Royal College of Music
Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall
The Royal College of Music's celebrated concert hall, the setting for competition performances - hover to see the college's iconic facade.
July 14-17, 2027 · London
Sing for the Crown!
The world's finest choirs gather in the capital of music to win the London Choral Crown.
London SW114-17 JulyChoral Comp. 2027
Free · London 2027
Official Booklet & Entry Guide
Programme, venues, jury, fees and how to enter - all in one PDF.
Sing for the Crown ✦London, UK ✦July 14-17, 2027 ✦Choirs of the World, One Stage ✦Entries Now Open ✦
British heritage · The stages
Majestic venues
St Paul's · Covent Garden
The Actors' Church
A historic sanctuary in Covent Garden, long connected with London's theatrical community and its musical life - hover to see the church from outside.
Royal College of Music
Britten Theatre
The Royal College of Music's theatre, one of London's favourite stages and home of the Grand Prix Show - hover to see the building.
Four days of choral celebration
- 14July
Arrival & Opening Ceremony
Choir registration, hotel check-in, and the official Opening Ceremony in the evening, with the festive ceremony of flags.
- 15July
Competition Hearings - Day 1
Sacred (Category B), Folk / Spiritual / Gospel (Category C) and Senior (Category E) performances, plus Festival Participation (Category F) choirs, at The Actors' Church, Covent Garden. Evening: friendly meet-and-greets and cultural exchange gatherings.
- 16July
Competition Hearings - Day 2 & Workshops
Secular (Category A) and Children's (Category D) choir performances at the Amaryllis Fleming Concert Hall, Royal College of Music, plus masterclasses and interactive sessions with international choral experts and conductors.
- 17July
Grand Prix & Gala Concert
Afternoon: Grand Prix Show featuring top-performing ensembles at the Britten Theatre, Royal College of Music. Evening: Festive Gala Concert, winner announcements, and the official Crowning Ceremony.
Choir Registration
Entries now open - London, July 14-17, 2027
Repertoire & categories
Four pieces. Fifteen minutes.
Each choir performs exactly 4 pieces with a total performance time not exceeding 15 minutes.
Choirs with a secular music repertoire. All choirs may participate - no age or vocal subdivision limits (equal voices and mixed voices). 'Equal voices' describes the vocal type (e.g. SSAA or TTBB), not the gender of the singers.
- 1A composition from the choir's homeland / national musical heritage.
- 2A classical masterwork (composer born before 1900).
- 3An original composition by a contemporary, living composer (no arrangements of non-choral works).
- 4A free choice piece.
At least 2 of 4 pieces a cappella.
The Grand Prix
The road to the crown
- Qualification. 1st place in Categories A, B, C, D and E with at least 85.00 points automatically qualifies. 2nd-place choirs achieving at least 85.00 points may be admitted at the sole discretion of the International Jury.
- Multiple wins. A choir that wins two or more categories participates in the Grand Prix only once, representing the category in which it obtained the highest score. In the remaining category, the next-placed choir with at least 85.00 points may be admitted at the sole discretion of the International Jury.
- Format. 2 pieces, total singing time not exceeding 7 minutes.
- A cappella. All Grand Prix pieces strictly a cappella.
- The Crown. The winning choir's conductor is awarded a specially crafted crown. The crown never leaves the competition - it is not taken home, but handed on each year. Its holder also becomes a member of the following year's jury and personally passes the crown to the next year's winner.
Evaluation - average 100 points
The choir performs a program of 4 pieces; each jury member evaluates the entire choral performance as a whole using four main criteria - each worth a maximum of 100 points.
- Intonation100
- Sound Quality100
- Fidelity to the Score100
- Artistic Impression100
The Crown
Crafted for one conductor each year
Engraved with the name of the competition and, on the reverse, the year 2027. The Grand Prix winner's conductor is crowned in the Britten Theatre and takes a seat on the 2028 International Jury.
International jury
Globally recognised experts
Our jury consists of globally recognised conductors, composers and music experts. One final chair is still empty - and the name that fills it will come as a surprise.
Latest updates
Competition news
23 October 2026
Meet the International Jury of the London Choral Competition 2027
Six internationally renowned conductors from Italy, the United Kingdom, Lithuania, Poland, Indonesia and Georgia form the jury of the London Choral Competition 2027, taking place in London from 14 to 17 July 2027.
Read the article
21 October 2026
The London Choral Crown: more than a trophy
At the London Choral Competition 2027, the Grand Prix winner does not simply receive a prize. The conductor is crowned with the London Choral Crown - and takes a seat on the international jury in 2028.
Read the article