Central & Eastern European Carols 2025

Celebrating the Festive Spirit of Europe

Europia’s Central & Eastern European Carols event brought together diverse communities from across the region to share the warmth, beauty, and traditions of a Central and Eastern European Christmas. Hosted in Manchester Cathedral, this gathering was a reflection of our commitment to celebrating heritage, strengthening community connections, and creating spaces where everyone is welcome.

The event intertwined traditional and contemporary carols, storytelling, and cultural performances, offering a glimpse into the rich festive customs that many Europeans hold close to their hearts.

With a live-stream recording available to watch on our Facebook page, the celebration continues to serve as a living archive of the voices, traditions, and shared stories that shape our communities.

As a donation-based event, cultural celebration and community empowerment went hand-in-hand, with contributions ensuring the continued support of European nationals across Greater Manchester.

A Glimpse into Central and Eastern European Carols 2025

Event highlights include:

Welcoming over 400 attendees to a space celebrating diversity and togetherness
Musical performances from community choirs and cultural groups from across Europe
A live Christmas nativity presented by young performers
Traditional and modern carols sung in multiple languages
A joyful finale where all performers came together

Participating Groups & Performers

The event featured a rotating line-up of Central and Eastern European community groups, schools, artists and choirs. These included:

Slava Ukrainian Choir
Slovacik – Slovak School & Community Manchester
Acapolla – Polish Vocal Group
Taras Shevchenko Ukrainian School in Manchester
Consulate General of Hungary represented by local performers
Mariia Dushuk – Ukrainian Solo Artist
Romanian Orthodox Community – Three Holy Hierarchs

We were hosted by two valued members of the Europia team:

George Wright, Chair of Trustees
Iryna Oliynyk, Advocacy & Impact Coordinator

Programme of Events

The programme reflects the cultural richness of the event and the collaborative spirit of the evening.

Why This Celebration Matters

Europia works to support and empower European nationals and Ukrainian and Roma communities across Greater Manchester, offering services in wellbeing, legal support, education, employment, and community integration. Events like Central & Eastern European Carols showcase not only the cultural richness of our communities but also the importance of creating spaces of belonging, visibility, and joy.