Fest der Chöre Dortmund

Fest der Chöre — Germany's largest choir festival

The Fest der Chöre is the annual highlight of the Klangvokal Musikfestival in Dortmund and is considered one of Germany's largest choir festivals. On June 13, 2026, the city centre will be transformed into an open choir stage for the 18th time. Over 120 choirs with a total of 4,700 singers in 180 ensembles will perform in a concentrated format on one day — and will be experienced by around 50,000 visitors.

The entire city centre as a stage

Choirs will sing simultaneously on squares such as Friedensplatz, Alter Markt, Hansaplatz, in the St. Reinoldikirche, the Petrikirche, and in shops, libraries, and the Ostwall Museum. Anyone walking through the city centre will experience a continuous sound mosaic — from a boys' choir in the Reinoldikirche to a gospel choir on the Alter Markt, from a women's choir in a fashion store to a classical choral society on Friedensplatz.

Stylistic diversity

The diversity of choirs is programmatic:

• Classical — from Renaissance and Baroque to Modern
• Musical — Broadway classics and the German musical world
• Jazz — from big band choirs to vocal jazz ensembles
• Pop — cover bands and a cappella pop
• Folk music — regional and international
• Gospel — traditional and modern
• Children's and youth choirs — focus on emerging talent

Klangvokal Musikfestival — Context

The Fest der Chöre is part of the Klangvokal Musikfestival (May 15 – June 13, 2026), which celebrates the human voice in all its breadth. While the other concerts require tickets and take place in the Konzerthaus, Orchesterzentrum NRW, and domicil, the Fest der Chöre is designed as a free city variant — the festival's most accessible format.

Dortmund as a city of choirs

With the Chorakademie Dortmund, the boys' choir of St. Reinoldi, and many school and amateur choirs, Dortmund (a city district in North Rhine-Westphalia) has a strong choral tradition. The Fest der Chöre is the day of the year when this invisible infrastructure becomes visible — as the city's musical and social wealth.