More than 100 choirs representing Sweden, Estonia, France, Germany, the UK and Ireland are gathering in Londonderry for the City of Derry International Choir Festival, one of the UK's largest choral events. The four-day festival, now in its 14th year, opens on Thursday with a gala concert at the Millennium Forum and concludes on Sunday with a closing ceremony and awards presentation. According to BBC News, a record number of choirs are participating this year, bringing together performers and audiences from across the globe alongside local singers of all ages.
The opening gala, entitled Beethoven – Triumph & Transcendence, will feature the Ulster Orchestra and Festival Chorus under the direction of newly-appointed chief conductor Anna Handler, alongside soloists Gemma Summerfield, Ryan Vaughan Davies and Alex Birkus. The programme includes Beethoven's Christ on the Mount of Olives and Symphony No. 7, works that Handler noted are rarely performed in contemporary concert settings.
Why does the festival matter to the conductor?
Handler, making her festival debut, emphasised that live choral performance creates an irreplaceable human connection that cannot be replicated through digital means.
People come because they want to hear real performance. They want to see human engagement but also human trial,she told BBC News NI.
When you see people doing something that they love, when you see their passion and when you see their engagement…. You can not get that through listening on headphones or through streaming music.
The German-Colombian conductor predicted that opening night would deliver
three amazing soloists, soprano, tenor and bass, a great chorus and very agile and vital orchestraperforming material that combines
energy as well as reflection and introspection.Handler expressed confidence that the Derry audience would prove
warm and welcomingas they have been during her previous conducting engagements in the city.
What other performances are scheduled?
Friday's programme features Grammy-nominated vocal ensemble Tenebrae performing at the Guildhall, followed by a late-night concert at the historic St Columb's Cathedral showcasing The Apex Singers and their distinctive eight-part a cappella folk arrangements. The Oak Tree of Derry International Competition takes place on Saturday at the Guildhall, bringing together some of the festival's leading visiting choirs to compete for prizes. The competition winner receives £2,000, with second and third place receiving £1,500 and £1,000 respectively.
Sunday's closing gala and awards ceremony at the Millennium Forum will include a National Choir of the Festival contest, with eligible entrants drawn from category winners and adjudicator nominations.
How has the festival grown since its launch?
The festival emerged from Londonderry's designation as City of Culture in 2013 and has expanded significantly over the past decade. By the 10th-anniversary edition in 2023, the event had attracted 80 choirs and welcomed more than 10,000 singers from 28 countries since its inception. Festival director Dónal Doherty explained that the event's expansion reflects both its artistic quality and the distinctive character of the host city.
There's over 100 choirs in the festival altogether and 60 of those will be performing as part of the community programme,Doherty told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme.
It's incredible and that's going to happen throughout Derry, Limavady, Strabane, Donegal with a choral trail and concerts in Letterkenny as well, this year developing on last year's choral trail. There will be pop-up performances throughout the city as well as concerts in community centres and in care homes and it's just incredible.
Why are international choirs returning year after year?
Doherty attributed the festival's success to deliberate efforts to embed it within the local community while cultivating international ambassadors.
The international choirs that we have performing, their conductors, their members, the international panel of adjudicators, we work very hard to make sure that they become advocates of the festival, wherever they go back to throughout the world and promote the festival and that's what we're beginning to see,he said.
The growing reputation has translated into advance bookings from international ensembles.
We're beginning to see choirs now putting 'Derry October' into their calendar and for international choirs, in fact for any choirs to travel to Derry, it must be planned not a year in advance,Doherty explained, noting that many choirs are booking places two or three years ahead of the event. He characterised this pattern as evidence of the festival's
maturingstatus within the global choral community.
It's evidence also of genuinely the word going out that this is a quality festival and it's a beautiful place to come to - whatever the weather - and in terms of the welcome that they're guaranteed, which has been a consistent message from 2013 in our first festival, the warmth of the welcome is special,Doherty added.
Key Facts
- The City of Derry International Choir Festival runs from 22 to 25 October 2026, with the opening gala on Thursday evening at the Millennium Forum.
- A record number of choirs are participating this year, with 60 of the 100+ ensembles performing as part of the community programme across Derry, Limavady, Strabane, Donegal and Letterkenny.
- The festival originated from Londonderry's 2013 City of Culture year and has grown to attract singers from 28 countries, with more than 10,000 participants attending since its launch.
- The Oak Tree of Derry competition on Saturday features leading international choirs competing for prizes, with the winner receiving £2,000.
- Chief conductor Anna Handler is making her festival debut, leading the Ulster Orchestra and Festival Chorus in a programme centred on Beethoven's rarely performed works.
