The Big Sing

The Big Sing is a nationwide secondary schools choral festival that takes place in 10 centres involving more than 8,000 students from over 250 schools, supported by their families and communities. 

The Big Sing has been taking place for over 35 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)