This autumn, the streets and stages of Lund will once again be filled with powerful choral sounds as Lund Choral Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary. The festival will take place from 12 to 18 October 2026 and remains true to its original idea: to gather professionals, amateurs, top international ensembles, and local choirs of all ages. Children's and youth groups will share the stage with seasoned singers, showcasing the festival's steadfast commitment to highlighting the full breadth of choral music and fostering encounters across generations and levels of experience.
Since its inception in 2006, the festival has grown to become Sweden’s largest gathering for choral music. The core idea has always been the same: to present every expression of choral singing, from artistic highlights to the special sense of community that arises when people sing together. From the beginning, the ambition was clear—to break down boundaries between the local and the global, professionals and amateurs, audience and participants.
Festival Highlights and Traditions
The anniversary year begins traditionally and looks back at the festival’s first moments. The legendary vocal ensemble The Real Group—participants at the inaugural festival—return with the anniversary concert "The Real Group – 40 Years and Beyond" in Science Village Hall. SjungGung, the festival’s initiative for choral singing among children and young people, also retains a central place in the program, marking its significance both historically and in today's choral life.
A popular tradition since 2010 is the lunchtime concerts in Lund Cathedral, open and free to the public. These concerts offer unique lunchtime encounters with choral music, and this year’s edition features a rich selection of ensembles:
- Svanholm Singers – exploring the ties between poetry, speech, and song
- Grönby Vokalensemble – presenting new interpretations of Allan Edwall’s songs
- VOCES8 Scholars Ensemble together with Stockholms Saxofonkvartett
VOCES8 Scholars Ensemble will also lead a workshop entitled "Konsertprat – Sydsvensk körmusik" focusing on both the performance and reflection around innovative works.
Among the festival’s major concert experiences is Mogens Dahl Kammerkors’ program "Det nordiska sinnets universum" where Bach’s music is placed alongside Nordic and contemporary composers such as Per Nørgård, Sven-David Sandström, and Missy Mazzoli. Sandström’s powerful "Nordisk Mässa" has a prominent role, and cellist Amalie Stalheim appears as a soloist in selected works. Svenska Kammarkören will stage a scenic version of Daniel Fjellström’s opera "Det går an"—based on C.J.L. Almqvist’s novel, where ideas about love, marriage, and women’s autonomy meet song.
The festival finale brings together the chamber orchestra Musica Vitae and Vokalharmonin under the direction of Fredrik Malmberg. The program includes Karin Rehnqvist’s sparkling "Day is here!" and Handel’s dramatic "Dixit Dominus".
News and Innovations 2026
This year’s festival introduces after-work concerts in the Piratenfoajén at the Grand Hotel. Here, energetic performances by Released Gospel Choir and Lemon Squeezy are offered in a more informal setting. After the music, there will be an opportunity for choir singers and the audience to meet and converse in a relaxed festival environment.
For the first time, choral singing will appear on the silver screen. On 14 October 2026, the choral film "Du drottning över all gudomlighet" will have its world premiere at Kino in Lund—here, primal forces and modern harmony meet in a genre-defying film featuring composer Stefan Klaverdal, conductor Ulrika Emanuelsson, and the women’s choir Carolinae Röster, in collaboration with bronze horns from Ensemble Mare Balticum. The piece combines inspiration from the Poetic Edda and Sumerian poetry into a visionary ritual narrative.
Since 2008, Lund Choral Festival has been organized by Musik i Syd and today stands as living proof of two decades of collaboration, tradition, and innovation. By building bridges between genres, generations, and artistic visions, Lund Choral Festival remains a rallying point for choir lovers—both in Sweden and Europe. The festival’s full program is available on the official website, where visitors can find something to inspire and delight them in this anniversary edition.
