BBC’s Cardiff Singer of the World competition, held every two years since its founding in 1983, will be canceled for 2025 due to construction at St. David’s Hall, the Welsh venue where the popular singing contest is held.
The cancellation is not unexpected. The venue closed in September 2023 after an inspection found that the roof could collapse. At the time, officials said the venue would be closed for at least 18 months, but didn’t specify how, or if, the closure would impact the Singer of the World competition. The next contest will not be held until 2027.
Founded by BBC Wales in 1983 to celebrate the opening of St. David’s Hall, the event has never before missed a biennial competition, including during the COVID pandemic years. The competition has served as a launchpad for major international talent, such as winners Karita Mattila (1983), Dmitri Hvorostovsky (1989), Anja Harteros (1999), and Jamie Barton (2013).
