Eurovision Choir
Eurovision Choir is a biennial choral competition organised by the European Broadcasting Union and the Interkultur. The competition is modeled after Interkultur's World Choir Games. It is open to broadcasters that are members of the EBU. The inaugural competition took place on 22 July 2017, in Riga, Latvia.
Origins
Eurovision Choir is an event launched by the EBU, and the latest event to be launched since the Eurovision Magic Circus Show. The event consists of non-professional choirs who are members of the EBU, with the inaugural contest having taken place on 22 July 2017, hosted by the Latvian broadcaster Latvijas Televīzija, and coincided with the closing ceremony of the European Choir Games 2017. The event was officially confirmed on 30 November 2016 depending on a reasonable amount of interest from active members of the European Broadcasting Union. On 21 July 2017, it was announced that the Eurovision Choir of the Year would be a biennial contest unless viewing figures were higher than expected.The concept of Eurovision Choir was first discussed in 2014 as a contest organised by the Latvian national broadcaster, Latvijas Televizija, and the network Arte, following the positive reception of "Born in Riga", a concert organised by LTV. LTV approached multiple broadcasters including the EBU and Interkultur regarding the organisation of a new contest reaching a wider audience.
Format
The choir members of the EBU will compete for the title of the Eurovision Choir of the Year, with prizes including a recording contract for the winning choir. Each choir performs an unaccompanied ensemble of six minutes in any genre and is judged by a high-level jury who decide the winner.Participation
Listed are all the countries that have ever taken part in the competition alongside the year in which they made their debut:| Year | Country making its debut entry |
Hosting
Most of the expense of the contest is covered by commercial sponsors and contributions from the other participating nations. The table below shows a list of cities and venues that have hosted Eurovision Choir, one or more times. Future venues are shown in italics.| Contests | Country | City | Venue | Years |
| 1 | Riga | Arena Riga | ||
| 1 | Gothenburg | Partille Arena |