Festival FAQ

https://www.europacantat2027.com/en/about/about-the-festival/

The EUROPA CANTAT 2027 Festival will take place from 9 to 15 August 2027 in Liepāja, Latvia, a vibrant coastal city on the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe.

9 August is the arrival day, followed by the main festival programme from 10 to 14 August. 15 August is the departure day.

Discover more about Liepāja: https://www.europacantat2027.com/en/for-participants/about-liepaja/

https://www.europacantat2027.com/en/about/organizers/

The festival welcomes everyone who loves choral singing – complete choirs of all kinds, groups of singers from the same choir, groups of friends, individual singers and conductors.

The festival is open to visitors, with both free concerts across Liepāja and ticketed concerts as part of the festival programme. Visitors do not need to register for the festival. Information about concert tickets and how to purchase or apply to them will be available from March 2027.

Have a question? Write to us at info@europacantat2027.com – we’ll be happy to help!

The festival schedule overview is available here: https://www.europacantat2027.com/en/for-participants/festival-schedule-overview/

The detailed festival programme and schedule will be published on the festival website in spring 2027.

If you would like to participate in the festival, you need to register for the full festival. It is not possible to register for individual festival days. This also applies if you choose a 4-day atelier – you still need to register for the full festival. Please note that the duration of individual ateliers may still be subject to change in spring 2027.

If your atelier concert takes place on the fourth day, you will have the opportunity to join a Discovery Atelier on the morning of the fifth day – or simply enjoy a free morning at the beach or exploring Liepāja.

You are also very welcome to come to Liepāja as a visitor without registering as a festival participant. You can attend concerts and join the daily Open Singing sessions.

If places are still available in late spring 2027, we may also offer one-day tickets, giving access to a Discovery Atelier in the morning as well as festival concerts during the day.

Ateliers are at the heart of the EUROPA CANTAT Festival. They are workshops where complete choirs, groups and individual singers from different countries come together to form a new choir. Under the guidance of a conductor different from their usual one, they will explore and learn new repertoire and present the results in a final performance.

Everyone registering for the festival is required to take part in an atelier, with rehearsals taking place every morning. During registration, you will be asked to select three atelier options and rank them as your first, second and third choice. We will do our best to assign you to your first choice, but this may not always be possible.

The filters on the atelier page will help you find the options that are right for you. Ateliers are available for different types of choirs and age groups, as well as at different levels:

A – open to everyone
B – for good sight-readers or singers who come prepared
C – for auditioned choirs and singers
D – for national youth choirs only

Some ateliers are currently planned to have their final performance on Day 4 of the festival, while others will perform on Day 5. Please note that this schedule may still change in March 2027, and all participants are required to stay in Liepāja for the full duration of the festival.

Instead of joining one atelier for the whole festival, participants can also choose the Discovery Atelier strand, which offers a different Discovery Atelier each morning (see below).

Conductors can apply for the international Study Tour. The registration system will still ask you to select a second and third atelier option, although we will do our best to accept applicants to the Study Tour whenever possible.

If you are curious to explore a variety of repertoire and singing styles, you can choose “E – Discovery Ateliers” as your first preference. Each morning, you will work with a different conductor and discover new repertoire, styles and approaches to singing. Discovery Ateliers focus on exploration and musical experience, so there is no final performance.

Find out more about the E1 Discovery Atelier Every Day here.

Participants taking part in a 4-day atelier will also have the opportunity to join a Discovery Atelier on the morning of Day 5.

Conductors can experience the festival from a different perspective by joining the International Study Tour. Together with their peers and Study Tour leaders, they will visit selected ateliers, prepare for and reflect on these visits, and exchange ideas and experiences as a group. The programme will also include additional sessions with selected atelier conductors and other experts, offering further opportunities for professional exchange, learning and inspiration. Find out more here.

Not every atelier is suitable for every choir or singer. When choosing your atelier, please check the level, voice type and age group indicated in the atelier description.

