Hand In Hand LGBTQ+ Choir Festival

13/06/2026

See you in Blackpool.

25 choirs have already said yes to Hand in Hand Festival 2027 — and we’re only just getting started.

Maybe your choir is already on the list.

Maybe you’re still figuring things out.

Either way, we hope you can picture it:

the Tower, the promenade, the lights, the ballrooms, the voices, the friends you haven’t met yet.

We’ll see you in Blackpool.

10/06/2026

This morning, we shared the first piece in our Why We Sing series.

It begins with a simple idea: singing brings us together — but it is not the whole story.

For LGBTQ+ choirs, singing can be a place to stand. A place to be heard. A place to find your people. A place where joy, confidence and belonging are built one rehearsal, one performance and one slightly chaotic harmony at a time.

As we look ahead to Hand in Hand Festival Blackpool 2027, we wanted to start by asking the question at the heart of it all:

Why do we sing?

Maybe because it gives us somewhere to belong.

Maybe because someone else’s courage unlocks our own.

Maybe because, for a few minutes at a time, breath, voice and people line up — and we remember that we are not on our own.

Read the first article now:
https://handinhandfestival.org/stories-reflections-archive/festival-reflections/why-we-sing/

Why do LGBTQ+ choirs matter? Why We Sing explores the joy, belonging, confidence and connection at the heart of Hand in Hand Festival — and why singing together is about so much more than music.

04/06/2026

The lights are coming on.

Just a few days into choir registration, 18 choirs have already signed up for Hand in Hand Blackpool 2027 — from Cork to Newcastle, Brighton to St Austell, and plenty of places in between.

Every registration is a little switch flicked.
Every choir adds another point of light.
And slowly, beautifully, the map starts to glow.

To the choirs already registered: thank you. We’re genuinely thrilled to see you on the road to Blackpool.

To the choirs still thinking about it: choir registration is open, and there’s plenty of room in the glow.

Choir leaders can register their choir now via our website.

01/06/2026

The First Switch is on.

Choir registration for Hand in Hand Blackpool 2027 is now open.

This is where the first lights begin to come on: choir by choir, voice by voice, yes by yes.

Choir leaders, it’s over to you: https://handinhandfestival.org/registration/choir-registration/

27/05/2026

Choir leaders, this first step is deliberately simple.

When choir registration opens on 1 June, you won’t need final performer numbers or every detail tied down.

We’ll ask for the essentials: who you are, which choir you’re registering, and the information we need to begin planning with you.

The bigger performer registration moment comes later.

For now, it’s just the first switch.

22/05/2026

We’re looking for a few brilliant humans to help us make Hand in Hand Blackpool 2027 as welcoming, accessible and inclusive as we possibly can.

We’ve now published two volunteer role descriptions:

Inclusion and Accessibility Coordinator
Inclusion and Accessibility Team Members

These are the people who’ll help us think through the practical stuff that really matters — clear access information, step-free routes, quiet spaces, venue support, good communication, and making sure people feel listened to rather than managed.

You don’t need to have done this exact thing before. Experience with accessibility, inclusion, volunteering, community events, care, education, front-of-house or LGBTQ+ community spaces would all be useful — but being calm, kind, practical and willing to learn matters just as much.

If this sounds like you, or someone you know, please take a look and feel free to share.

We’re looking for people to help shape inclusion at Hand in Hand Blackpool 2027, with new volunteer role descriptions now available for an Inclusion Coordinator and Inclusion Team Members.

21/05/2026

Before Blackpool lights up, someone has to flick the first switch.

On 1 June, choir registration opens for Hand in Hand Blackpool 2027 — and the first choirs begin lighting the way.

No stage yet.
No spotlight yet.
Just that brilliant little moment where someone says:

“Yes. We’re doing this.”

17/05/2026

Back home after a brilliant planning weekend in Blackpool — tired feet, full hearts, and a lot of exciting work now moving from “wouldn’t it be amazing if…” to “right, let’s make this happen.”

Over the past few days we’ve walked venues, checked spaces, talked through registration, performances, access, volunteers, finance, communications, and all the tiny-but-important bits that help a festival feel welcoming from the moment people arrive.

There’s still plenty to do — there always is — but this weekend reminded us why it matters.

Hand in Hand Blackpool 2027 is starting to feel very real now.

And choir registration opens on **1 June 2026**.
So yes… this is where it begins. 💗

15/05/2026

Two weeks until choir registration opens.

So naturally we’re in Blackpool aligning our seagulls.

Planning. Walking. Talking. Drinking too much coffee.
Standing in venues pointing at things.
And quietly having a moment of:
“Bloody hell. This is actually happening.”

See you soon 💗

25/04/2026

Somewhere this week,

someone’s already said:
“Should we go to Blackpool?”

And someone else said yes.