What Are the Asia Choir Games?

Updated

The Asia Choir Games are a continental choral event series organized by INTERKULTUR, the same organization behind the World Choir Games. They bring choirs from across Asia and beyond together for competitions, festivals, and shared singing in a peaceful contest format. If you are a choir director or singer looking for an international event in the Asian region, the Asia Choir Games (also referred to in INTERKULTUR's event family as the Asian Pacific Choir Games) are one of the regional options alongside the European Choir Games and the flagship World Choir Games.

How the Asia Choir Games fit into INTERKULTUR's event structure

INTERKULTUR describes itself as organizing "international choir competitions, festivals and sing-along projects," founded on the idea of "bringing together people of all countries, cultures and world views in peaceful contest." Its events operate at several levels:

  • Global: the World Choir Games, described as "the largest choral competition in the world, based on the Olympic ideal of bringing people and nations together peacefully and in fair singing contest."
  • Continental: region-wide events such as the Asia Choir Games / Asian Pacific Choir Games and the European Choir Games.
  • Regional and national: individual competitions and festivals, such as the Vietnam International Choir Competition, the Hull International Choir Competition, the International Johannes Brahms Choir Festival and Competition, and SOUND WAVES Burgas.

So the Asia Choir Games are best understood as the Asian counterpart to the European Choir Games: a continental-scale gathering rather than a single-city competition, and a step below the World Choir Games in scope.

What typically happens at an Asia Choir Games event

Based on how INTERKULTUR structures its event portfolio, an Asia Choir Games edition generally combines:

  • Competitions — choirs perform before juries in defined categories, in the same "peaceful contest" spirit as the World Choir Games.
  • Festivals — non-competitive or lower-pressure performance opportunities, often with international encounters and shared concerts.
  • Sing-along projects — open singing events where participants join together, reflecting INTERKULTUR's stated mission that "singing together brings nations together."

The mix varies by edition, so the specific balance of competition, festival, and sing-along elements should be checked against the program for the edition you are considering.

Who can take part

The Asia Choir Games are open to choirs rather than individual solo singers. In practice, that means:

  • Amateur and non-professional choirs of various voice types (mixed, male, female, children's, youth, etc.).
  • Choirs from Asian countries as well as choirs from outside the region.
  • Ensembles choosing between competitive categories and festival participation, depending on their level and goals.

Exact eligibility rules, age limits, and category definitions are set per edition and per competition, so confirm them in the official event documents before committing.

How to find dates, locations, and registration details

INTERKULTUR publishes its event calendar and news on interkultur.com. To get current Asia Choir Games information:

  1. Go to the INTERKULTUR website and open the events section.
  2. Look for the Asia Choir Games / Asian Pacific Choir Games listing, or check the continental events alongside the World Choir Games and European Choir Games.
  3. Open the specific edition page for dates, host city, categories, and participation conditions.
  4. Use the site's information request or newsletter sign-up to receive updates — the site offers an "Information Request" option and a "Join our Newsletter!" prompt, which is the reliable way to get registration windows and deadlines.

Note that the events shown on the homepage excerpt are 2027 editions in Linz, Hội An, Hull, Wernigerode, and Burgas — none of these is an Asia Choir Games edition, so do not assume the Asia Choir Games dates from that list. Always verify the current edition directly on the official event page.

Practical points before you decide

  • Compare levels first. If your choir wants the largest stage, the World Choir Games is the top tier; the Asia Choir Games is the continental tier; regional competitions like the Vietnam International Choir Competition are smaller and often easier to enter.
  • Check the category system. Competition categories determine repertoire requirements and judging criteria — read them before selecting pieces.
  • Plan around the calendar. INTERKULTUR runs multiple events per year across continents; confirm which edition fits your travel and rehearsal timeline.
  • Use official channels for costs and deadlines. The website provides contact details (phone and information request) and a newsletter; pricing, registration fees, and payment details are not stated in the available site information, so request them directly rather than assuming.