The 2026 City of Derry International Choir Festival will take place from 22 to 25 October, with a programme that includes the Oak Tree of Derry International Competition, a performance by Grammy-nominated ensemble Tenebrae, and a concert featuring the Ulster Orchestra.

The opening night on Thursday 22 October will feature Beethoven’s Christ on the Mount of Olives and Symphony No. 7 at the Millennium Forum. The Festival Chorus will join the Ulster Orchestra under the baton of newly appointed Chief Conductor Anna Handler, alongside guest soloists.

On Friday 23 October, Tenebrae will perform at the Guildhall, presenting works from the Renaissance to the contemporary period by composers including Byrd, Mendelssohn, Barber, Poulenc and Roderick Williams. Later that evening, The Apex Singers will give an intimate a cappella recital at St Columb’s Cathedral, drawing on traditional folk melodies.

The centrepiece of the festival, the Oak Tree of Derry International Competition, returns on Saturday. Choirs from across Europe will compete for the Oak Tree of Derry Trophy. Previous winners have come from the Philippines, Ireland, Slovenia, Indonesia, Estonia, Wales and Latvia since the competition began in 2013.

Saturday also features National Competitions for equal voice choirs, mixed voice choirs, and light, pop and jazz choirs. On Sunday, youth choirs, sacred choirs and vocal ensembles will compete, with the winners returning to contend for the title of National Choir of the Festival. The festival concludes with a closing gala and awards ceremony that evening.

Post-primary school choirs will perform on Friday in a day dedicated to school choral singing.

Tickets are on sale, with early bird discounts available until the end of August. Prices for the opening gala and Tenebrae start at £19.50 for adults and £13.50 for concessions. Early bird tickets for the Oak Tree of Derry International Competition, the late-night concert and the closing gala start at £13.50 for adults and £9.50 for concessions.

Artistic Director Dónal Doherty said the programme reflected the festival’s ambition and international reputation, and that visitors would experience four days of outstanding music-making in the city.