Dance Festivals
Festivals are usually run by volunteers and last for a few weeks. Dancers will perform in their age/style category and be judged by an examiner from a UK leading dance faculty. All dancers receive a certificate, mark and feedback.
Eastbourne Festival 2027
Takes place in February Half Term every year
Entries open in September
Worthing Festival 2026
Pavilion Theatre, Worthing
Entries open in Autumn term
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Sussex Festival 2026
The Hawth, Crawley
Solos, Duets, Trio/Quartets
NEW BURY THEATRE, HURSTPIERPOINT COLLEGE, HURSTPIERPOINT
Large Group Day: Full Team!
HAWTH THEATRE, CRAWLEY
Other festivals
Please note that students may not miss group rehearsals or anything they have committed to for the team in order to attend festivals as a soloist. Please always check with teachers first.
See all here
Petersfield Dance Festival
July
Parents do their own entries via website
Fareham Dance Festival
July/Aug
Parents do their own entries via Festival Connect
South Theatre Arts Festival
July + various
Parents do their own entries via website
Bright Star Festival
July, August + various
Parents do their own entries via form
Southsea Festival
October
Entries for 2025 Open June 1st 10am
Parents do their own entries via website
1066 Festival of Performing Arts AED Qualifier
St Leonards
Oct–Nov
Kingston Upon Thames Festival 2025 AED
Oct–Nov
Hastings Music and Arts Festival 2026 AED
Feb–Mar
Chichester Festival of
Music, Dance & Speech 2026 AED
Feb–Mar
Dance Comps
Dance Competitions have become more popular in the UK and take place over one or two days. Often the dance categories follow current trends. We take a selected team (often only our Teens/Seniors) to compete at these events as there is limited space.
WHO DOES ENTRIES?
BDA often enters dance competitions on behalf of our dancers.
Destination Dance Finals
6–7 June 2026
University of Warwick, Coventry
Dancers may take part in this if they qualify at the regional heat, but please note that this is the weekend after All England Regionals.
Global Dance Open (World Finals)
14th–19th July 2026, San Sebastian, Spain
Must qualify at regional finals to compete
2026–2027 competition dates for your diary
Supreme Dance Competition
The Stag, Sevenoaks Regional Heat
Saturday 31 Oct and Sunday 1 Nov 2026
60 entries reserved
Destination Dance
The Stag, Sevenoaks Regional Heat
Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 January 2027
150 entries reserved
Special Events
All England Dance
All England Dance Regionals
Venue: Fareham Live
Please arrive 1-hour before your first dance
Saturday, May 23, 2026
12:30 – Twilight Romance
16:35 – God Gave Me Feet For Dancing
Sunday, May 24, 2026
12:10 – Home to Me
15:05 – Evil (Senior Jazz/Modern Large Group)
15:05 – Beethoven in Havana
18:30 – Feeling Good
18:30 – Driven
Monday, May 25, 2026
11:45 – Gershwin
14:00 – What He Wrote (Senior Lyrical Small Group)
16:25 – Fallin’ (Senior Jazz/Modern Small Group)
16:25 – Liquid Spirit
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
11:55 – Walking with Clouds
15:10 – Peter Pan
18:45 – Life On Mars
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
12:55 – Cinderella Waltz
14:15 – Under Pressure
15:35 – Deep Breaths
Thursday, May 28, 2026
12:40 – Walk On By
16:55 – The Speakeasy
16:55 – The Look
Sunday, May 31, 2026
19:10 – Unwritten
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All England Dance, National Finals
25 July – 2 August 2026
Winter Garden Theatre
and Congress Theatre Eastbourne
Other Events
Southern Dance Class Awards
Sunday 21 September – Brighton
Sunday 18 January – Grand Finals (Clash)
Performers Of The Future, Brighton 2026
Sunday 18 January, Brighton Dome
Performing: Senior Large Group Open
Making Moves Regional Platform
Sadlers Wells Lilian Bayliss Theatre
Friday 13 February, BDC Youth only
Elite Competitions
Ballet Grand Prix – Semi-Final in London
Dancers enter and take part in a masterclass. If selected to go through to the finals, dancers will prepare a ballet and contemporary solo.
https://www.balletgrandprix.co.uk/home
The Performance Platform
For classical repertoire soloists
https://www.theperformanceplatform.org.uk/