With just one week remaining until entries close, the City of Derry International Choir Festival is encouraging choirs, schools and singers from across Ireland and beyond to become part of this year’s festival programme.
Taking place from 22–25 October 2026, the festival will once again bring a vibrant programme of music-making to Derry and the wider North West, with opportunities for competitive and non-competitive participation across the festival weekend.
National Choir Competitions remain open across a wide range of categories including Mixed Voice, Equal Voice, Light, Pop & Jazz, Sacred & Gospel, Youth Choir and Vocal Ensemble. Alongside the competition programme, choirs can also take part in non-competitive festival performances through Community Choral Trails and outreach events across the city and region.
The festival’s dedicated Post-Primary Schools Programme also remains open for entries until the end of May, with opportunities for schools to take part in competitive Unison/Two-Part and 3/4-Part Choir categories, alongside the non-competitive Post-Primary Big Sing experience on Friday 23 October. Schools from across the region are encouraged to take part in what continues to be one of the most energetic and rewarding days of the festival weekend.
Singers also have the opportunity to join the Festival Chorus, performing with the Ulster Orchestra at the Opening Gala Concert on Thursday 22 October at the Millennium Forum. This year’s programme features Beethoven’s rarely performed Christ on the Mount of Olives alongside the spectacular Symphony No. 7 in A major.
The initial Festival Chorus rehearsal will take place on Sunday 14 June, with rehearsals continuing every Sunday throughout September and October in the lead-up to the performance week.
Whether taking part competitively, non-competitively, or as part of the Festival Chorus, the festival continues to create opportunities for singers of all ages and backgrounds to perform, connect and celebrate choral music together.
Entries for all programmes close on Friday 29 May 2026.
For full details and application information, visit:
derrychoirfest.com
