Blackpool
100th Anniversary
Experience the Magic of Ballroom's Most Prestigious Dance Competition with your Fellow Am/Pro Teams
The Men in Black dancers are headed to Blackpool; come join the FUN!! 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of this prestigious Dancesport event; there has never been a better time to experience the history and excitement of Blackpool for am/pro dancers than now. If you want to take advantage of this exciting opportunity, please see the list of suggestions and expert tips for planning your trip below.
The Pro/Am events will run Saturday-Tuesday, then stick around for the Smooth camp and Professional events through Friday 5/22! Everything will wrap up with the Gala following the Professional Smooth events on Friday. There will be multiple opportunities for social outings and gatherings throughout the week!
Suggested dates:
Friday May 15 - Saturday May 23, 2026
Saturday 5/16 - Tuesday 5/19: Pro/Am & Teacher/Student Competition
Wednesday 5/20 - Thursday 5/21: Smooth Camp and MiB Social Outing
Thursday 5/21 - Friday 5/22: Amateur and Professional events
Flights: You can fly into Manchester or London, and take the train or rent a car to get to Blackpool.
Accommodations: Holiday Inn, or the Hilton Hotels are good options. You can also rent a condo or house through AirBnB for a good rate. The Blackpool Festival will be posting other recommended accommodations in the coming weeks, it is best to book soon!
Competition Entries: Should be opening next week! Projected date 12/22/2025. You must create an account through their website to submit entries. There are Closed Syllabus and Open Syllabus options. Attached is the posted schedule for the Pro/Am and Teacher/Student events happening 5/16-5/19.
Smooth Camp! Wednesday 5/20 & Thursday 5/21, run by Toni, Jonathan and Michael. Both Professional and Pro/Am focused.
Social Outing: Wednesday night, Balcony seats for Thursday and Friday, and Friday evening Gala included in packages!
