What an incredible four days! The 14th City of Derry International Choir Festival came to a spectacular close on Sunday 25 October, following our biggest Festival to date, with more than 100 choirs from across Ireland, the UK and Europe joining us for an unforgettable celebration of choral music.
From 22–25 October, Derry and the surrounding region came alive with thousands of singers, world-class concerts, exciting competitions, school events and community performances, once again showcasing the incredible power of music to bring people together.
Swedish Choir Takes Home the Oak Tree of Derry Trophy!
One of the highlights of the weekend was the prestigious Oak Tree of Derry International Competition, held in the Guildhall on Saturday 24 October, where seven outstanding choirs from five European countries competed for the coveted title.
Stockholms Musikgymnasium Youth Choir from Sweden was crowned our 2026 International Champion, achieving an impressive score of 92.6% and taking home the Oak Tree of Derry Trophy!
Fabre Ensemble from Ireland secured second place with 91.0%, while The Continuettes and Dulciana Vocal Ensemble, both from Ireland, shared third place with 90.2%.
The Swedish choir also received two special awards: the Contemporary Music Centre Award for its performance of A Crazed Girl by Irish composer Seán Doherty, and the Bishop’s Gate Hotel Award for its performance of Musica Noster Amor by Jacobus Gallus.
Congratulations to all seven international competitors, who brought such extraordinary talent, energy and musicianship to Derry!
UCC Singers Crowned National Choir of the Festival!
There was plenty more to celebrate at the Millennium Forum, where UCC Singers from Cork, conducted by Ben Jacob, were crowned National Choir of the Festival 2026!
The prestigious final brought together the winners of our national competition categories and choirs specially nominated by the adjudicators, with UCC Singers emerging victorious after an outstanding weekend of performances.
The Cork ensemble also claimed first place in both the National Mixed Voice Competition, scoring 92.3%, and the National Sacred and Gospel Competition, achieving 93.2%.
Other national category winners included The Park Singers from Dublin, Airneán from Westmeath, University of Galway Alumni Ensemble and Côr Ieuenctid Môn from Wales.
The standard of singing throughout the weekend was exceptional, with choirs travelling from across Ireland and further afield to compete in a wide range of categories.
Celebrating Young Voices and Community Singing
Our Schools Programme was once again a huge part of the Festival, with more than 1,000 primary school pupils participating in our Primary Big Sing and post-primary choirs taking to the stage at the Millennium Forum.
Thornhill College Year 8 Choir from Derry took first place in the Unison/Two-Part Competition, while Victoria College Senior Choir from Belfast won the Three/Four-Part Competition with an outstanding score of 94.1%.
Special congratulations also go to St Kieran’s College Senior Choir from Kilkenny, recipients of the Bernadette Kelly Memorial Award for the most promising school choir.
Beyond the competitions, our extensive Community Programme brought music into the heart of communities across Derry, Strabane, Letterkenny and Limavady, with free concerts, choral trails and performances in schools, churches and public spaces.
The Visit Derry Award for an outstanding performance by a first-time participant was presented to Just Us Inclusive Choir from Fermanagh for their performance at Foyleside Shopping Centre, a wonderful reminder that the Festival is about so much more than competition!
Four Days of World-Class Music
Alongside the competitions, audiences enjoyed a spectacular programme of concerts, opening with an all-Beethoven performance by the Ulster Orchestra and Festival Chorus under Anna Handler.
Highlights also included performances by internationally acclaimed vocal ensemble Tenebrae and The Apex Singers, before the Festival concluded with its Closing Gala Concert and Awards Ceremony at the Millennium Forum.
Thank You for an Unforgettable Festival!
With more than 100 choirs participating, the 2026 Festival was our largest to date, bringing together singers of all ages and backgrounds for four extraordinary days of music-making.
A huge thank you to every choir, conductor, singer, adjudicator, guest artist, volunteer, venue, partner and supporter who helped make this year’s Festival such a success. Whether you travelled from across Europe, joined us from elsewhere in Ireland or took part right here in the Northwest, you helped create something truly special.
We are also incredibly grateful to our funders, sponsors and partners, whose continued support makes the Festival possible.
As we reflect on another memorable year, we’re already looking forward to what 2027 will bring!
Congratulations once again to all our winners and participants, and thank you for making Derry a city of song!
