National Finals Viewing Party

The Poetry in Voice National Finals are coming up on April 28, 2026, at 1pm! This year, they’ll be taking place at Le Diamant in Quebec City, where nine student finalists will recite two poems each across three language streams (English, French, and Bilingual) to compete for $30,000 in prizes. The Finalists had to make it through the Senior Online Qualifiers, where students from across Canada submitted their video recitations in hopes of being one of 24 Semifinalists. 

Are you looking for an opportunity to bring poetry into your classroom by way of these passionate students and their recitations? We recommend using a Canada Reads (Canada Recites!) model to spark meaningful reflection and conversation about poetry and performance. Your students can champion their favourite recitation of the year and participate in a viewing party of the National Finals to watch the incredible finalists compete on stage. Maybe they’ll even be inspired to compete in a Poetry in Voice recitation contest next year! 

Use the lesson plan below to introduce your students to Poetry in Voice, engage in a Canada Recites group activity, host a viewing party for your students, and reflect on the experience. We hope this is a compelling and meaningful activity for your students, whether they are new to recitation or are familiar with Poetry in Voice contests.

Your viewing party can also be a springboard for a fresh exploration of our online anthology and our library of recitation videos.