For five days, Blackpool will become a meeting place for singers from different parts of the world as the first International Choir Competition Blackpool gets underway on Thursday, September 10.

A total of 20 choirs from 11 nations are travelling to the town to compete, perform and meet fellow singers from across the international choral community. They come from countries like Canada, Finland, Zimbabwe, Czech Republic and Lithuania, among others, to bring their music and culture to Blackpool.

At the center of the event are the historic Winter Gardens, where international voices will add a new chapter to the venue’s long tradition of entertainment and live performance.

Organized by INTERKULTUR and supported by Meet Blackpool, the event officially begins on Thursday, September 10 with the Opening Event, welcoming the participating choirs to Blackpool and bringing them together for the first time before the competitions begin.

From Friday, September 11 to Sunday, September 14, the participating ensembles will take to the competition stage in six different categories, ranging from Children’s and Youth to Adult Choirs, as well as Folklore and Pop, Jazz, Gospel categories.

An international jury will evaluate the choirs' performances: Paul Smith from Great Britain, Birgitte Næslund Madsen from Denmark, and Michael Barrett from South Africa. 

An important part of the program takes place beyond the competition stage. Friendship Concerts give choirs the chance to perform for local audiences in a relaxed concert setting, sharing music from their home countries and musical traditions.

Blackpool will also host the premiere of a new INTERKULTUR event format. The Choral Connection brings singers from the participating choirs together for workshops led by members of the international jury. Instead of rehearsing only with their own ensembles, singers from different countries learn a new choral work together, exchange musical ideas and experience what it means to form a new international ensemble within a very short time.

The workshops are connected with Friendship Concerts featuring selected participating choirs and culminate in a joint performance of the newly rehearsed piece by all singers involved.

The Opening Event on September 10, competitions and Friendship Concerts are open to the public free of charge, making it easy to discover choirs, musical styles and traditions from different parts of the world. 

After three days of competition, the results will be announced during the Awards Ceremony on Sunday, September 13, followed by the Closing Event. The official program book includes the detailed schedule of events.