Competitive Categories

Listed below are the categories scheduled for our 2026 festival. Applications for festival 2026 are now closed

All Schools and Workplace competitions will be held on Friday 6th of March

All Adult choir and non-school youth choir competitions will be held on Saturday 7th of March

Friday Competitions​

Primary Schools/Children’s Choirs

  • Repertoire: Two contrasting pieces

  • Time: Maximum 9 minutes

  • Prize: €300​​​​

Secondary Schools/ National Youth Choir of the Year

  • Repertoire: Two contrasting pieces

  • Time: Maximum 10 minutes

  • Prize: €300

Secondary Schools/National 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

  • 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

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

  • Prizes:    1st €500 / 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

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

  • Prizes:    1st €500 / 2nd €150

Small Ensemble

  • Programme: 2 contrasting pieces 

  • Time: Maximum 10 minutes

  • 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

  • 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

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

  • Prizes:  1st €500 / 2nd €150                                  

Non-Competitive Category

  • Programme: 2 contrasting pieces 

  • Time: Maximum 10 minutes