INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Thousands of high school marching band students and fans are set to take on downtown Indianapolis this weekend for a regional competition.

The Bands of America Super Regional will be at Lucas Oil Stadium, where music will play all day Friday and Saturday.

Students representing over 60 high schools from seven states across the Midwest will show off their skills during the event.

The non-profit behind the competition, Music for All, provides music education resources for schools. It hosts Regional, Super Regional, and Grand National Championships for high school marching bands.

Marketing and Communications Director Mallory Duncan says the competition encapsulates everything they represent.

“It’s just such a great experience to showcase what they’ve been learning and working on for the past probably three, four months as they’ve gone through this entire marching season,” Duncan said.

Lucas Oil Stadium also plays host to the Drum Corps. International World Championships.

Duncan says it’s a great opportunity for the students to play on one of the largest stages in the world for competitive marching bands.

“It’s really a great atmosphere for them, truly,” Duncan said. “The more people that are here, the more exciting it is for these kids.”

The performances will include music, choreography, and special effects. Bands will receive awards in those categories and best performance for each class based on school size for the preliminary rounds.

Duncan adds it’s an event everyone should experience regardless of their backgrounds.

“It’s not like your typical high school halftime show that maybe you would see at some of these football games,” Duncan said. “It’s a lot of theater. We have props coming on. They all have beautiful uniforms, and the color guard is all decked out in really cool costumes, and they have a theme for their show,”

The first round of prelims kicked off at 11:30 a.m. Friday and a second round starts Saturday at 7:30 a.m.

Then, the top 14 bands will take the field, once again, on Saturday night for the final round.

Gates open at Lucas Oil Stadium starting at 10:30 a.m., and the first bands will take the field around 11 a.m.