginning and stay until the end to support all the performers, as well as the student-staff running the show.
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The Music Industry Club and the Music Studio Club put out a call for auditions. A painstaking audition process was undertaken by the students, and a final lineup was chosen. The program was incredibly popular this year, and the concert can only go so long, so the team had to make some tough calls. Congrats to everyone who tried out, and we hope they audition again next year!
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Kind of. BeatFest is a festival of student music first and foremost. But it is also a fundraiser, and all money goes to supporting Music at Columbia High School, through CHSMPA.
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You can purchase tickets on line with any major credit card.
At the show we accept cash, credit cards and phone payments (like Apple Pay). Venmo for donations only.
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No. Sorry, tickets are nonefundable. This is a fundraiser, and both CHS and CHSMPA are non-profits.
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Good question. This is to cover credit card fees and processing fees. This way, student music gets your full $5 or $15 donation. We get that fees stink, so if you want to avoid paying them, you can buy tickets in person in cash.
Pro-tip—the total, per-ticket fee is lower if you buy multiple tickets at once. So get together with your friends to pay lower fees.
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It’s a third-party platform we use to manage ticketing and point of sale purchases. They get a fee, so we can make payments easier for you, and get more dough to put towards Music at Columbia.
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No. We only take Venmo for donations, because of the way that Venmo works. We’re a non-profit, and Venmo has specific rules about how we can use their product.
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That would be awesome. You can donate lots of ways. You can do it in the BeatFest Ticketing Store, or donate via PayPal or Venmo. Just note it is for BeatFest. You can also send a check; see more information here. Thank you!
BeatFest 2025 photos & video courtesy Lucas Mullen.