29 fabulous pictures as Blackpool Winter Gardens welcomes the International Choir Competition Blackpool

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.

A total of 20 choirs from 11 nations have travelled to the town to compete, perform and meet fellow singers from across the internaƟonal 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 centre of the event is 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 supported by Blackpool Council and MeetBlackpool, the event officially began on Thursday with the opening event, welcoming the participating choirs to Blackpool and bringing them together for the first time before the competitions begin.

From today until 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.

The choirs’ performances will be evaluated by an international jury consisting of 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 compeƟƟon 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.

After three days of competition, the results will be announced during the Awards Ceremony on Sunday, September 13, followed by the closing event.

More information about the event is available at www.interkultur.com/blackpool2026