Submitted by Patricia Silver
15th Annual Festival a Canadian Success Story
TORONTO, ON, April 20, 2026 – The power of the human voice will take centre stage at SING! The Toronto International Vocal Arts Festival, running from May 19 to June 1, 2026.
Now in its 15th year, the festival features more than 20 events, including concert performances, industry workshops, and the second annual SING! Canadian A Cappella Championships. The full festival schedule is available now at singtoronto.com.
Canada’s premier a cappella festival features concert performances showcasing an array of musical styles — from pop to jazz, electronic to soul, and even an “aca-singalong” with Pitch Perfect movie Music Director, Deke Sharon. With the theme of Singing Together, this year’s festival celebrates the transformative power of singing, from the youngest kids in the I Love to SING! Education program to the seasoned professionals in FreePlay duo.
This year’s festival takes place at several locations across Toronto, including the Royal Ontario Museum, Koerner Hall in the TELUS Centre for Performance & Learning, the Rec Room, and The Great Hall.
Highlights include:
Tuesday, May 19 @ 7:30pm – The Great Hall
- Art Battle: where painters are inspired by live a cappella performance
Wednesday, May 20 – 5:30 – 7:30 pm at Nathan Phillips Square
- SING! Free Preview: Free evening show at Nathan Phillips Square, offering a taste of all that the festival has to offer.
Thursday, May 21 – 5-7pm @ College Park
- Free Concerts at College Park: After work hours, a wide variety of vocal music at College Park.
Friday, May 22 @ 7:30pm at The Paradise Theatre
- One More Spin concert by Countermeasure, the conclusion of 16 years of international recording and touring by one of Canada’s top contemporary a cappella ensembles.
Saturday, May 23
Music Industry Roundtables: Networking and connections with music industry experts in small group meetings.
Saturday, May 23 @ 7pm at Koerner Hall
- 2026 SING! Canadian A Cappella Championships: The second annual SING! Canadian A Cappella Championships will feature 16 finalist groups chosen through a preliminary round of scoring via video submissions. Judges include Deke Sharon, producer of the Pitch Perfect movies, The Sing-Off TV series, and contemporary a cappella’s most prolific arranger, plus vocal coaches Elaine Overholt and Mo Field.
Sunday, May 24 @ 1pm at the Royal Ontario Museum
- Aca-Singalong with Deke Sharon, the Music Director for the three blockbuster Pitch Perfect films along with special guests, Splüsh, Canada’s newest and most exciting contemporary a cappella group, and who took home 1st Place and Audience Choice at SING’S 2025 Canadian A Cappella Championships.
- Deke will guide Pitch Perfect fans, entirely a cappella, in singing the hit song from the movie, “Since U Been Gone”, plus share stories from the movie set.
Deke Sharon Photo Credit: Karolina Wojtasik
Sunday, May 24 @ 7pm at the Royal Ontario Museum
Deke Sharon Phot Credit Jeremy Daniel
- Pass the Mic Open Stage Night: Ensembles take turns “passing the mic” to share a song, celebrating community, connection, and the joy of a cappella.
Friday, May 29, Saturday, May 30 & Sunday, May 31 @ The Rec Room
- Great North Beatbox Festival: A three-day event presented by Beatbox Canada, it is the largest celebration of beatboxing in North America, with special performances, workshops and showcases.
Monday, June 1 at 7:30PM at the Royal Ontario Museum
- SING! With Pride, an official Pride Toronto Major Cultural event, celebrates the power of harmony, community, and creative expression. The featured group is legendary Swedish quintet, The Real Group, plus Singing Out Chamber Ensemble from Toronto’s largest 2SLGBTQQIA+ community choir.
- Hosted by Broadway and Stratford star Thom Allison, the concert includes the presentation of the SING! Toronto Legacy Award to Canadian jazz icon Heather Bambrick, honouring her for decades of outstanding performances and for inspiring singers worldwide.
Ticket prices range from free to $61.50, with many shows offering half-price tickets for students and arts workers The full schedule can be found at singtoronto.com/2026-events.
A registered charity, SING! The Toronto International Vocal Arts Festival also aims to encourage the next generation of singers. The festival includes a School Workshop Day, a full day of interactive workshops for grades 7-12, facilitated by festival headliners The Real Group.
About SING!
Launched in 2012 by seven volunteers, SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival is a true Canadian success story. “Over the past 15 years, the festival has helped launch the careers of a cappella artists from throughout Canada,” says festival co-founder and co-manager Patricia Silver. “As well as entertaining audiences, we’re focused on inspiring the next generation of a cappella performers.”
In recent years, SING! has expanded to several partner festivals in Texas, as well as SING! Edinburgh at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, SING! Mexico, SING! Edmonton and SING! Vancouver. The Real Group is touring to the Canadian partner festivals. SING! The Toronto International Vocal Arts Festival has also been chosen as one of Ontario’s Top 100 Festivals and Events for the past decade, with founders Patricia Silver and Patti Jannetta inducted into the Festival and Events Ontario Hall of Fame.