Festival History

The festival began in the 1984 as the National Street Band Festival, featuring music groups as well as choirs. The festival was renamed to the National Street Music Festival in 1991. In 1997, the event became choirs only, and in 2006, changed its name to the National Street Choirs Festival. To reflect the UK-wide nature of the festival, the name was changed to Street Choirs Festival in 2013. The 2013 festival also saw the birth of the Campaign Choirs Network, a group of choirs with a shared interest in political and social campaigning.

1984SheffieldNational Street Band Festival
1985 (May)NewcastleNational Street Band Festival
1985 (November)ManchesterNational Street Band Festival
1986BradfordNational Street Band Festival
1987BristolNational Street Band Festival
1988LiverpoolNational Street Band Festival
1989LeicesterNational Street Band Festival
1990NewcastleNational Street Band Festival
1991London, HackneyBig Red Band and Raised VoicesNational Street Music Festival
1992SheffieldSheffield Socialist ChoirNational Street Music Festival
1993CardiffCôr CochionNational Street Music Festival
1994LeedsLeeds People’s ChoirNational Street Music Festival
1995StroudNational Street Music Festival
1996NottinghamNottingham Clarion ChoirNational Street Music Festival
1997MorecambeNational Street Music Festival
1998LeicesterRed LeicesterNational Street Music Festival
1999BradfordNational Street Music Festival
2000ManchesterNational Street Music Festival
2001NottinghamNottingham Clarion ChoirNational Street Music Festival
2002Hebden BridgeCalder Valley VoicesNational Street Music Festival
2003BelperThe Rough TrufflesNational Street Music Festival
2004LeedsLeeds People’s ChoirNational Street Music Festival
2005[13]Saltaire/ShipleyBradford VoicesNational Street Music Festival
2006GatesheadCaedmon Choir and Heaton VoicesNational Street Choirs Festival
2007ManchesterManchester Community ChoirNational Street Choirs Festival
2008BrightonHullabaloo Community QuireNational Street Choirs Festival
2009WhitbyWhitby Community ChoirNational Street Choirs Festival
2010SheffieldOut AloudNational Street Choirs Festival
2011WhitbyWhitby Community ChoirNational Street Choirs Festival
2012BuryBury Acapeelers Community ChoirNational Street Choirs Festival
2013AberystwythCôr GobaithStreet Choirs Festival
2014Hebden BridgeCalder Valley VoicesStreet Choirs Festival
2015WhitbyWhitby Community ChoirNational Street Choirs Festival
2016LeicesterRed LeicesterStreet Choirs Festival
2017KendalLakeland VoicesStreet Choirs Festival
2018BrightonHullabaloo Community QuireStreet Choirs Festival
2019ManchesterManchester Community ChoirStreet Choirs Festival
2020Pocklington (Cancelled)CancelledStreet Choirs Festival
2021MiddlesbroughNo in person festival due to COVID19.Choirs invited to sing in their own locations.Street Choirs Festival
2022WhitbyWhitby Community Choir and Northern ChorusStreet Choirs Festival