The City of Derry International Choir Festival is getting ready for its biggest festival yet, with more than 100 choirs set to fill Derry with song from 22–25 October 2026.
Now in its 14th year, the festival will welcome singers from across Ireland, the UK and Europe, joining hundreds of local singers, schoolchildren and community groups for four packed days of concerts, competitions, workshops and performances across the city and wider North West.
Our biggest festival yet
More than 100 choirs are expected to take part this year – the largest number in the festival’s history.
While our national and international competitions remain at the heart of the weekend, the festival stretches far beyond the competition stage.
Our extensive Community Programme will bring visiting and local choirs into churches, schools, community spaces and landmarks, giving audiences plenty of opportunities to encounter live choral music throughout the four days.
The popular Choral Trail returns with performances popping up across Derry, while community concerts will take the festival further afield, including events in Strabane and Letterkenny.
Young singers will also be right at the heart of the festival, with primary and post-primary schools from across the region coming together for competitions, workshops and our hugely popular Big Sing events at the Millennium Forum.
Four nights of incredible live music
Alongside more than 100 participating choirs, this year’s festival brings an outstanding line-up of professional artists and ensembles to Derry.
The festival opens at the Millennium Forum on Thursday 22 October with Beethoven – Triumph & Transcendence, featuring the Ulster Orchestra and Festival Chorus, conducted by the Orchestra’s newly appointed Chief Conductor Anna Handler, with soloists Gemma Summerfield, Ryan Vaughan Davies and Alex Birkus.
On Friday 23 October, Grammy-nominated Tenebrae takes to the Guildhall for an evening of extraordinary choral music, before The Apex Singers bring their distinctive eight-part a cappella folk sound to St Columb’s Cathedral for an intimate late-night concert.
On Saturday 24 October, some of the festival’s finest visiting choirs go head-to-head in the Oak Tree of Derry International Competition at the Guildhall.
Then, on Sunday 25 October, four days of singing come to a spectacular conclusion at the Millennium Forum with our Closing Gala and Awards Ceremony.
A city filled with song
From school and community choirs to international competitors and world-renowned professional artists, this October Derry will once again become a meeting place for singers of all ages and backgrounds.
Whether you join us for a headline concert, discover a choir performing somewhere unexpected along the Choral Trail, cheer on singers in competition or simply soak up the atmosphere around the city, there are plenty of ways to be part of the festival.
The City of Derry International Choir Festival takes place from Thursday 22 to Sunday 25 October 2026.
Tickets for our headline concerts and competitions are available from the Millennium Forum Box Office, with group discounts available for groups of 10 or more.
Explore the full 2026 programme and start planning your festival.