The ateliers are divided into different levels:

• Level A – open to everybody
• Level B – for good sight-readers and singers who come prepared
• Level C – for auditioned choirs and singers
• Level D – for national youth choirs only

You should also check the voice type required for each atelier (for example, SA, SATB or fully open) and any age requirements. Some ateliers are open to all ages, while others are designed specifically for children, young singers, adults or particular age groups.

The filters on the Ateliers page will help you find the options that match your choir or your individual profile.

During registration, you will be asked to choose three ateliers and rank them in order of preference. Please choose three options that are suitable for your age, voice type and experience level. We will do our best to place you in your first choice, but this cannot always be guaranteed.

All atelier rehearsals take place in the morning and last approximately 3.5 hours each day, from the beginning of the festival until the atelier’s final performance. Ateliers start on the morning of 10 August, and participants are expected to attend all rehearsals of their chosen atelier. Discovery Ateliers take place during the same morning time slot. The International Study Tour also takes place mainly in the morning, with additional sessions scheduled in the early afternoon, before participants attend the festival concerts.

One of the key ideas behind EUROPA CANTAT is to bring choirs and singers from different countries together – not only to perform, but also to meet, listen to and learn from each other.  For this reason, rather than offering individual choirs a full concert of their own, we offer to bring two choirs together for a “Choir-to-Choir” concert. The choir will have the opportunity to perform its own programme and is also expected to stay and listen to the other choir. And if you would like to make the experience even more special, you can also sing something together! This could be a piece agreed and prepared by both choirs before the festival, or even a song you have learned together during Open Singing.

Open Singing is a daily open-air singing event where everyone is welcome to join in. It is neither a choir rehearsal nor a concert in the traditional sense – it is an open and joyful gathering where participants, visitors and anyone who loves to sing can come together simply for the pleasure of singing. Led by Jan Schumacher (DE), Open Singing offers both a shared musical experience and the joy of making music together. The repertoire is specially selected for the occasion, and all pieces are included in the Festival Songbook. Open Singing will take place every day from 10 to 14 August, 17:45–18:30, at Jāņa Čakstes Square in Liepāja.

If you want to participate in the festival, you are required to sign up for one atelier. During registration, you will be asked to select three atelier options in order of preference. Atelier rehearsals take place every morning for approximately 3.5 hours. Attendance at all rehearsals, as well as the atelier’s final performance on Day 4 or Day 5, is obligatory. 

All other parts of the festival programme – including Choir-to-Choir concerts, concerts by invited choirs and ensembles, other atelier concerts and Open Singing – are optional, and you are free to choose which events you would like to attend.

Participating choirs can apply to perform in a Choir-to-Choir concert during the registration process. After registration closes, the Festival Music Commission will review all concert applications and do its best to include as many choirs as possible in the Choir-to-Choir concert programme. However, a performance slot cannot be guaranteed for every choir that applies. Choir-to-Choir concerts will take place in a variety of venues across Liepāja, including concert halls, schools, churches and open-air spaces.

For national youth choirs participating in D-level ateliers, there may also be an opportunity to give a 10–15-minute performance as part of an evening concert.

The registration form will be available here: https://europacantat2027.com/en/registration/

The participation fee depends on three factors:

1. Your country of residence – countries are divided into Country Groups 1, 2 and 3. See the country groups here. 
2. Your age – different fees apply to participants under 27 and those aged 27 and over.
3. Your membership status – reduced fees apply to indirect members of the European Choral Association. This includes members of ECA member organisations in categories A1 and A2, see here, as well as Friends of the European Choral Association, see here.

You can find the full overview of participation fees here.

The participation fee is not only for taking part in an atelier – it is a general contribution towards the overall costs of the festival. Therefore, accompanying persons who wish to receive a festival badge and access festival services and benefits – such as festival venues, meal packages, ticketed concerts or accommodation arranged through the festival – will also need to pay the participation fee. 

