Unison Choruses Canada is a national not-for-profit organization serving as a hub for Canadian 2SLGBTQIA+ choruses, fostering connections and providing essential resources for administration, fundraising, and programming. Your donation helps us support these vibrant communities and ensure their voices continue to be heard.
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Festival Update – September 2025
September 26, 2025
Unison Festival Vancouver 2026: Music Healing Spirit
Bringing Canada’s queer choirs together in song and celebration
With less than 230 days to go until Unison Festival 2026, plans are steadily coming together – from concert schedules to travel info and new website content. As choirs across the country return to rehearsal for a new season, this update shares highlights about what’s new, practical tips for planning your trip, and a spotlight on one of our member choirs.
In this issue:
Welcome Dustyn Baulkham, Festival General Manager
Please join us in welcoming Dustyn Baulkham, who's been selected from a strong field of applicants as our Festival General Manager. Dustyn brings a wealth of experience producing major 2SLGBTQIA+ events across North America and Europe, blending strong logistics with a creative, community-driven approach.
Dustyn will be working closely with our Festival team, volunteers, and partners to bring our theme – Music Healing Spirit – to life. He shares:“What excites me most about Unison is that it blends artistry, activism, and celebration over one long weekend – all within a community that knows the value of lifting each other up.”
New Festival Website Content
We’ve been busy behind the scenes, and several new and refreshed sections are now live on the Festival website. These pages include context, practical info, and inspiration as you prepare for Unison Festival 2026. Take a look and start planning your Festival weekend!
Plan Your Visit – Get oriented with an overview of Festival highlights, what to expect in Vancouver, and ideas for making the most of your time in the city.
Festival Choruses – Find out how you can join one of our massed ensembles, rehearse with singers from across the country, and experience the joy of raising your voice in a national chorus.
Music Healing Spirit – Learn about the inspiration behind our Festival theme and how it invites each choir to reflect, interpret, and share their own stories through song.
Festival 2026 Logo – Discover the story of Spindle Chorus, the original artwork by Chase Gray that embodies themes of community, land, and identity while giving Unison 2026 its vibrant visual character.
Festival Schedule and Concert Blocks
The schedule for Unison Festival 2026 is taking shape! From the Friday evening Opening Concert through to the Monday morning Closing Concert, the weekend will be full of music, connection, and celebration.
Highlights include:
Opening Concert (Fri, May 15) – Performances by Vancouver Men’s Chorus, Out in Harmony, Rainbow Chorus of New Westminster, and AVIVA Chorus.
Concert Blocks (Sat–Sun, May 16–17) – Four concert blocks, each 3–4 hours long, featuring choirs from across Canada in a carefully balanced line-up.
Closing Concert (Mon, May 18) – A massed celebration with the Festival Choruses (TTBB, SSAA, SATB) and our first-ever 2STNB Ensemble.
Festival Artistic Directors Kim Vance-Mubanga and Willi Zwozdesky are delighted that nearly every choir received their first or second choice of performance slot. The result is a diverse program of concert blocks designed to be both exciting for audiences and rewarding for singers.
Exact start and end times for each chorus, along with technical rehearsal schedules, will be shared closer to the Festival. For now, you can explore the order of performances and the general outline.
Special Presentation: Key of T
We’re pleased to announce that delegates will have the chance to experience Key of T – a powerful, co-created music/theatre performance featuring genderqueer singer Ari Agha (they/them), pianist Mackenzie Lyn Marr (she/her), and the voices of the audience. Directed by Robert Farid Karimi (he/they), Key of T invites us to hear Ari’s story of singing voice transition and reflect on the possibilities of voice and identity for everyone.
Thanks to the generosity of a Festival donor, this presentation will be offered at no cost to delegates. To ensure space, tickets will be offered to the earliest-registered delegates until the venue reaches capacity.
This is a unique opportunity to be part of an interactive, moving performance that blends storytelling, music, and audience participation.
Airfare Discounts for Unison Delegates
Planning your trip to Vancouver could be a bit easier, with some Canadian airlines offering airfare discounts for Unison Festival 2026 delegates. Each participating airline provides a unique promotion code and travel window, so you’ll want to check the details before booking.
These discounts apply to select fare categories and may not combine with seat sales, but they can still help lower your costs when flying to or from Vancouver. Because the Festival coincides with the Victoria Day long weekend, flights are expected to fill quickly – book early if you can!
Applicable travel periods generally cover the week before and after the event, giving you the option to extend your stay and explore more of the city and region. Note: Delegate discount codes usually only apply when booking directly on the airline’s own website, and not through third-party travel sites such as Expedia or Kayak.
When you’re ready to book, review the airline-specific terms, enter the correct promo code, and confirm that your chosen fare qualifies.
➤ View airline discounts and promo codes
Unison Voices: Halifax Gay Men’s Chorus
In each newsletter, we feature one of Unison’s member choirs. This month, meet the Halifax Gay Men’s Chorus (HGMC) – hosts of the 2023 Unison Festival.
Founded in 2019, HGMC has quickly grown into a thriving fellowship of more than 70 members. With every concert, HGMC combines artistic energy, a welcoming spirit, and proud visibility for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Halifax and beyond. Known for singing to sold-out audiences, the choir has embraced artistic excellence while fostering inclusivity, diversity, and fun at every step.
➤ Learn more about their story and upcoming performances
Local Love: Getting Around Vancouver
One of the best things about Vancouver? You don’t need a car to enjoy the city. Ranked among Canada’s most walkable cities, Vancouver is easy to explore on foot, by bike, or by transit. The downtown core is compact, bike lanes are everywhere, and most Festival events will be just minutes from hotels and attractions.
Walking: Vancouver regularly ranks as the most walkable city in Canada. Check out the City's Walk Vancouver pages for walking routes and maps.
Transit: Vancouver’s SkyTrain, bus, and SeaBus system (Translink) makes it easy to reach destinations across the region. Transit runs frequently, is safe, and connects directly to the airport.
Bikes and Scooters: With more than 300 km of bikeways (including many protected lanes), cycling is a great way to get around. You can rent a Mobi bike for short trips or hop on a Lime e-scooter for extra zip. The City of Vancouver also provides detailed bike route maps.
Ride-sharing and Carshare: When you do need wheels, Uber and Lyft are available, and local carshare services like Evo and Modo make it simple to rent a vehicle by the minute or hour.
Walking and public transit are often the most popular options for getting around in Vancouver.
Call for Interest: Unison 2030
Is your chorus or city ready to host the next Unison Festival? Planning is starting to select the host for 2030, and we’re inviting expressions of interest from across the country.
Choruses or cities wishing to bid must send a letter of intent to the Unison Choruses Canada Board of Directors by February 18, 2026. Those who submit will receive full bidding details and will be included in the process to select our next host city.
The winning host city will be announced at the Closing Concert of Unison Festival 2026 in Vancouver on May 18, 2026.
➤ Read the full Call for Interest and timeline
➤ Questions? Reach out to: festivalbid@unisonchoruses.ca
Cheers!
Thanks for reading this month’s Festival Update. We’ll be back with more news as plans continue to come together – and we hope you’re looking forward to joining us in Vancouver!
Call to Conductors: Help us connect with your singers! Please share this newsletter with them and mention it when you gather this choral season. We want to be sure every attendee receives the latest Festival updates. Sign up at: unisonchoruses.ca/newsletters
Tell Us What You’d Like to Hear: Do you have an idea for something we should feature in an upcoming issue? Something you'd like to know? We'd love to hear from you. Drop us a note at: communications@unisonchoruses.ca
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