Advancing bands are selected based on audience reception of their performances, with the ultimate winners determined by Emergenza judges during regional and final concerts.

[1] The Emergenza Festival had its origins in 1992 when a group of musician friends organized its inaugural event in Rome, Italy, with an initial audience of 245 attendees.

The festival expanded beyond Italy on January 7, 1996, with its first concert held at the Gibus Club in Paris, France, attracting 113 participating bands.

The following year, 2,876 musicians participated in the United States, and an impressive sixteen thousand performed for audiences in Europe and Canada.

Emergenza continued to grow, extending its reach to Japan and Australia in 2006, with shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Tokyo.