Visitors who do not need these services can, of course, attend events that are open to the general public without registering as festival participants.

The Participation Fee includes:

• participation in one main atelier;
• participation in the daily Open Singing sessions;
• participation in Choir-to-choir concert;
• participation in at least one atelier concert per day on days 4 and 5
• one guest concert ticket for each festival day;
• the Open Singing songbook;
• the festival programme book.

The Participation Fee does not include:

• the purchase of sheet music for ateliers;
• travel expenses;
• accommodation costs;
• meals (meal packages will be available to order during registration).

Participants under the age of 27 will be asked to upload a copy of their ID card or passport during registration as proof of age. Your identity document will be used only to verify your age. You may cover or redact all other personal information, as long as your full name and date of birth remain clearly visible.

After registration closes on 15 January 2027, the festival organisers will review the registrations for each atelier. Ateliers with insufficient numbers of participants may have to be cancelled. The Festival Music Commission will then make the final atelier assignments, taking into account the preferences indicated during registration. Participants will be informed of their confirmed atelier in early March 2027.

A registration fee of €80 per person is required to confirm your registration. This amount is the same for all participants, regardless of age, country group or membership status, and forms part of the total participation fee. The registration fee must be paid by 15 January 2027. The remaining balance of the participation fee must be paid by 30 March 2027.

1) A registration fee of €80 per person is required to confirm your registration. This amount is the same for all participants, regardless of age, country group or membership status, and forms part of the total participation fee.

If you cancel your registration on or before 15 January 2027, the €80 registration fee will be fully refunded. For cancellations after 15 January 2027, the €80 registration fee is non-refundable.

2) The remaining balance of the participation fee must be paid by 30 March 2027. If you cancel your participation on or before 30 March 2027, any amount already paid towards the remaining participation fee will be refunded. The €80 registration fee will not be refunded after 15 January 2027. For cancellations after 30 March 2027, no part of the participation fee will be refunded.

We strongly recommend taking out travel insurance that covers cancellation costs, including the festival participation fee as well as any non-refundable travel and accommodation expenses.

If the festival has to be cancelled due to Force Majeure, the organisers will refund the amounts paid, with the exception of a €25 per person handling fee. Any additional amounts paid for festival meal packages will be refunded in full in the event of Force Majeure.

You can pay the participation fee by bank transfer based on an invoice, via bank link, or by credit card.

The registration system will automatically calculate the participation fee based on the information you provide, including the number of participants, country of residence, age and membership status.

Indirect members are individuals or choirs that are members of an organisation belonging to the European Choral Association in membership categories A1 or A2. Members of the Friends of the European Choral Association are also eligible for the member rate. Non-members are all participants who do not fall into either of these categories.

During registration, you will be asked to upload proof of your membership, such as a membership invoice, proof of payment or a membership card issued by an European Choral Association member organisation of which you are a member, or by the Friends of the European Choral Association.

To make your stay in Liepāja as easy as possible, the organisers have reserved most of the city’s accommodation capacity for EUROPA CANTAT 2027 participants during the festival (9–15 August 2027). Accommodation reserved by the festival can be requested through the festival registration system, so there is no need to book accommodation before registering for the festival. You can add or update your accommodation request after completing your initial registration, until 31 March 2027. After registration closes, the organisers will start allocating accommodation based on the preferences indicated in the registration form and availability.

Please note that accommodation in Liepāja is limited. The accommodation reserved by the festival will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, so we strongly recommend registering and submitting your accommodation preferences as early as possible. You are, of course, also welcome to arrange your own accommodation independently if you prefer.

You can find an overview of the accommodation options offered through the festival here.

The deadline for requesting accommodation through the festival is 31 March 2027. Accommodation booked through the festival must be paid in full by 31 May 2027.

The festival organisers have agreed with the accommodation providers that bookings made through the festival can be cancelled without charge until payment is made. Full payment for accommodation is due by 31 May 2027.

If the accommodation invoice is not paid by 31 May 2027, the hotel has the right to cancel the reservation.

