The 1980 competitors were, in alphabetical order of country of origin:

• Australia: Nerida Farmer, a Queensland Conservatorium of Music student.    Catherine Jackett, a student of the Conservatorium of Music High School in New South Wales.
• Austria: Alfred Melichar, who had studied at the Vienna Music Academy and was under appointment to the Bruckner Conservatory.
• Canada: Gail Sjuberg, a British Columbian high school student.
• Denmark: Annette Loffler, at fifteen years of age was the youngest competitor.
• France: Christian Bonnay, who had attended the Gnessin Institute in Moscow. (Her brother, Max Bonnay, had won the 1979 Coupe Mondiale.)  Alain Musichini, a student of the Municipal School of Music in France.
• Great Britain: Neil Rowan, a graduate of the Edinburgh University.
• New Zealand: Kevin Friedrich and Marcel Riethmann, students of Harley Jones, had both attained NZ Registered Music Teacher status.
• Poland: Krysztof Olczek who was an assistant teacher at the Conservatory of Music in Gdansk, following study at the Warsaw Conservatory of Music.
• USA: Dan Mastroianni, majoring in composition at the University of Bridgeport. Peter Soave, a student at the Modern Accordion Studios in Dearborn Michigan.
• West Germany: Werner Glutsch, a student of Wolfgang Eschenbacher, he had achieved several placings in previous Coupe Mondiale Competitions.
  

In the first section all competitors played the test piece "Suite Aotea" by NZ composer and Professor of Composition at Auckland University, Dr. Douglas Mews.  In the second (cyclic) section many competitors played music by Zolatariev, although original music by a number of accordion composers was performed.  The third programme of own choice music had most competitors playing one piece by J S Bach and then a variety of transcriptions from the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods as well as twentieth century accordion composers.  Competitive playing continued until the Saturday afternoon.
 
The competitors were engaged in a three day battle, with the accompanying toll on their nervous energy that such demanding performances require.  Each of the three programmes they presented were of a standard beyond that attained by most accordionists with the added pressure of Internationally famous judges critically evaluating them and with the knowledge that other competitors were striving to better them.
 

Competitors on returning to the Intercontinental Hotel were now able to relax at the Farewell Ball.  The Middletones, provided music for this, one of the last functions of a memorable week.  The formal evening wear of the ladies and the dress suits of the men created an atmosphere that had festivities and dancing continue until 2 am in spite of the exhaustion many must have felt.
 
After all this excitement and a rather late start the next day, visitors were shown some Auckland City sights on the way to a barbecue lunch at Fullers Vineyard.  Frank Vilich and his Accordion Band entertained our guests on this, the final wind down of a tremendous week.  The previous late night did not prevent a great party and there was some hilarity as overseas guests were seen practising a Maori Haka. 
 
Then it was time for our guests to prepare for their journey home, and a final clean up to be followed by a well earned rest for the hosts.