SING! 2025
The power of the human voice will take centre stage at SING! The Toronto International Vocal Arts Festival, taking place May 24 to June 2, 2025. Now in its 14th year, the festival features more than 20 events, including concert performances, industry workshops, and the inaugural SING! Canadian A Cappella Championships. The full festival schedule, festival passes and tickets (including discounted prices for students and arts workers) are 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 a “dragappella” musical comedy show. This year’s festival takes place at a number of locations across Toronto, including the Royal Ontario Museum, Isabel Bader Theatre, and Kew Gardens.
Highlights include:
· SoundCrowd with Deke Sharon: Toronto's own SoundCrowd joins forces with Deke Sharon, legendary "Father of Contemporary A Cappella" and Pitch Perfect music director/producer, for an evening of amazing vocal arrangements, killer performances and entertaining anecdotes. The show will also feature a special opening act: the winner of the inaugural SING! Canadian A Cappella Championships.
· The Kinsey Sicks' Dragappella, with presentation of the Slaight Music SING! Toronto Legacy Award to Steven Page: A night of music and comedy with America's favourite “dragapella® beautyshop quartet, featuring a cappella harmonies, sharp satire, and over-the-top drag. Featuring a special performance by Steven Page of Barenaked Ladies, who will receive the Slaight Music SING! Toronto Legacy Award for exceptional contributions to the vocal arts.
· Black Umfolosi: Formed in Zimbabwe to preserve and revive the Imbube Culture in African Dance Culture, Black Umfolosi will share their Zimbabwean and Southern African dances, music and traditions.
· 2025 SING! Canadian A Cappella Championships: The inaugural SING! Canadian A Cappella Championships will feature 10 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.
· Great North Battle 2025 - International Beatbox Competition: A two-day event presented by Beatbox Canada, featuring a top 16 solo beatbox battle, top 8 loopstation battle, top 4 tag team battle, special performances, workshops and showcases. Winner of the solo battle will receive a qualifying spot at the Grand Beatbox Battle 2025, hosted by Swiss Beatbox in Japan.
· Estonian Voices with Countermeasure: Among Europe’s most unique sounding groups, Estonian Voices performs a repertoire of jazz, classical, folk, and pop songs, while Toronto’s own Countermeasure combines smooth harmonies and infectious energy to deliver a next-level a cappella experience.
· Beatsync EP release: Celebrating a decade of vocal magic and their first EP, Beatsync serves up their signature fusion of dynamic pop, alternative and electronic music.
· Free Concerts in the Park: A full afternoon of a wide variety of vocal music at Kew Gardens. · SING! Free Preview: Free lunchtime show at Nathan Phillips Square, offering a taste of all that the festival has to offer.
· A Cappella Arranging (seminar): Prolific music producer/arranger/director Deke Sharon and Juno-nominated Dylan Bell, co-authors of “A Cappella Arranging”, lead this workshop offering ideas and discussion to help attendees develop skills as a cappella arrangers.
Ticket prices range from free to $45, with many shows offering half-price tickets for students and arts workers. Festival passes are $150, with three-day beatboxing passes available for $74.
The full schedule is at singtoronto.com/2025-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 Estonian Voices and Black Umfolosi.
The festival will also offer a free Virtual Music Business Summit, hosted by industry experts in a variety of areas.
Launched in 2012 by seven volunteers, SING! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival is a true Canadian success story. “Over the past 14 years, the festival has helped launch the careers of a cappella artists from throughout Canada,” says festival co-founder 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. 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 Patricia Silver inducted into the Festival and Events Ontario Hall of Fame.
Sponsors
SING! The Toronto International Vocal Arts Festival is supported by Presenting Sponsor TD Bank. Soprano Sponsors: Government of Canada, Green Sanderson Foundation, Ontario Creates. Countertenor Sponsor: Sanderson Entertainment Law. Tenor Sponsors: Centauri Arts, Harris Institute, Long & McQuade Musical Instruments. Legacy Award Sponsor: Slaight Family Foundation. Bass Sponsors: Baird Artist Management, Franklin Templeton, Sanborg Productions. Music Business Summit Sponsors: Canadian Music Spotlight and Long & McQuade Musical Instruments. Media Sponsors: Acaville Radio, Maple Music Café, Toronto