Please note that once the accommodation invoice has been paid, the booking becomes non-refundable. If you later reduce the number of guests or cancel all or part of your reservation, the hotel is entitled to retain the full amount paid, and no refund or price reduction will be provided.

For this reason, we strongly recommend confirming your final number of guests before making the accommodation payment.

Participants will be able to book meals through the festival registration system. The organisers will offer two meal package options:

• Lunch package – €15 per person per day
• Lunch + Dinner package – €25 per person per day

Meal packages must be booked for the entire duration of your stay. It is not possible to book individual meals or select meals for specific days only. 

The cost of the meal package will be added to your festival participation costs. Invoices for meal packages will be issued in spring 2027, once the final number of participants in each group and all dietary requirements have been confirmed.

Liepāja is located on the western coast of Latvia and can be reached in several ways. Some transport connections lead directly to Liepāja, while in other cases it is more convenient to travel to nearby larger cities and continue by bus or car. Please explore the options here.

Liepāja is approximately 220 km from Riga, and you should plan around 3 hours for the journey.

By bus:
Take bus No. 22 from Riga Airport to Riga city centre and continue to Liepāja by coach from Riga Central Bus Station. There are around 20 connections per day, operated by several companies, including Lux Express, Infobus and LapLine.

By train:
Take bus No. 22 from Riga Airport to the city centre and continue your journey from Riga Central Station. Trains to Liepāja currently run twice a day.

Additional train and bus transfer services for EUROPA CANTAT participants are being planned. More information will be available in spring 2027.

Liepāja is approximately 70 km from Palanga, Lithuania, and you should plan around 1 hour for the journey. Currently, there are no regular intercity transport connections between Palanga and Liepāja. However, the festival organisers are considering arranging dedicated transfers for festival participants, depending on demand.

More information about possible transfer services will be available in spring 2027.

At the moment, there are no scheduled commercial flights to Liepāja Airport. Depending on the registration results and demand, the organisers may also arrange direct airBaltic charter flights to Liepāja from selected major European cities, with approximately 140 passengers per flight. More information about possible charter flights will be available in spring 2027.

Nationals of most third countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA) are under an obligation to hold a visa for a proposed stay of a maximum duration of 3 months on the territory of the SCHENGEN States.

If you need a visa to come to Latvia:

•   The participant must complete the registration information online;
•   Participant requests an invitation from the organizer after registration is complete;
•   The organizer issues an invitation;
•   The participant meets all the required conditions and submits an application to the embassy or consulate responsible for visas.
•   NOTE: The participant is fully responsible for arranging the visa in a timely manner and providing all required documents to obtain the visa.
•   The organizers are not responsible if the participant does not obtain the visa on time.
•   You can find detailed information about the visa here: https://www.mfa.gov.lv/en/documents-required-apply-visa

All participants must have valid insurance coverage for the duration of the festival. Please note that insurance is not provided by the festival organisers and must be arranged individually by each participant.

We strongly recommend taking out travel insurance that includes cancellation coverage, as participation fees are non-refundable after the cancellation deadlines specified in the festival’s cancellation policy.

August in Latvia is late summer, with mild and changeable weather. Daytime temperatures usually range from +18°C to +25°C, while evenings can be cooler, around +12°C to +15°C. Rain showers are common, so we recommend bringing a light jacket, umbrella, and comfortable shoes. For the most up-to-date forecast, check the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre.

Latvia’s official currency is the euro (EUR, €). Most places accept cash and major credit cards, and ATMs are widely available in Riga. Exchange rates vary daily. To check the latest rates, visit the European Central Bank website.

Latvia uses Type C and Type F power plugs and sockets, with a standard voltage of 230 V and a frequency of 50 Hz. Most European devices can be used in Latvia without an adapter. Visitors from countries using different plug types, such as the UK or USA, will need a plug adapter. In some cases, a voltage converter may also be required if your device is not compatible with 230 V.