Welsh LGBTQ+ Choirs Prepare to Take Welsh Pride and Song to Europe's Biggest Choral Festival

Two of Wales' leading LGBTQ+ choirs are preparing to take Welsh music, language and pride to an international audience this summer as they head to Brussels for the prestigious Various Voices Festival.

Held every four years, Various Voices is Europe's largest LGBTQ+ choir festival, bringing together thousands of singers from across the continent for a vibrant celebration of music, community and inclusion. For five days, the Belgian capital will become a showcase for LGBTQ+ choral talent, with performances taking place in some of the city's most iconic venues, alongside street performances, workshops and cultural events.

Flying the flag for Wales will be South Wales Gay Men's Chorus (SWGMC) and Songbirds Cardiff, two choirs that have become important voices within both Wales' cultural landscape and its LGBTQ+ community.

For South Wales Gay Men's Chorus, this year's festival marks a significant milestone. A record-breaking 44 members from the choir's membership of more than 60 singers will travel to Brussels, making it the group's largest-ever Various Voices contingent.

The choir will perform a programme celebrating both Welsh musical heritage and contemporary LGBTQ+ culture, bringing a distinctly Welsh sound to audiences from across Europe.

Chair of South Wales Gay Men's Chorus, Huw Cook, said the trip reflects the choir's remarkable growth and ambition in recent years.

"Over the last few years the choir has grown not only in numbers but in what it can achieve," he said.

"Year on year we've invested so much in putting on a fantastic production, from the concept of the show to the outstanding arrangements produced by our music team, to the staging, venues and the wider community engagement we build around it.

"And now to take some of our very best pieces to Brussels and represent Wales is truly an honour."

As cultural ambassadors for Wales, the choir is ensuring that the Welsh language will play a central role in its performances.

"Of course, you can't take a Welsh choir to Europe and not perform in Welsh," Cook added.

"We are looking forward to treating the thousands of festival-goers and visitors to the beautiful sounds of home."

The choir's European appearance comes ahead of another important performance later this year when they will return to Wales to perform at the National Eisteddfod, joining a celebration of Welsh queer artists honouring the life and legacy of Terrence Higgins.

Joining them in Brussels will be Songbirds Cardiff, whose inclusive ethos and distinctive harmonies have earned them a growing reputation across Wales and beyond.

Representatives from the choir say the opportunity to participate in the festival is about more than music; it is also about visibility, representation and solidarity within the wider LGBTQ+ community.

"We are excited to send a small group of singers from across the four vocal parts of our choir to wave the rainbow dragon flag in Brussels," a spokesperson said.

"As a trans-inclusive choir, we are looking forward to joining with other groups in celebrating an inclusive choral movement that embraces all voices and identities under the LGBTQ+ umbrella."

Together, the two choirs will represent the diversity, creativity and strength of Wales' LGBTQ+ arts scene, sharing Welsh stories, language and culture with thousands of singers and audience members from across Europe.

The significance of their participation has also been recognised by the Welsh Government.

Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport, Heledd Fychan, praised both choirs ahead of their journey.

"Wales has always had a powerful voice and it's fantastic to see both South Wales Gay Men's Chorus and Songbirds Cardiff carry that voice to Brussels this summer," she said.

"Various Voices is a great celebration of community and creativity, and there is no better way to represent Wales than through our music, our language and our LGBTQ+ community."

She added that both choirs are ambassadors not only for Wales' rich choral tradition but also for the values of inclusion and pride.

Their appearance at Various Voices also comes at an exciting time for Wales' LGBTQ+ community. In 2027, Cardiff will welcome thousands of athletes, supporters and visitors when it hosts the EuroGames, one of Europe's largest LGBTQ+ sporting events.

As Brussels prepares to welcome choirs from across the continent, Wales will arrive in full voice, ready to celebrate identity, champion inclusion and remind Europe that some of the most powerful stories are still told through song.

For South Wales Gay Men's Chorus and Songbirds Cardiff, Various Voices offers more than a performance opportunity. It is a chance to showcase modern Wales on an international stage — proud, diverse, bilingual and united through the power of music.