Mayo Choral Festival is getting closer and closer. The excitement is building to the weekend of 23rd-25th May when 40+ choirs will take to the stage to perform for the people of Mayo. The scale of the event is enormous - 800+ singers staying in our county, an amazing Friday night on 24th May of concerts around the county - in Newport, Killala, Ballintubber, Ballina, Ballinrobe and Swinford involving the choirs attending the festival, choir competitions all day Saturday in four venues, a major new addition on Saturday with the fringe events around the streets of Castlebar and an incredible Gala Concert in the Royal Theatre on Saturday night including a performance by the massed choir, a dawn chorus on Sun morning, performances at some services on Sunday and that's only the highlights! Just a small representative sample of the participating choirs are pictured here - full details of all choirs are available at www.mayochoral.com

Last year's overall winners - from Dublin.

You really should be part of this incredible weekend - the Friday night concerts tickets are a mere 10 euro, a competition ticket on Saturday costs only 5 euro which gives you access to all four venues and the Gala Concert on Saturday night - which promises to be amazing - is priced at 12 euro (tickets from Royal Theatre box office or website.

Portadown Male Voice Choir

Kick starting the festival and building towards the big weekend, we have an incredible night's entertainment planned for you on Saturday night next, May 11th at the Church of the Holy Rosary in Castlebar when Mayo Male Voice Choir, St. Gerald's Senior Choir and St. Joseph's Senior Choir join with our special guests Reading Male Voice Choir for a major concert at 8.30 p.m. We would like to extend an invitation to all music lovers to come along on Sat night and help us get the Festival off with a bang!

Note-orious 4 from Sligo - a barbershop quartet - if you haven't heard them you are in for a treat!

Oban Gaelic Choir - all the way from Oban, Scotland.

The Euchiariadis Ladies make their first appearance at the Festival, following the success of the Euchiariadis choir last year.

Coming for the Fringe Festival, it will be great to welcome Reading Male Voice Choir all the way from Reading, England.

Cantóirí Choir from Dublin.