Flash mob-style street singing, choirs from across the world and a city-wide celebration of song are set to make Hull a global centre of choir music in 2023.
Yorkshire’s only maritime city will also become Britain’s ‘Singing City’ for five days when Hull hosts the prestigious INTERKULTUR International Choir Competition – the first time the contest will have been held in the UK.
Around 1,000 singers in non-professional choirs from across the globe will be welcomed to the city for the event, taking place from 27 April to 1 May 2023.
As well as official ceremonies, and multiple choir competitions, Hull also hopes to bring the city’s streets, squares, and public spaces alive with the sound of music.
Aiming to create a vibrant festival vibe, plans include pop-up concerts and street singing, while local choirs and artists will have the chance to perform at the opening and closing events being hosted at Hull City Hall.
Competitions will take place in a variety of venues city-wide, with categories for each type of choir from Musica Sacra to Pop, Jazz & Gospel, and visitors will be able to join in with the fun at pop-up events designed to surprise at Hull Minster, Queen Victoria Square, Princes Quay and Trinity Market.
As a city steeped in arts and culture, and with a rich choral history from early church music to modern initiatives, Hull City Council’s Conference Hull team put together a winning bid to become host city for this first of its kind event in the UK.
INTERKULTUR is the world’s leading organiser of international choir competitions and festivals and their events have taken place in more than 60 cities around the world.
Now Hull – which was UK City of Culture 2017 – is set to be added to the international choral competition map, with more details about events and public tickets to be revealed closer to the event date.
For more information visit www.interkultur.com/hull2023
For places to stay and visitor information, www.visithull.org