From Choir Festival to Queer Utopia: Inside Various Voices Brussels 2026

Every four years, one European city turns into a queer musical playground. In 2026, that city is Brussels – and Various Voices is ready to transform it into a vibrant, choral-powered celebration of LGBTQI+ lives, politics, and joy.

A festival that’s been queering Europe since 1985

Various Voices is the European festival that has been bringing LGBTQI+ choirs together since 1985, every four years in a different city. Supported and overseen by LEGATO – the European Federation of LGBTQI+ Choirs, it started in Cologne with just four choirs from four countries and has since grown into a major international event. The last edition gathered 110 choirs and 3,500 singers from 19 countries in Bologna – proof that queer choral culture is loud, proud, and thriving.

More than a concert programme, Various Voices is described as a musical home, a platform for connection and inspiration, where new friendships are made and queer culture is proudly celebrated. Hundreds of LGBTQI+ choirs from across Europe and beyond come together to sing, celebrate, and raise their voices for equality.

• Festival website: https://various-voices.be
• About page: https://various-voices.be/about-us/

Hosted by Sing Out Brussels! – The Fabulous Queer Choir

For the 2026 edition, Brussels was chosen over Barcelona to host the festival, with Sing Out Brussels! (The Fabulous Queer Choir) as the official host choir. Founded in 2018, Sing Out Brussels! is a community choir that puts every member’s identity at the centre, grounded in values of kindness, freedom, transparency, and solidarity. The choir mirrors Brussels’ international identity, with members from more than 20 countries and who speak 15 different languages.

To clearly distinguish the festival from the choir’s other projects, a dedicated non-profit association, Various Voices Brussels 2026 ASBL, was created in 2022. The festival is organised by an all-volunteer team, made up of members of Sing Out Brussels!, who drive the project with strong values: advocacy, creativity, inclusion, sustainability, joy, openness, interaction, solidarity, and diversity.

• Sing Out Brussels! info: https://various-voices.be/about-us/

The volunteers turning Brussels into a queer choral garden

Behind the scenes, an impressive crew of volunteers is building the festival as a safe, joyful, and radically inclusive space.

• Marina Belotti – Treasurer and one of the people who wrote the bid for the 2026 festival during the pandemic, she describes the project as turning “the margins of the norm into vibrant gardens for our communities” and hopes Brussels will feel like a garden where everyone can be themselves.
• Christophe Cordier – Deeply moved by his first Various Voices in Dublin in 2014, he now devotes his event, project management and communication skills to making the Brussels edition a dream come true for the community.
• Elli Tessier – First joined Various Voices in Bologna and now coordinates the Festival Village, guided by inclusivity, accessibility, and sustainability, and committed as a trans person to a festival where every letter of LGBTQI+ truly has its place.
• Walid Aissaoui – A tourist guide born and raised in Brussels, passionate about showing visitors surprising corners of the city, he focuses on partnerships with the City of Brussels so choirs can sing in unusual venues, and has experienced Various Voices with three different choirs.
• Damien Wauters – A pianist and music lover who has attended three editions of Various Voices, he now uses his “voice of wisdom” as a young retiree, keeping an eye on the budget and supporting key decisions.
• Stefano Abruzzini – A retired statistician who manages the festival registration platform INtegra, answering queries, fixing bugs, and preparing data reports, with a passion for using statistics to highlight diversity rather than hide it.

These stories show how deeply the festival is rooted in queer lived experience, community care, and a shared desire to build a safer, more joyful world through music.

Culture professionals powering the stage

Various Voices Brussels 2026 also relies on experienced professionals from the cultural world to make sure the festival not only feels good, but sounds and looks incredible.

• Simon Paco – Actor, performer and costume designer, they are the artistic director of the festival. They have directed productions such as Antigone(s), Sunset Boulevard, My Fair Lady, Elisabeth, and more, and previously served as artistic director of Sing Out Brussels! before joining Various Voices to actively contribute to a large-scale LGBTQIA+ project.
• Emily Allison – Jazz singer, composer and arranger, she is the music director of the festival. Based in Brussels since 2009, she holds a Master’s in Jazz Singing from the Koninklijk Conservatorium and has co-created several bands and albums while directing Sing Out Brussels! since its creation.
• Antoine Denis – Technical Director of the festival and manager of Audeo Events Technology, he works with key venues such as Bozar and C12 and ensures technical planning and teams match both the artistic ambitions and budgetary constraints of the festival.
• Vincent De Bast – Sound engineer with extensive experience in French-speaking and jazz scenes, he has already worked with Sing Out Brussels! on concerts and recordings and will guarantee the best possible sound for choirs and audiences across the festival venues.

Strong partners, strong values

The festival stands on a network of solid institutional and community partners who recognise its cultural and political importance.

• bezoek.brussel – The city’s tourist office, which has developed a bespoke LGBTQI+ tourism strategy, co-wrote the bid with the Convention Bureau and supports the Festival Village, public space events, communication and sponsorship.
• Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles – Provides financial support as part of its international outreach and equal opportunities policies, recognising the festival’s role in cultural LGBTQI+ rights and in promoting its image.
• Loterie Nationale – Supports the festival through its social responsibility initiatives, aligning with values of diversity, inclusion, solidarity and culture, and associating itself with a high-visibility event with strong social impact.
• Rainbow Visibilities (Rainbowhouse Brussels) – A support programme backed by Cocof that helps community initiatives for the LGBTQ+ community; it supported the production of the music video “Let Your Heart Be Heard.”

These partnerships help ensure that Various Voices Brussels 2026 is not just a feel-good event, but a powerful statement about queer visibility, culture, and rights at the heart of the Belgian and European capital.

About and partners: https://various-voices.be/about-us/

KET Magazine is a community‑driven, non‑profit magazine run by volunteers based in Brussels. Get in touch to share your thoughts or tell us about your activities. You can also promote your events on our website or support our work with a donation. Contact us at Info@ket.brussels.