What Are the Asian Pacific Choir Games?

The Asian Pacific Choir Games are a continental choral event organized by INTERKULTUR, the same organization behind the World Choir Games. They belong to a family of regional and continental competitions and festivals that INTERKULTUR runs alongside its flagship global event. If your choir is based in Asia, the Pacific region, or anywhere else and you want an international competition or festival experience without committing to the scale of the World Choir Games, this event type is the relevant category to look at.

Where the Asian Pacific Choir Games fit in INTERKULTUR's event system

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 event structure has three broad layers:

• 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: events such as the Asian Pacific Choir Games, alongside the European Choir Games and Asia Choir Games.
• Regional and thematic: individual competitions and festivals in specific cities, such as the Vietnam International Choir Competition, the Hull International Choir Competition, the International Johannes Brahms Choir Festival and Competition, and SOUND WAVES Burgas.

The Asian Pacific Choir Games therefore sit between the single-city regional events and the global World Choir Games: broader in reach than a national or city competition, but tied to one region rather than the whole world.

What happens at the event

INTERKULTUR's events combine three activity types, and the Asian Pacific Choir Games follow the same model:

• Competitions — choirs perform before juries and are ranked within categories. INTERKULTUR results feed into the INTERKULTUR World Rankings, which the organization updates after major events.
• Festivals — non-competitive or mixed-format participation, focused on shared performance and international encounters.
• Sing-along projects — open singing activities that bring participants and local audiences together.

The stated purpose across all of them is peaceful contest and cross-cultural encounter rather than competition alone.

Who takes part

INTERKULTUR frames its events as open to "people of all countries, cultures and world views," so participation is not restricted to choirs from the host region. In practice, continental games attract a mix of:

• amateur and community choirs,
• youth and school choirs,
• senior choirs,
• specialized ensembles entering specific competition categories.

Because the events are built around categories, a choir's decision usually depends on which category fits its voicing, repertoire, and age profile rather than on the event as a whole.

How to find dates, host cities, and registration details

INTERKULTUR publishes its event calendar on its website, with each event listing dates, host city, and a "Learn more" link. From the site's current listings, examples of the format look like this:

To get current Asian Pacific Choir Games dates and host cities, check INTERKULTUR's events page directly, since the schedule rotates and the site's homepage only surfaces a selection of upcoming events at any time. The site also provides a contact phone number, an information request form, and a newsletter signup for updates.

Deciding whether to enter

Use these conditions to judge fit:

• Choose the Asian Pacific Choir Games if you want a continental-level competition or festival in the Asia-Pacific region, with the option of competitive categories and the chance to meet choirs from multiple countries.
• Choose a regional event like the Vietnam International Choir Competition if you want a smaller, single-city commitment with a shorter travel footprint.
• Choose the World Choir Games if your goal is the largest event in the system and you are prepared for its scale; the next edition is in Linz in 2027.

Before committing, confirm three things with the organizer: the current edition's dates and city, the competition categories open to your choir type, and the registration deadline and requirements. INTERKULTUR's site does not publish pricing on the pages reviewed here, so treat fees and any login or membership requirements as things to verify through the information request form or the specific event page rather than assuming.