World Karaoke Championships
Confirmed for Killarney

September 2011

It was announced today that The World Karaoke Championships will take place in the INEC, Gleneagle, Killarney in September 2011.

The announcement was made when Heidi Moijanen, Director of Foreign Affairs, Karaoke World Championships Organisation, travelled to Kerry from Helsinki to finalise the contract with Patrick O'Donoghue, Managing Director of the INEC.

In excess of 25 countries are expected to participate in the Championships which will take place from September 8 th to 10 th 2011. National trials are conducted in each participating country with the winners competing in the International finals for the titles of male and female Karaoke World Champions. The participants, along with their families, supporters and karaoke enthusiasts from all over the world are expected to converge on Killarney for the event.

The National trials in the US are expected to attract huge international attention this year with television network ABC set to broadcast the event. The 2010 Championship will take place in Moscow , Russia in September.

The INEC, Gleneagle, Killarney in association with Karaoke Ireland , The Kerry Convention Bureau and Fáilte Ireland supported Killarney's bid to host the 2011 Championships.

Ann Marie Campell and Liz Cosgrove, official Irish partners of the Karaoke World Championships, put Killarney forward as the host destination.

“We have travelled to numerous World Karaoke Championships and always wished that Ireland would some day host the Championships and having viewed what Killarney and the INEC has on offer we immediately recognised Killarney's potential to host such an event.

“Killarney's world renowned natural beauty combined with its world class facilities and tradition of welcoming visitors for hundreds of years means that we know our thousands of Global Karaoke friends can look forward to the best of welcomes in Killarney,” said Ann Marie Campbell.

“Also, the fact that so many people can stay on site at the INEC, in the official event accommodation, was a major factor taken into consideration when choosing the INEC venue,” said Liz Cosgrove.

Local organisers are already working with Kerry Convention Bureau and Fáilte Ireland on a festival programme for the event. In the meantime Karaoke Ireland will hold its first ever Karaoke Festival in Portlaoise later this year.