LSU’s annual Songfest brought music, energy and spirited competition to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Sunday, as students from across the university’s Greek organizations showcased months of choreography and teamwork.
Delta Gamma and Delta Chi captured both first place and the People’s Choice Award, as students, alumni and families filled the arena for the April 27 event.
Songfest, a long-standing LSU tradition, challenges fraternities and sororities to partner up and create five to seven-minute dance performances based on a central theme. This year’s theme, “Legends and Icons,” inspired a wide variety of creative interpretations, costume designs and musical mashups.

Second place went to Chi Omega and Sigma Chi, and Alpha Phi and Pi Kappa Alpha placed third. Other awards included Best Female Performance to Phi Mu, Best Male Performance to Alpha Tau Omega, Best Theme to Pi Beta Phi and Sigma Phi Epsilon, and Best Intro Video to the combined team of Kappa Delta, Sigma Alpha and Acacia.
The event, run by LSU Greek Life, emphasized both creativity and collaboration across the campus community. Preparation for Songfest begins months in advance. Addison Mann, a junior and Songfest liaison for Pi Beta Phi, said her team started auditions and choreography planning in mid-February.
“We built the dance piece by piece at each practice,” Mann said. “We practiced twice a week at first, then almost daily closer to the performance.”
Sara Kitchen, a senior from Delta Gamma who helped choreograph her team’s routine, said that motivating the fraternity participants, many of whom had no dance experience, was a unique challenge.

“We had to make it fun,” Kitchen said. “Once we started hanging out outside of practices and building friendships, they became more excited to show up and perform.”
Each team is allowed up to 13 female and 13 male performers. The emphasis on collaboration and camaraderie is a key part of the event’s lasting appeal.
Though Songfest originally began as a singing competition, it has evolved into one of the university’s most anticipated dance showcases. Students emphasized that beyond the competition, the event builds friendships across chapters and year groups.
“I still talk to people I met during my freshman year Songfest team,” Mann said. “It’s about making connections you might never have otherwise.”

Kaitlyn Bartiti, a sophomore kinesiology major and Songfest committee member, said the event is open to all LSU students and represents the larger culture of the university.
“It’s a way to bring the entire LSU community together, whether you’re Greek or not,” Bartiti said. “It shows how students can lead something this big all on their own.”
While proceeds from ticket sales support LSU Greek Life programming and events, many students said Songfest’s true reward is the experience itself.
“Watching it all come together is incredible,” Kitchen said. “It’s something we’ll all remember.”