SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival 2026 - Toronto, ON

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🎤 SING! Toronto Vocal Arts Festival 📅 May 19 – June 1, 2026 📍 Multiple venues, Toronto 🅾 Free & ticketed events 🏳️‍🌈 Official Pride Toronto Major Cultural Event

SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival 2026

Every May, something quietly magical happens in Toronto. Thousands of voices — from world-touring professionals to shower-only sopranos — converge on the city for SING! The Toronto International Vocal Arts Festival. Running May 19 to June 1, 2026, this year’s theme is SING! Together, and the lineup is the strongest yet.

Think Swedish vocal legends headlining a Pride gala at the ROM. A Pitch Perfect singalong. The Canadian A Cappella Championships at Koerner Hall. North America’s biggest beatbox festival. Free outdoor concerts downtown. And a farewell show from one of Canada’s most beloved a cappella groups. It’s a lot — in the best possible way.

🎤 A cappella concerts 🏆 Canadian Championships 🥁 Beatbox Festival 🎓 Workshops 🅾 Free outdoor shows 👧 Kids program 💼 Music Business Summit

🎫 See All 2026 Events Official Website →

💡 Several events are completely free — including the outdoor concerts on May 20 and 21. For everything else, tickets are kept intentionally affordable. Check individual event pages to book.

✨ Why This Festival Is Worth Your Time

Honestly, SING! is one of those Toronto institutions that a lot of people have vaguely heard of but haven’t quite gotten around to attending. If that’s you, 2026 is the year to fix that.

It started in 2011 with seven enthusiasts and a shoestring budget. Now it’s Canada’s premier a cappella festival, recognized in Festivals & Events Ontario’s Top 100 every year it has competed — including 2026. Alumni performers have gone on to Edinburgh, Italy, and London’s A Cappella Festival.

What keeps people coming back isn’t just the quality — it’s the warmth. This is a festival that genuinely believes the human voice belongs to everyone. Free concerts sit alongside ticketed ones, and the crowd — singers, music nerds, curious first-timers — is one of the friendliest you’ll find at any Toronto event.

📅 What’s On: The 2026 Schedule

Two weeks, a dozen+ events, something for everyone.

Tue · May 19

Art Battle at The Great Hall — 7:30pm

SING! teams up with Art Battle for a wild night of beatboxing and live competitive painting. Canadian Beatbox Champion Scott Jackson (Canada’s Got Talent) is on the bill. Twenty-minute rounds, silent auction, vote for the champion. A genuinely unique night out.

Wed · May 20

🅾 Free Outdoor Concert — Nathan Phillips Square — 5:30–7:30pm

The annual free kick-off concert, right in the heart of the city. FreePlay, City Choir, Peterborough Pop Ensemble, and more. Perfect if you’ve never been and want to dip your toe in on a Wednesday evening after work.

Thu · May 21

🅾 Free Outdoor Concerts — College Park — 5:00–7:00pm

New for 2026 — two hours of eclectic vocal music at Yonge & College. Grab dinner, sit in the sun, enjoy live a cappella completely free.

Fri · May 22

Countermeasure: One More Spin — Paradise Theatre — Doors 7pm, Show 7:30pm

After sixteen years of touring and recording, Countermeasure is calling it. This is their final concert — a celebration of everything they’ve given Canadian a cappella. If you’ve seen them before, you’ll want to be in that room. If you haven’t, there’s no better time.

Sat · May 23

Canadian A Cappella Championships — Koerner Hall — 7pm

The big competitive event of the festival. Sixteen groups, four divisions. It’s a spectacular evening even if you don’t follow competitive a cappella — the sheer range of what these groups do with only their voices is startling.

Also on May 23: Music Business Summit Industry Roundtable (in-person) · Songwriting Workshop with Aaron Jensen, musical director of Schitt’s Creek — 4pm at the Royal Conservatory of Music

Sun · May 24

Aca-Singalong with Deke Sharon & Splüsh — ROM — 1:00pm

Deke Sharon is the “Father of Contemporary A Cappella” — the person behind Pitch Perfect and NBC’s The Sing Off. He’s going to teach you a song and you’re going to sing it. It sounds absurd and it’s completely joyful.

Pass the Mic Night — ROM — 7:00pm

A relaxed, non-competitive evening where Championship groups take turns sharing a song. Think of it as the festival’s community campfire.

May 25–28

🅾 Music Business Summit — Online via Zoom — 11:30am & 7:00pm EST daily

Free seminars on the music industry, open to anyone. Genuinely useful whether you’re an emerging artist, a music teacher, or just curious about how the industry works.

May 29–31

Great North Beatbox Festival — The Rec Room

Three days. North America’s biggest beatbox celebration. Canadian Beatbox Championships, Great North Battle, All from the Mouth Showcase — all under one roof. Even if you’re not a beatbox person, go once. You will become one.

