Festival of Song Zimbabwe is a premier choral music festival that brings together the country’s most inspiring community, church, and institutional choirs on one grand stage. Established in 2018 and rooted in cultural pride, artistic excellence, and social harmony, the festival is an annual celebration of African musical traditions with a contemporary and inclusive twist.
Hosted at iconic venues such as the Bulawayo Large City Hall and supported by musical workshops in both Harare and Bulawayo, the Festival of Song (FOS) continues to grow into a nationally recognized platform for vocal excellence and cultural exchange. It is not just an event, but a movement—one that brings people together through the power of harmony, storytelling, and song.
At its heart, the Festival of Song is a celebration of Zimbabwe’s rich choral heritage. It invites ensembles of between 25 to 60 choristers to participate in an annual competition that uplifts communities and strengthens national identity. Through setpiece performances and original compositions, choirs are encouraged to creatively express their values, beliefs, and unique musical interpretations.
Each edition of the festival is guided by a thought-provoking theme. The 2025 theme, “Nurturing Intercultural Peace,” focuses on empowering the younger generation with a sense of cultural pride and community engagement. The goal is not only to showcase talent but to spark conversations around unity, self-reliance, and the healing power of music.
The festival is made up of three dynamic competition categories:
Church Choirs Category
Featuring a prescribed setpiece and a unique performance that reflects the spiritual and musical identity of the participating church.Community Choirs Category
Showcasing grassroots and neighborhood-based choirs, this category features a prescribed setpiece and an original Gospel song, encouraging innovation and originality.Super League Category
Reserved for the top five community choirs in Zimbabwe, this elite level includes the most technically demanding music and is awarded the highest prize. Choirs are promoted or demoted between the Community and Super League categories annually based on performance.
Beyond the competition, the festival runs vocal training workshops in major cities, helping choirs prepare and grow artistically. These workshops offer sessions in vocal technique, choral direction, and music theory—building the skillsets of emerging conductors and performers alike. The 2025 training sessions are scheduled for 6 September in Bulawayo and 13 September in Harare, creating touchpoints for regional involvement and artistic development.
The Festival of Song has made headlines in national newspapers and is frequently featured in cultural roundups and music blogs. With a growing online presence and engaging social media content, the festival has become a household name for fans of choral music in Zimbabwe and beyond. Its relaunch in 2025—after a 3-year hiatus—has already sparked excitement and renewed participation across the country.
The festival also hosts the Opera Festival Zimbabwe, another prestigious vocal showcase held at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, offering an elegant platform for classical and operatic talent in Africa. This expansion reflects the organization’s commitment to diversifying musical platforms while maintaining cultural authenticity.
Festival of Song Zimbabwe is proudly organized by a passionate team of professionals and artists, including vocal educators, arts managers, and cultural entrepreneurs. The initiative works closely with the Zimbabwe Association of Choral and Musical Arts (ZACMA), which joins efforts in planning, fundraising, and technical delivery. Together, they ensure that the festival remains professionally managed, community-driven, and inclusive.
The festival’s long-term mission includes becoming the leading choral music festival in Africa, forging partnerships across arts, tourism, education, and community development. Its holistic approach to music is rooted in the belief that art, when fused with a fully engaged community, becomes a tool for transformation and resilience.
Choirs wishing to participate must register, pay a modest fee, and prepare for adjudication by a panel of distinguished judges. The 2025 adjudication panel includes international and regional experts, with participants receiving both awards and developmental feedback.
Whether you are a choir director, chorister, music enthusiast, sponsor, or cultural stakeholder, the Festival of Song offers a unique platform to engage, express, and evolve. From the rehearsal room to the main stage, this is where voices rise and where Zimbabwe sings its identity loud and clear.