The ‘King of Waltz’ flies into Blackpool Dance Festival looking for couples to dance the world

Legendary Dutch violinist André Rieu visits the 100th Blackpool Dance Festival to recruit couples for his spectacular world tour celebrating his 80th birthday.

The world of competitive ballroom dance is set for an extraordinary moment next week as André Rieu — the celebrated Dutch violinist, conductor and often-called ‘King of Waltz' — flies into Blackpool to attend the centenary celebrations of the 100th Blackpool Dance Festival on the afternoon of Tuesday, 26th May 2026, at 3pm.

Arriving at Blackpool Airport, Rieu and his team will make their way directly to the magnificent Empress Ballroom of the Winter Gardens, one of the most iconic dance venues in the world, where he will address thousands of competitors gathered for the festival’s landmark centenary edition.

In a once-in-a-lifetime announcement, Rieu will invite competitors at the festival to apply to join him on his forthcoming 80th Birthday Anniversary World Tour in 2029 — a spectacular journey spanning multiple countries, in which he will celebrate eight decades of his life through the art form he loves most: the waltz.

Rieu is seeking couples to waltz alongside him and his world-renowned Johann Strauss Orchestra. True to the theatrical grandeur for which his arena tours are celebrated, all selected couples will be dressed in identical, specially commissioned costumes — the sweeping gowns and immaculate suits that have become the hallmark of the André Rieu spectacle.

Rieu’s arena shows are internationally renowned for their sheer scale and visual splendour, and his Maastricht summer and Christmas concerts routinely feature between 150 and 300 dancers waltzing, twirling and sweeping across the stage to iconic pieces such as The Second Waltz and Lara’s Theme. The 2029 tour promises to be one of the most ambitious and emotionally resonant productions of his storied career.

With over 2,000 dancers – many of them at the very top of their field competing at the Winter Gardens this week, the Blackpool Dance Festival represents exactly the calibre of talent Rieu has come to find.

André Rieu said: “I am very much looking forward to coming to Blackpool to meet all of you and hope many of you would like to join me on my tour in 2029!”

The Blackpool Dance Festival, now in its landmark 100th year, is the world’s most prestigious competitive ballroom dancing event. Held annually at the Winter Gardens’ Empress Ballroom — a breathtaking Victorian venue of ornate gilding and sweeping balconies — the festival attracts competitors from over 50 countries across the globe.

Natalie Hayes, Organiser, Blackpool Dance Festival, said: “To have André Rieu walk through the doors of the Empress Ballroom in this, our centenary year, is almost beyond words. For our competitors, who have dedicated their lives to perfecting every sthis moment isis is an opportunity that will simply never come again.

“To perform alongside André on one of the dates on his world tour in front of tens of thousands of people — is the stuff of dreams. We are enormously proud that he has chosen the Blackpool Dance Festival as the place to make this announcement.”

Blackpool has long been acknowledged as the global capital of competitive ballroom dancing. The town’s intimate association with the dance world stretches back over a century, and the annual festival remains its crowning jewel, drawing competitors, judges and spectators from every corner of the globe.

Kate Shane MBE, Managing Director, Blackpool Tourism, said: 'Blackpool is the home of dance, a fact recognised the world over. When the greatest dancers on earth want to test themselves against the very best, they come to Blackpool.

“André Rieu’s visit to the magnificent Empress Ballroom in our centenary year is a magnificent tribute to everything this festival and this town represent.”

How to Apply

Couples wishing to audition for a place on the André Rieu 80th Birthday Anniversary World Tour 2029 will be invited to apply following Rieu’s address at the Empress Ballroom.

Full details of the application process, including audition requirements and selection criteria, will be announced at the event.