The championships consist of three rounds—Preliminaries, Semifinals, and Finals—held on the first or second Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of August.
Since the 2011 season, all active DCI corps (Open and World Class) have been permitted to compete for the championship.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the DCI World Championship and tour were cancelled.
In 2021, to mark the return of drum corps, there were no scores given during the season, and the season concluded with a three-day celebratory event at Lucas Oil Stadium consisting of exhibition performances.
Only 10 corps have ever won the title (including 3 ties): The Anaheim Kingsmen, Star of Indiana, and Cadets are no longer active.