The Big Sing

The Big Sing

The Big Sing is a nationwide secondary schools choral festival that takes place in 10 centres involving around 8,000 students from over 200+ schools, supported by their families and communities. 

The Big Sing has been taking place for over 30 years and is New Zealand’s largest choral event with singers entering regional competitions held in Auckland, Waikato/Bay of Plenty, East Coast, Taranaki, Manawatu/Whanganui, Wellington, Marlborough/Nelson, Canterbury/West Coast, Otago and Southland.

The Big Sing purpose and values:

  • to encourage a diverse range of students to participate in choral singing
  • to develop young people and inspire them to achieve excellence
  • to nurture wellbeing and mental health through the joy of singing
  • to cultivate the next generation of young choral leaders
  • to stimulate an appreciation of a broad range of choral music
  • to foster an understanding and appreciation of Māori language and waiata
  • to provide a platform for music by NZ composers
  • to enable collaboration through shared performance opportunities

​​​​​​Of the 250+ competing choirs, 60 are selected for the area Cadenza festivals (held in the Upper North Island, Lower North Island and South Island) and National Finale.

Registrations for The Big Sing open on the 18 FEBRUARY each year. 
Registrations close on the 18 March.
We accept late registrations up until the 5 April

For general enquiries about The Big Sing please contact NZCF Events Manager, Emma Billings, at emma.billings@nzcf.org.nz or 021 171 8501

 

 

The Big Sing Committee

Pete Rainey (Chair), Melissa Absolum, Siliva Gaugatao, Katie MacFarlane, Peter Watts, Christine Argyle (NZCF CEO), Emma Billings (NZCF Events Manager)
 

News

The Big Sing Regional Adjudicators 2025

We're thrilled to announce this year's line up of adjudicators for The Big Sing Regionals.

Read more

2024 Finale & Cadenza Awards

Congratulations to the choirs that took part in The Big Sing Finale and Cadenza festivals this August.

Read more

2024 Cadenza and Finale choirs

We're delighted to share the list of choirs selected for the 2024 Finale and Cadenza festivals.

Read more

2024 NZCF-SOUNZ Composition Competition winners

Results of this year's SOUNZ-NZCF Choral Composition Competitions.

Read more

30 May 2025
TBS Regional - Nelson-Marlborough
4-5 June 2025
TBS Regional - Wellington
5-6 June 2025
TBS Regional - Canterbury/West Coast
9-12 June 2025
TBS Regional - Auckland
11 June 2025
TBS Regional - East Coast
16 June 2025
TBS Regional - Otago
17 June 2025
TBS Regional - Southland
19 June 2025
TBS Regional - Waikato/BOP
19 June 2025
TBS Regional - Manawatū-Whanganui
10-11 August 2025
Cadenza - Lower North Island
15-16 August 2025
Cadenza - South Island
18-19 August 2025
Cadenza - Upper North Island
28-30 August 2025
TBS Finale - Dunedin

ASB Theatre, Blenheim

Michael Fowler Centre

Christchurch Town Hall

Auckland Town Hall

Toitoi Hawke's Bay

Dunedin Town Hall

First Church, Invercargill

Holy Trinity Church, Tauranga

Regent Theatre, Palmerston North

Royal Whanganui Opera House

Craighead Diocesan and Sacred Heart Basilica (Gala), Timaru

Sir Howard Morrison Centre, Rotorua

Dunedin Town Hall

FAQ

When do The Big Sing registrations open?

Registrations for The Big Sing open on Tuesday 18 February. Use the Register button at the top of the page.

When are The Big Sing regional festivals in 2025?

Click here for a list of the regional festival dates.

When will the choirs selected for Cadenza and Finale be announced?

The choirs selected for Cadenza and Finale will be announced at 3pm on Monday 23 June 2025.

When are The Big Sing Cadenza festivals in 2025?

Click here for a list of the Cadenza dates.

When is The Big Sing Finale 2025?

Thursday 28 August - Saturday 30 August at the Dunedin Town Hall.