The Comeback: Festival of Song Returns for Season 4
After a 2-year pause, Zimbabwe’s beloved choral festival is making its triumphant return with more passion, more choirs, and a powerful new theme: _Nurturing Intercultural Peace_.
After a two-year hiatus, the Festival of Song Zimbabwe is making a triumphant return in 2025—and this comeback is more than just a performance. It’s a cultural revival, a community celebration, and a bold reaffirmation of Zimbabwe’s powerful choral heritage.
A Movement Reignited
First launched in 2018, the Festival of Song quickly gained national recognition as a dynamic platform for community, church, and institutional choirs to unite under one banner. With its signature blend of musical excellence and social purpose, the festival provided more than a stage—it offered a voice to communities across the country.
However, due to a mix of logistical and economic challenges, the festival went dormant after its third edition. Now, in 2025, it returns with a renewed vision, enhanced structure, and a lineup that promises to recapture the magic of past seasons while pushing the boundaries of what choral music can achieve in Zimbabwe and beyond.
What to Expect in Season 4
Festival of Song 2025 will be held on 22 November at the iconic Bulawayo Large City Hall, bringing together over 20 choirs from across the country. Participants will compete in three carefully curated categories:
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Church Choirs – A prescribed setpiece and a spiritually inspired original performance.
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Community Choirs – A setpiece and an original gospel song, showcasing grassroots creativity.
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Super League – An elite category featuring Zimbabwe’s top 5 choirs, performing the most technically challenging repertoire.
The festival’s 2025 theme, “Nurturing Intercultural Peace,” reflects its deeper purpose—to use music as a bridge between cultures, generations, and ideologies. “We want to inspire the younger generation to take pride in their cultural identity while finding solutions to local problems using local resources,” says Programs Manager Wendy Muzite.
Building Talent Through Preparation
Ahead of the main event, choirs will participate in two regional workshops designed to build vocal and performance capacity:
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6 September – Bulawayo Workshop
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13 September – Harare Workshop
These sessions will cover choral conducting, vocal technique, and interpretation of the Setpiece, a specially commissioned work that embodies the spirit of this year’s theme. The workshops serve as both a training ground and networking hub for emerging choirmasters, conductors, and vocalists.
A Community-Driven Revival
Behind this comeback is a team of passionate artists, educators, and organizers who never let the flame die out. With support from strategic partner ZACMA (Zimbabwe Association of Choral and Musical Arts), the festival is ensuring operational excellence and artistic credibility.
ZACMA will provide support to ensure smooth execution. This collaborative model reflects the Festival’s growing professional footprint and its commitment to delivering a world-class musical experience.
Raising the Bar
This year, the competition stakes are higher than ever:
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$1,500 – Super League Winner -
$1,000 – Community Category Winner
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$500 – Church Choir Category Winner
In keeping with international choral standards, the Festival emphasizes originality, musical arrangement, vocal cohesion, and cultural relevance. Choirs must present performances that are original or creatively rearranged—not replicated from existing popular renditions. “We’re rewarding creativity and cultural storytelling, not mimicry,” – Technical Director Tinashe Jera.
A Voice for the Future
The return of the Festival of Song is more than nostalgic—it’s timely. In a world grappling with division, disconnection, and cultural erosion, Zimbabwe’s choral music scene has something powerful to offer: unity through harmony.
Season 4 signals not just a revival, but a reset. With renewed purpose, deeper partnerships, and a wave of fresh talent, the Festival is positioning itself as a beacon of cultural pride and creative excellence in Africa’s performing arts scene.
Choirs, fans, sponsors, and stakeholders: the stage is set.
This is more than a comeback. This is a calling.
