Every year, the stage at The Horn in St. Albans becomes a proving ground as the most exciting new acts from the London area and places far beyond converge on Hertfordshire's centre for Battle of the Bands.

Over the course of 16 heats and the final rounds in the summer, bands looking to break out of the pack prove their mettle before packed houses and a panel of judges. Using the voting slips they're given with the purchase of their tickets, audience members get to pass judgment on what they see and hear.

Consisting of music-industry professionals, a panel of expert judges also vote on the acts based on certain criteria — including songwriting, stage presence, and overall performance. Winners for the night proceed into further rounds, where the competition becomes even more intense.

Now in its 25th edition, the annual competition is just one more reason The Horn has been a favourite destination for lovers of live entertainment since 1974. Since the historic venue's refurbishing and reopening in 2007, it has twice been named U.K. Music Pub of the Year and U.K. Entertainment Pub of the Year. Such honours are a testament to the venue's reputation among patrons and industry peers, as well as The Horn's commitment to giving the best new music of all varieties the prominence and the audience it deserves.

Having been an invaluable launch pad for acts like Paul Young, The Subways, Enter Shikari, Friendly Fires, and Gallows, it's no wonder that The Horn attracts such loyalty from members of Hertfordshire's music community along with touring acts from all over the U.K. Among the other artists who have played The Horn are U2, Reef, Bert Jansch, Squeeze's Chris Difford, the Stranglers' Hugh Cornwell, and Courtney Barnett.

This year's set of contenders are all vying to repeat the triumphs of recent winners like Thousand Thoughts, the Enfield-based alternative-rock act who won the prize in 2017, and 2Days2Late, a high-energy pop-punk band from Hertfordshire who won in 2016. Audiences can follow every stage of this year's Battle of the Bands until the final showdown in August.