Rugby’s Got Talent is our annual local search for entertaining talented people.
Three rounds culminate in a dramatic live final at The Railway Club in Rugby. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep in touch with what’s happening.
The first stage is the submissions round. Any local talented acts (is that you?!) can enter Rugby’s Got Talent by sending our judges video or audio. This is your chance to get involved in the region’s biggest and best talent competition, show us what you are all about, and make that all-important first impression!
You can learn more about entering on the How To Enter page.
After the closing date, a panel of judges will then choose the acts (plus possible reserves) to go through to round 2 where the live performances begin.
Each of the chosen acts will then perform at one of the semi-finals, in front of a live audience and the judging panel.
We will provide a great sound, light and stage experience for our participants.
The acts will showcase themselves on the night and our judges will use their skills, knowledge and expertise, along with looking at how acts relate to and work with the audience, to send three or four acts from each semi-final through to the grand final. They can also send through wild cards once all the semi-finals are complete.
The semi-finals will be full evening shows.
The live semi finals will be on 23, 24 and 25 June 2026 with the grand final set to be a sell out event on the 6 July 2026. Keep an eye on Facebook and Instagram for all of the latest information.
After all of the semi-finals the judges can – if they wish – also choose further “wild cards” from the remaining acts, to go through to the final to make up a total of 8 finalists. But watch out, and be prepared, because it will be short notice! Wild cards will be announced on social media and advised by email.
The grand final of Rugby’s Got Talent will be held at The Railway Club in Rugby. The grand final is always packed and the show and competition is “full-on”. The venue offers a wonderful stage, sound and lighting experience and once again the performances will take place in front of our expert judging panel.
The winner and two runners-up will be announced at the end of the evening … the judges are charged with the tough job of selecting just three outstanding acts.
We create the big show feel with a professional compere, lighting, sound and stage crew, making sure that we give our performers the chance to showcase themselves properly and enjoy the whole experience. The final is truly an established local entertainment highlight and an event not to be missed!
There have to be rules, so check out the small print before you enter!
Rugby born and bred, Amie first took to the stage at just three years old and has been performing ever since. Her early passion for music and the performing arts led her to study dance, performing arts, recorder, drums and vocals before completing a music degree and later a PGCE.
Alongside her own performing career, Amie has built an impressive reputation as a music educator, teaching for both Coventry Performing Arts Service and Warwickshire County Music Service (WCMS). She is also highly active within the local community, running several independent groups including Hillmorton Community Choir, Choral Belles and WESing.
Throughout her career, Amie has received recognition for both her musical achievements and community contribution. While at university, she was awarded the Norfield Charity Trust Prize for Best Third Year Recital, and more recently received both the Mayor’s Award and the Rotary Club’s Paul Harris Award in recognition of her dedication to local community work.
Today, Amie continues to perform as a solo vocalist while developing a new band project, alongside leading local choirs and inspiring the next generation of musicians through her teaching.
Lisa has always had a passion for music and dance. From an early age, she attended the Maureen Osbourne School of Dance in Rugby, continuing into her early twenties. There, she studied ballet, tap, acro and modern dance, achieving British Theatre Dance Association exams and medals, while performing in numerous shows that combined both dance and song.
She has “sung forever” — at school, with her family, and alongside musical friends — and naturally gravitated towards all forms of live music, particularly jazz.
Lisa has been an active participant in the thriving Rugby and Midlands jazz scene and is a long-standing member of the Rugby Jazz Collective, which has been bringing musicians together for nearly 20 years.
Over the years, she has performed jazz and soul music regularly in a variety of settings, ranging from full eight-piece jazz bands to intimate duos and trios. Her performances have taken her across Warwickshire and beyond, appearing at venues and events including Rugby Theatre, local festivals, Hamplified, and most recently, Rugby Bike Fest.
Simon Ray is well-known on the local music scene, being an established solo guitarist & singer as well as performing in various duos. He is also part of The Bad Girls of Country, which is an 8-piece band who will be embarking on a UK-wide tour later this year.
Simon is no stranger to talent shows having previously been on the judging panel for both Godiva Calling and Ken Fest.
His first experience of Rugby’s Got Talent was in 2025 when he played percussion for several of the finalists. As a result, he was very impressed with the quality of the contestants and the professionalism of the event itself and was delighted to be asked back to be a judge this year.
You’ll remember him as Paul Sammon, winner of Rugby’s Got Talent in 2019. Now married, Paul Jackson returns as a judge, excited to see what new talent will grace the stage. When asked what acts he was hoping for he replied, “We have singers aplenty every year. It would be nice to see some dancers or even comedians and magicians to entertain us in the mix”
Paul is most well known on the karaoke circuit, but since his win he’s taken to solo gigs in the local area and can definitely “hold a tune” as he puts it.
“Winning RGT gave me that little extra boost of confidence I needed to take the plunge and get out there myself. I hope that, win or lose, some of our entries realise the thrill of being on stage and take their passion further.”