Mon · June 1

SING! with Pride featuring The Real Group — ROM — 7:30pm

The closing gala. Swedish vocal legends The Real Group blend jazz, pop, and Nordic choral music into something that sounds impossible live — no instruments, just five voices that fill a room like a full orchestra. Official Pride Toronto Major Cultural Event, with opening act Singing Out Chamber Ensemble and the SING! Legacy Award to Heather Bambrick.

Sing with Confidence Workshop — ROM — 4pm

An afternoon workshop led by members of The Real Group. All ages, all levels. One of those rare chances to learn directly from performers at the very top of their field.

📍 The Essentials

Festival Dates

May 19 – June 1, 2026
Two weeks across the city

Main Venues

ROM · Koerner Hall · Nathan Phillips Square · College Park · Paradise Theatre · The Great Hall · The Rec Room

Tickets

Free and ticketed. Book at singtoronto.tickit.ca or venue box offices

Headliners

The Real Group · Deke Sharon · Countermeasure (farewell) · Scott Jackson

Kids & Families

Deke Sharon singalong, free outdoor concerts, and the “I Love to SING!” Kids Program are all family-friendly.

Best For

Music lovers · vocal arts fans · families · students · music professionals · curious first-timers

🏆 Canadian A Cappella Championships — May 23

Koerner Hall. Sixteen groups. Four divisions. One evening that tends to leave people genuinely stunned by what the human voice can do without any instruments. Here’s who’s competing:

🎩 Barbershop

ALL IN
Firefly Quartet
The ‘Loo-Wops
Voices Unlimited

🏫 High School

Enter A Cappella
Iroquois Ridge Chamber Choir
RHHS Chamber Choir
Senator O’Connor College Vocal Ensemble

🎤 Open

AV & the Inner City
Les 6-DS
OnCue
The Counterfeit Sheep

🎓 Collegiate

Cal Jazz Choir (CJC)
On That Note
The Northwest Collective
WIBI A Cappella

Tickets through the Royal Conservatory of Music — book at rcmusic.com →

💡 A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Go

🎫 Book early for the headline shows. The Real Group at the ROM and the Championships at Koerner Hall will sell out. Don’t leave it until the week of.

🅾 Start with the free outdoor concerts. The May 20 Nathan Phillips Square show is a perfect, no-pressure first SING! experience. Two hours, completely free, right in the city.

🚗 TTC-friendly. Koerner Hall is steps from Bay Station. Nathan Phillips Square is at Queen & Bay. The ROM is at Museum Station. You won’t need to drive to most events.

👪 Bringing kids? The Deke Sharon singalong on May 24 (1pm, ROM) is made for families — enthusiastic, interactive, and the kind of thing kids talk about for days.

💼 Working in music? The free Zoom seminars (May 25–28) are legitimately useful, and the in-person Industry Roundtable on May 23 is a rare chance to connect with music industry professionals.

🥁 Give the beatbox festival a chance. The Great North Beatbox Festival (May 29–31, The Rec Room) is one of the most unexpectedly thrilling things SING! puts on. Go with an open mind.

Support the Festival 💛

SING! is a not-for-profit that deliberately keeps prices low so the vocal arts stay accessible to everyone. It runs on donations and community goodwill — if you enjoy it, consider giving back.

Donate Now →

❓ Common Questions

When exactly does SING! 2026 run?

Tuesday May 19 to Monday June 1, 2026. Events take place at multiple venues across Toronto — pick and choose based on what interests you.

Which events are free?

The outdoor concert at Nathan Phillips Square on May 20 (5:30–7:30pm) and at College Park on May 21 (5:00–7:00pm) are completely free. The online Music Business Summit seminars (May 25–28 via Zoom) are also free. Most ticketed concerts are priced accessibly — check singtoronto.tickit.ca.

What’s the closing night event?

SING! with Pride featuring The Real Group at the ROM on June 1 at 7:30pm. Swedish a cappella legends, official Pride Toronto Major Cultural Event, and the SING! Legacy Award presentation to Heather Bambrick. This is the marquee event of the festival.

Is it suitable for kids?

Absolutely. The Aca-Singalong with Deke Sharon on May 24 at 1pm is especially family-friendly — participatory, energetic, and fun for all ages. Both free outdoor concerts are also great for kids, and there’s a dedicated “I Love to SING!” Kids Program.

Where do I buy tickets?

Most events are at singtoronto.tickit.ca. The Canadian A Cappella Championships are through rcmusic.com. The Great North Beatbox Festival is on Universe. The Art Battle is through artbattle.com.

Never been — where should I start?

Start with the free outdoor concert at Nathan Phillips Square on May 20. Low-commitment, costs nothing, great taste of the festival. If you want to splurge on one ticketed event, the Canadian A Cappella Championships at Koerner Hall on May 23 is the single best introduction to what SING! is all about.

Details may change — always confirm on the official SING! Toronto website before heading out.