This May bank holiday (1st May – 4th May) will see London’s Southbank Centre on the banks of the river Thames host Various Voices, Europe’s biggest LGBT festival of song and singing. More than 60 international lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender choirs from 14 countries (2000+ singers in all) will perform 50 concerts over 96 hours, in a programme that has something for everyone – and everyone’s invited!
 
Various Voices encompasses everything from small, intimate vocal ensembles to huge concerts of massed voices, professional performances, ballroom dancing and late-night cabaret, but also workshops, masterclasses, parties, meetings and other social activities. From Friday’s London Sings Out! opening ceremony featuring a selection of visiting choirs and special guest soloist Lesley Garrett singing You’ll Never Walk Alone (from Carousel), to Waterloo Sunset, the finale event including the world No1 same-sex ballroom dancers Caro and Petra, nothing comes close for music lovers in Europe this weekend.
 
London’s hosting of Various Voices will be the 12th pan-European gay choral festival, which takes place every four years with cities competing for the honour, awarded by Legato, the European umbrella organisation for lesbian and gay choirs. The last Various Voices, in 2005, was staged in Paris.
 
www.variousvoices.com