Competitive Categories

Listed below are the categories scheduled for our 2026 festival. Applications are now open and will close on January 18th 2026

Friday Competitions​

Primary Schools/Children’s Choir Of The Year

  • Repertoire: Two contrasting pieces

  • Time: Maximum 9 minutes

  • Prize: €300​​​​

Secondary Schools/Youth National

  • Repertoire: Two contrasting pieces

  • Time: Maximum 10 minutes

  • Prize: €300

​Primary Schools/Children’s Folk Music

  • Repertoire: Two contrasting pieces where the music and/or text is based on folk songs.

  • Time: Maximum 10 minutes

  • Prize: €300

Secondary Schools/Youth Folk Competition

  • Repertoire: Two contrasting pieces where the music and/or ​​text is inspired folk traditions 

  • International Folk tradition

  • Time: Maximum 10 minutes

  • Prize: €300​

National Workplace Choir Competition​​​​​​​​

  • Programme: 2 contrasting pieces 

  • Time: Maximum 10 minutes

  • Age Limit: none

  • Prizes:     1st €300 / 2nd €150

Saturday Competitions

Folk Music

  • Programme: Two contrasting arrangements of traditional folk songs, one of which must be from your country of origin. 

  • Piano and up to three other accompanying instruments allowed

  • Time: Maximum 10 minutes

  • Age Limit: Majority of singers must be 16 years old or older

  • No. of members: Minimum of 8 singers per ensemble

  • Prizes: 1st €500

                    2nd €150

Open Category 

  • Programme: 2 contrasting pieces.

  • Piano may be used to accompany if required.

  • Time: Maximum 10 minutes

  • Age Limit: None

  • No. of members: Minimum of 8 singers per ensemble

  • Prizes:    1st €300

                       2nd €150

Sacred Music Competition

  • Programme: Two contrasting pieces, one of which must be composed before 1780.

  • Piano may be used to accompany if required. For one piece, two additional instruments may also be used if required.

  • Time: Maximum 10 minutes

  • Age Limit: Majority of singers must be 16 years old or older

  • No. of members: Minimum of 8 singers per ensemble

  • Prizes:    1st €500 / 2nd €150

Small Ensemble

  • Programme: 2 contrasting pieces 

  • Time: Maximum 10 minutes

  • Age Limit: Majority of singers must be 16 years old or older

  • No. of members: Maximum of 12 singers per ensemble

  • Prizes:    1st €300 / 2nd €150

Barbershop Quartet

  • Programme: 2 contestable songs from the barbershop repertoire

  • Time: Maximum 10 minutes

  • Age Limit: None

  • Prizes:    1st €300 / 2nd €150

Barbershop Chorus

  • Open to Mixed, Female & Male Choruses

  • Programme: 2 contestable songs from the barbershop repertoire

  • Time: Maximum 10 minutes

  • Age Limit: None

  • No. of members: Minimum of 8 singers per ensemble not including conductor

  • Prizes:  1st €300 / 2nd €150                                  

Non-Competitive Category

  • Programme: 2 contrasting pieces 

  • Time: Maximum 10 minutes

  • Age Limit: None