Northern Lights A Cappella has won the UK finals of the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) for the fourth consecutive year.
Following a polished performance at the New Wimbledon Theatre in London on Saturday 7 March, the 16-strong ensemble topped the podium once again to cement their position as the UK’s finest A Cappella group. This is the fourth time in a row Northern Lights has claimed the title, and the sixth time overall. Group members Joe Butler-Smith and Bede Capstick also picked up a special award for Outstanding Choreography for the entire set.
Northern Lights' set crossed decades of music, starting with Queen’s rebellious ‘I Want It All’ and ABBA’s ‘Money, Money, Money’, and nodding to the ‘King of Pop’ with Michael Jackson’s edgy ‘Smooth Criminal’. It then shifted gear to Christopher Cross’ energetic ‘Ride Like the Wind’, ending with Adele’s haunting ‘Skyfall’.
They competed against nine other A Cappella groups from across the UK and were placed first with 428 points, ahead of Aquapella from the University of Bath with 404 points in second, and Nth Harmonic from Imperial College London with 327 points in third.
We have an extraordinary range of student music and theatre at Durham. Northern Lights exemplifies this. Their performances are absolutely stunning and their standard never ceases to amaze me. I am immensely proud of their talent and continued success on the world stage.
Northern Lights will progress to the ICCA world finals in New York on Saturday 25 April where they face nine other global A Cappella groups. They will be the only UK ensemble and have fast become a force to be reckoned with, having placed third overall in the 2025 ICCA competition.
In the interim, you can find them headlining at Newcastle Vocal Jam on Sunday 15 March, and taking part in the UK-wide Open A Cappella competition in London on Saturday 21 March.
Northern Lights backstage at the ICCA 2026 competition.
The ICCA and The Varsity Vocals International Championship of High School A Cappella (ICHSA) are the only global tournaments that showcase the art of student A Cappella.
The ICCA is the competition that the ‘Pitch Perfect’ movies are based around. It was founded in a college dorm room in 1996 and has since grown to include 450 groups competing in nine regions in the US and Europe.
There are over 60 University-wide music and theatre groups for Durham students to choose between, from brass bands to improvised comedy. Students are supported to explore their interests by a dedicated team of professional staff, whether taking advantage of performance opportunities, or learning to operate technical equipment. Access to the University’s own 175-seat Sir Thomas Allen Assembly Rooms Theatre, coupled with regular shows at major venues in Durham city provides an unrivalled experience in performing arts.
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Main image back row, left to right: Poppy Wright, Tom Carroll, Dan Laheney, Olly Fleming, Aman Krishna, Cate Cowper, Charlie McKie, Lucille Richards, Hannah James.
Main image front row, left to right: Imani Randall-Morgan, Georgia Corbett-Clark, Lara Sowande, Will Miles-Kingston, Mariam Siali, Bede Capstick, Joe Butler-Smith.
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