For the global street dance community, the UDO World Street Dance Championships isn’t just another competition – it’s a proving ground, a meeting point, and for some dancers, a life-changing moment.
Each August, crews from across the world converge on Blackpool’s Winter Gardens in the UK, bringing with them their cultures, stories, and years of training and rehearsal. From under-six beginners stepping on stage for the first time, to advanced crews battling it out for cash prizes and global recognition, UDO (United Dance Organisation) Worlds has become a space where real street dance lives and breathes.
UDO Street Dance Championships began in 2002, founded by Simon Dibley in Cardiff, Wales, after he recognised a glaring absence in the competitive landscape for street dance. That first one-day regional event in Wales sparked something bigger. By 2005, UDO held its first World Championships, and two decades later, the event has grown into one of the most inclusive and far-reaching street dance competitions on the planet, welcoming dancers from Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and beyond.
What makes UDO stand out is its depth. Battles, solos, duos, teams, super crews, parent-and-child categories, and styles ranging from hip hop and popping to locking and house. And all split into beginner, novice, intermediate and advanced levels. It’s not just about the elite; it’s about every street dancer.
The 10th Anniversary 2025 Championships delivered many standout performances, but one moment cut through the rest.
The Ultimate Advanced category, UDO’s most anticipated division, brought together top crews from around the world, all competing for a significant cash prize. First place took home £12,500, and when the winners were announced, the room erupted.
The winning crew, Nocturnal Dance Company, from the Philippines took to the stage in disbelief.
“When they won,” recalls Lucy Greenslade, Head of Marketing & Franchise Holder for UDO. “I mean, I was in tears.”
Backstage, emotions also poured out. Through a translator, the crew shared their story – one that resonated deeply with the ethos of street dance. They come from “a really deprived area of the Philippines, practically the streets. They don’t train in a studio. They practise outside,” says Greenslade.
Getting to the UK wasn’t easy. The crew fundraised relentlessly, supported by UDO’s Asian partners, just to stand on that Blackpool stage. And when they did, they didn’t just compete – they owned it.
“The prize money would really help them,” Greenslade explains. “It’s transformative because they are… from a deprived area of the Philippines and they just love dancing.”
It was a reminder of why street dance exists in the first place: expression, survival, connection, challenge.
Holding a World Street Dance Championships in Blackpool at the home of ballroom dancing may sound unexpected to some, but within the community, it makes perfect sense. The Winter Gardens offers multiple rooms, iconic ballrooms, and a sense of history that street dancers have come to call home over the past decade.
Many competitors return year after year to stand on those same stages. “A lot of our judges used to be competitors,” Greenslade shares, “so for them, it is a full circle moment. Even for me, it’s a circle moment,” she says, having experienced the competition first as a dancer and now as a Franchise Holder running one of the regional events that make up the broader competition.
Looking ahead: UDO Worlds 2026
The UDO World Street Dance Championships 2026 will return to Blackpool from 12 – 16 August, once again bringing together the global street dance family. Qualifiers will take place throughout the season, leading dancers from local regionals to one of the biggest stages in the scene.
For crews dreaming of representing themselves and their country, for battlers chasing that next level, and for dancers who simply want to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the global street community – UDO Worlds remains a place where stories are written, claims are staked, not just titles won.
Because sometimes, one performance really can change everything.
Dance Informa is a proud media partner for UDO World Street Dance Championships 2026, and we’ll be sharing news, feature articles and exciting updates in the lead up to the event.
“As CEO of the UDO Group, I’m incredibly excited to announce our media partnership with Dance Informa, a collaboration that marks a powerful new chapter in how we showcase and elevate the global dance community,” says Simon Dibley.
For more information, head to the UDO website.
