Dear friends of choral music,

In 2024 we will break new ground with the World Choir Games. After more than 20 years and previous events in Europe, Asia, America and Africa, the largest international choir competition in the world is now also set to arrive on the fifth continent.

It is a great pleasure for us to welcome you to the 13th World Choir Games in Auckland, New Zealand!

Together with our partners, the New Zealand Choral Federation, supported by the Ministry for Arts, Culture and Heritage, Auckland Unlimited and the city of Auckland, we are looking forward to welcoming you to this beautiful country, which is known for its breathtaking nature and impressive Māori culture. Let us explore new paths together and create memories for a lifetime.

We are looking forward to seeing you!

Günter Titsch

Tēnā tatou, Tālofa lava, Mālō e lelei

As Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, I am delighted that Aotearoa New Zealand will host the 13th World Choir Games in 2024.

I am excited at the prospect of singers from many countries, cultures and genres joining us here to share their love of song, and for us to share our diverse Māori, Pacific and European singing traditions with the world.

The games will broaden our New Zealand audiences experience as they will be treated to the unique sound of choirs from over 50 nations. Music is a language that crosses all boundaries, creating harmony both real and symbolic.

This announcement comes at a time when many communities are impacted by COVID-19, and I am heartened at how song has the power to provide hope and joy to people who need it.

Finally, it is our pleasure to welcome all participants to Auckland, and we hope that all nations will take home wonderful memories of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Hon Carmel Sepuloni

Nāu mai, hāere mai, tēnā koutou katoa - welcome and greetings to you all!

It is my pleasure to send you a welcome message from Aotearoa New Zealand and extend an invitation to join us in the 13thWorld Choir Games in 2024.

On behalf of all New Zealanders, I hope you enjoy your time in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland, and can explore more of our beautiful country.

We take great pride in hosting international events, and it is a privilege to invite the people of the world to our land.

We want your time here to be as memorable as possible. We encourage you to explore our breath-taking landscapes and embrace our manaakitanga - hospitality.

There are countless destinations across the North and South Islands, and even some of our smaller offshore islands. Take your time to experience our unique wildlife and forests, our mountains, farming plains, geothermal regions, fiords, glaciers and lakes, and our dramatic windswept coastlines. If you feel like you are in a giant film set, it is because you are. Learn more about our rich Māori culture, especially its wide traditions of waiata – songs. Enjoy our wonderful food and experience the friendliness of locals. There is something for everyone!

I wish you all the best of luck competing in the World Choir Games.

Ngā mihi nui
Hon Stuart Nash

Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland is looking forward to welcoming musicians and supporters from around the world to the World Choir Games in 2024.

Our city is renowned for its warm hospitality and values of whanaungatanga (kinship), wairua (wellbeing) and kotahitanga (unity).

We are a vibrant and culturally diverse city, home to more than 220 ethnic groups and the largest Pacific and Māori populations of any city in the world. This diversity is reflected in our rich and varied music scene - music is in our city’s DNA and we celebrate our performers and our music sector across a wide range of genres and styles. We are a UNESCO City of Music and have previously shared our stages with a host of international headliners and local acts.

Auckland and New Zealand are known globally for delivering high-quality international events and our city regularly hosts major cultural festivals that draw tens of thousands of participants and spectators.

When planning your visit, I encourage you to leave time to explore our beautiful region. From our stunning beaches and regional parks to the Hauraki Gulf islands, our vibrant waterfront and central city, iconic maunga (volcanic cones) and many shops, restaurants, bars, cafes and wineries, there’s something in our world-class city for everyone to enjoy.

My very best wishes to all choristers, musicians and supporters for a successful and enjoyable World Choir Games.

Enjoy the music and enjoy Auckland.

Ngā mihi,

Phil Goff

The New Zealand Choral Federation is excited to welcome the international choral community to Aotearoa New Zealand for the 2024 World Choir Games. We are proud to showcase our vibrant, diverse singing cultures to the world, including the powerful indigenous Māori tradition of kapa haka, and the captivating choral styles of the Pacific. We look forward to a rich cultural exchange as thousands of singers from around the globe lift their voices together in song on our shores.

Our host city of Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, with its world-class facilities, has been the setting for numerous major international events, blending urban sophistication with stunning scenery. Known as one of the world’s friendliest cities, Auckland is home to 1.6 million people and over 200 different ethnic communities.

New Zealand is a singing nation with a thriving choral scene, and our leading choirs appear regularly on the international stage. Our conductors and composers are found in all corners of the world and have emerged, like many of this country’s celebrated international singers, through our strong choral traditions.

We know the New Zealand choral community will embrace the World Choir Games and its singers with genuine manaakitanga - great warmth and unequalled hospitality.

We all look forward to greeting choirs from around the globe with open arms, open hearts and open minds. Nau mai, haere mai - welcome!

Ngā mihi nui,

Juliet Dreaver