Unison Festival Choir and Performance Schedule
Unison Festival celebrates music and community in Vancouver, bringing together over two dozen 2SLGBTQIA+ choirs and nearly 1,100 singers from across Canada for performances May 15–18, 2026.
Unison Festival Choir and Performance Schedule
The May Long Weekend comes alive with inspiring performances and a joyful celebration of music and community. You can purchase individual concert tickets, weekend passes, or day passes. Check out the performance schedule:
Opening Concert on Friday, May 15 at 7:00pm @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Curated by Festival Artistic Directors Willi Zwordesky and Kimberley Vance-Mubanga, the Opening Concert sets the tone for the weekend with powerful performances from the host chorus and choirs from across British Columbia.
The evening also features special guest soloist Corey Payette, an award-winning Two-Spirit, gay interdisciplinary performer, writer, composer, and director of Anishinaabe and French Canadian heritage. Known for groundbreaking works that weave together Indigenous storytelling, music, and theatre, Payette’s performances explore identity, culture, and the power of art to create dialogue and healing.
- Featuring the Festival Host Chorus: The Vancouver Men’s Chorus
- And the Choruses of British Columbia: The Rainbow Chorus of New Westminster; Fieramente: The North Island’s 2SLGBTQIA+ Choir; AVIVA Chorus; Out In Harmony
Saturday, May 16, 2026 Concert Block 1
- Choirs performing in this concert block
- Forte – Toronto’s Gay Men’s Chorus
- Edmonton vocal Minority
- The Women Next Door, Halifax NS
- Chœur gai d’Ottawa Gay Men’s Chorus
- Ensemble Vocal Extravaganza, Montreal QC
- Get tickets
Saturday, May 16, 2026 Concert Block 2
- Choirs performing in this concert block
- Chœur gai de Montréal · Montréal Gay Men’s Chorus
- Singing Out, Toronto, ON
- Rainbow Harmony Project Youth Chorus, Winnipeg, MB
- Tempo Chorus, Toronto, ON
- Accord Vocal Ensemble, Edmonton, AB
- One Voice Chorus, Calgary, AB
- Get tickets
Sunday, May 17, 2026 Concert Block 3
- Choirs performing in this concert block
- Rainbow Chorus of Waterloo Wellington, Guelph, ON
- Ensemble vocal Ganymède, Montreal, QC
- Aurora Chorealis, Yellowknife, NT
- Vox Fortis Ensemble, Toronto, ON
- Rainbow Harmony Project, Winnipeg, MB
- Spectrum Queer Choir, St John’s NL
- Get tickets
Sunday, May 17, 2026 Concert Block 4
- Choirs performing in this concert block
- Calgary Men’s Chorus
- Quoir, Halifax, NS
- Tone Cluster – quite a queer choir, Ottawa, ON
- Halifax Gay Men’s Chorus
- Singing Out, Toronto, ON
- Get tickets
Closing Concert on Monday, May 18 at 11:00am @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
The Closing Concert brings together voices from across the country for a powerful culmination of the Unison Festival — a joyful celebration inspired by this year’s theme, “Music Healing Spirit.” Under the artistic leadership of Festival Artistic Directors Willi Zwordesky and Kimberley Vance-Mubanga, the program highlights the incredible artistry and collective spirit of Canada’s 2SLGBTQIA+ choral community. The event features more than 300 Unison chorus members who have come together from across the country to perform in the Unison Festival Choruses.
At the heart of the program are the Festival Choruses. These massed ensembles bring together singers from across Canada who rehearse a shared repertoire in the months leading up to the festival, then come together in Vancouver for final rehearsals and performance. For many participants, these choruses are a highlight of the Unison experience and a chance to connect, collaborate, and perform as part of something larger than any one choir.
- SATB Festival Chorus – conducted by Chelsi Walsh (Halifax, Nova Scotia) Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass voices
- SSAA Festival Chorus – conducted by Crystal Bergman (Coquitlam, British Columbia) Soprano and Alto voices
- TTBB Festival Chorus – conducted by Jean-Louis Bleau (Chilliwack, British Columbia) Tenor, Baritone, and Bass voices
- 2STNB Festival Ensemble – conducted by Jackie Falconer (Toronto, Ontario) Two-Spirit, Trans, and Non-Binary voices
The concert also welcomes special guests M’Girl, a Vancouver-based Indigenous women’s vocal group known for its dynamic blend of music, storytelling, and cultural expression. This acclaimed ensemble brings together artists from diverse Indigenous nations across Canada, each contributing their own voice, language, and personal perspective in ways that are both moving and deeply engaging.
Follow Unison Festival on Instagram and Facebook for updates and social events for delegates.
Miss604 is proud to be a sponsor of this year’s festival
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