[Source: INTERKULTUR] From May 14-22, 2022, Calella and Barcelona, two of the most popular destinations on Spain's Costas de Barcelona, will once again be dedicated to choral music: With SING FOR GOLD and the final round for the World Choral Cup, INTERKULTUR presents a new event that will inspire choirs and from all over the world and their audience alike!

World Choral Cup along the lines of sporting competitions

SING FOR GOLD is an international choral competition where choirs will not only sing for medals and a place in the INTERKULTUR World Rankings – but where it gets really exciting in a final round: The best choirs from 10 different competition categories will once again compete in front of the jury and sing for the golden winner's trophy – the World Choral Cup, which will be awarded for the first time in 2022!   

INTERKULTUR President Günter Titsch: "With this new event we are fulfilling the wish of many choirs to take home a World CUP of choral music for once, following the example of other sports competitions. The fact that we will come to Calella and Barcelona with this idea in 2022 is for us the crowning of our concept!"

Since 2012, the annual choir competition "Canta al mar - Festival Coral Internacional" in Calella had become one of INTERKULTUR's most popular choir events. Bringing a completely new format to the city for its 10th choir competition seems thus natural: "An exciting new competition awaits the international choir community in a place they got to know and love a long time ago, “says Günter Titsch.

Calella's mayor Montserrat Candini i Puig is pleased about the opportunities that this competition offers for the town: Calella is a city open to the world, open to tourism and open to culture. A welcoming city, that materializes all these values with events as important as Sing for Gold, reinforcing the city's commitment as a tourist destination, especially as a cultural tourist destination.”

Calella and Barcelona are popular destinations for choirs

Along with Calella, the popular metropolis of Barcelona will also be among the host cities for the competition. Both cities have been firmly in the repertoire of INTERKULTUR events for a decade now. Sunny weather, long sandy beaches, walking distances, as well as attractive cultural events and performance opportunities in Barcelona make this festival an unforgettable experience for all participants every year.

All information about SING FOR GOLD - The World Choral Cup is now available at www.interkultur.com/calella2022

[Source: INTERKULTUR] You always need something to look forward to: We’re happy to announce that a new event series in beautiful Lisbon, Portugal is going to start in November 2022, and additional editions in 2023 and 2024 are already being planned: Welcome to LISBON SINGS from November 10-14, 2022!

In this November week you will still be able to enjoy late summer temperatures in Lisbon:  According to legend, the warm, clear days often seen in early November in Portugal were and are caused by Saint Martin's act of charity, and so the days are also known as Saint Martin's summer. In particular, the 11th of November, St. Martin's Day, is celebrated with the first ripe chestnuts and the first wine of the year.

Of course, there will also be singing: The main venue will be the beautiful Aula Magna of the University of Lisbon, one of the largest universities in Portugal. Choirs from all over the world can present themselves here in Evaluation Performances and Friendship Concerts and may also accept the challenge of singing in one of the manifold competition categories ranging from Equal to Mixed Voices, from Children’s and Youth Choirs to Sacred Choral Music and Folklore.

More information about LISBON SINGS 2022 is available here. Details about the 2023 and 2024 will follow soon. See you there!

Communities across Glasgow and Scotland are set to come alive in the summer of 2018 as part of a vibrant Cultural Festival being developed to run alongside the Glasgow 2018 European Championships – an exciting new multi-sport event that brings together some of the continent’s leading sports.

Glasgow’s iconic George Square will be the beating heart of the activities, bringing the city centre to life as a creative hub showcasing the very best of Scottish and Glaswegian culture. The city’s renowned Merchant City Festival, will also become an integral part of the celebrations in the summer of 2018.

The Men’s and Women’s Road Race events at Glasgow 2018 will also pass through George Square, providing a stunning backdrop for one of the key sporting moments during the Championships and further enhancing the city centre activation plans.

Glasgow will also work in close collaboration with 2018 European Championships co-host Berlin to highlight the considerable creative expertise of both cities in a ground-breaking cultural partnership. At the same time Glasgow will also work with partner Local Authorities ensuring that communities across the country are part of the celebrations.  

To be staged every four years, the European Championships will combine the existing European Championships of Athletics, Aquatics, Cycling, Gymnastics, Rowing and Triathlon along with a new Golf team championships. The first edition will be held in 2018 in a unique sporting partnership between Host Cities Glasgow and Berlin.

This partnership will create a new event on the world stage elevating the status of European Champions and attracting a potential television audience of up to 1.03 billion across the continent, with a wider audience via digital platforms. Attendances across Glasgow 2018 are expected to be in the region of 250,000.

Staged alongside the elite sporting competition (2–12 August 2018), the action-packed programme of cultural activities will capitalise on Glasgow and Scotland’s international reputation for creative and artistic excellence and secure the cultural legacy of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games across four key themes:

·        2018 The Year of Young People

·        Movement, physical activity and sport

·        Cultural collaborations with host Local Authorities, Berlin and Europe

·        The 150th anniversary of the birth of Charles Rennie Mackintosh

The cultural programme will work across all platforms including theatre, dance, music, digital, comedy and visual arts performances, bringing communities to life alongside the 11 days of world-class sporting action.

The announcement coincides with the “500 Days To Go” milestone with further information on how arts organisations and local communities can become part of the cultural celebrations to be confirmed over the coming months.

A similar programme of activities was delivered by the city during the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, ensuring that non-sports fans were part of the overall event experience and organisers are committed to ensuring the same is the case during the Glasgow 2018 European Championships.

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “The Glasgow 2018 European Championships are a direct legacy of Scotland hosting the 2014 Commonwealth Games and The Ryder Cup. The Cultural Festival secures the legacy further and ensures Scotland continues to be recognised as a global leader in the delivery of sporting and cultural events. EventScotland is proud to be part of the team helping deliver the Championships that will once again show Scotland as the perfect stage for events.”

Dr Bridget McConnell, Chair of the Glasgow 2018 European Championships Board, said: “Glasgow is Scotland’s sporting, creative and cultural powerhouse and we know how to celebrate in style. During the Glasgow 2018 European Championships the city and nation will, once again, come alive with a fantastic celebration of our finest artistic talents. We’re counting down the days until Glasgow shines once more on a global stage.”

Glasgow has the greatest concentration of creative industries in Scotland, with more than 5,000 people employed in the cultural sector directly and more than 25,000 employed in the arts and creative industries more widely.

The Glasgow 2018 European Championships will build on Glasgow and Scotland’s reputation for hosting world-class sporting and cultural events including the 2014 Commonwealth Games and Ryder Cup, Radio 1’s Big Weekend and the MTV European Music Awards. Pre-registration for priority access to tickets currently available at www.glasgow2018.com for a limited time.

As part of the inaugural European Championships in 2018 around 3,000 athletes will visit Scotland for six events (Aquatics, Cycling, Golf, Gymnastics, Rowing and Triathlon) while a further 1,500 athletes will compete in Berlin as part of the European Athletics Championships.

Source: Glasgow 2018