What Are the World Choir Games and How Do They Work?

The World Choir Games are the largest international choral competition, organized by INTERKULTUR and built on the Olympic ideal of bringing people and nations together in peaceful, fair singing contest. The next edition takes place July 21–31, 2027, in Linz, Austria. If you sing in a choir, direct one, or just want to follow the event, the Games are the flagship of a wider family of INTERKULTUR competitions and festivals held across continents.

Who runs the World Choir Games

INTERKULTUR is an international choral organization that arranges the World Choir Games alongside a range of regional competitions and festivals, plus continental-wide events. Its stated purpose is "bringing together people of all countries, cultures and world views in peaceful contest." The World Choir Games were invented by INTERKULTUR president Günter Titsch, and the organization also maintains an INTERKULTUR World Rankings system that shifts after each Games — the results of the World Choir Games 2026, for example, brought new movement to the rankings, with some young voices rising.

How the event works

The Games follow an Olympic-style model: choirs from many countries gather in one host city and compete in a fair singing contest rather than a single-elimination tournament. That structure shapes what you actually sign up for.

The competition side

• Choirs enter as groups, not as individual singers.
• Competition is organized by category, so different choir types and repertoire traditions are judged against comparable entries.
• Results feed into the INTERKULTUR World Rankings, which is why a strong Games performance can move a choir's standing.

The non-competition side

INTERKULTUR's program is not only contests. It also runs festivals and sing-along projects, so a choir or singer can take part in the wider event without entering the ranked competition. If your goal is international encounter and shared singing rather than placement, the festival and sing-along formats are the relevant route.

The wider INTERKULTUR event family

The World Choir Games sit at the top of a set of events. Regional and continental competitions and festivals run alongside it, which is useful if you want a smaller or closer event first. Events listed on INTERKULTUR's site include:

The site also references European Choir Games, Asia Choir Games, and Asian Pacific Choir Games as part of the same continental-event structure.

Deciding whether to take part

Ask three questions before committing:

1. Do you want to compete or just participate? The Games and the other listed events combine competition with festival and sing-along formats. A choir that wants the experience without ranked judging should look at the festival side.
2. Can your choir travel to the host city? The 2027 flagship is in Linz, Austria; the other 2027 events span Vietnam, Great Britain, Germany, and Bulgaria. Location and dates are the practical filter.
3. Are you aiming at rankings? If World Rankings placement matters, the competition categories are the path — and results from each Games reshape those rankings.

Where to get official information

INTERKULTUR's site is the source for event dates and locations, the World Rankings, and news updates. It also provides a contact phone number (+49 (0)6404 69749-25), an information request form, and a newsletter sign-up for updates. Registration details, category lists, and results are published through INTERKULTUR rather than third parties, so check there before relying on any other source for deadlines or entry requirements.