This year, the Festival of Voices celebrates its 20th anniversary with what it calls its “biggest program yet”: as its centrepiece, Verdi’s Requiem will see its first Tasmanian performance in 40 years under the baton of UK  conductor David Lawrence. Other festival highlights include ensembles The Australian Voices, Germany’s Sjaella, The Hong Kong Children’s Choir and New Zealand’s Luminata Voices, and the free, family-friendly festival mainstay, The Big Sing.

Limelight Editor’s Choice

A mass singalong in a deconsecrated architectural gem
Lose yourself in the power of song at Congregation, a large-scale sing-along like no other. Run by IO Performance, this electrifying event transforms a deconsecrated church into a vibrant performance space, where everyone becomes part of the choir—no singing experience required.

“Everyone is a participant in this sing-along. Of course, you don’t have to sing if you don’t want to—you can be there and just vibe with it,” says IO Performance co-artistic director Grace Roberts.

Throughout the evening, the crowd will be taught well-known songs under the guidance of vocal coaches Travis Hennessy and Jade Howard, backed by a live band, Havana Affair. “At the end of the night, we actually sing them—it’s an incredible feeling to be surrounded by that energy,” Roberts explains.

With a bar on-site and the entire space filled with soaring harmonies, Congregation is more than just a pub choir—it’s a shared musical experience that brings people together.

“You don’t need to know how to sing, you can just come along and be absorbed in the mass choir,” says Roberts. “It’s a real communal event for everyone to come along, have a drink, and have a sing.”