Programme Overview

Sharing inspiration and new ideas, a dance and a chat, a drink and snack, moments to get surprised and to be turned Upside Down…

Are you ready for the next edition of Upside Down Festival?

See below for the detailed schedules of daily activities and bonus tracks.

Our Bonus Tracks

For all who are hungry for more, we have some fine tracks available. 

You’ve never danced Lindy Hop what even is Lindy Hop? You’d like to join our parties and want to learn how to move energetically to this wonderful music? We’ll get you ready to party with us and we immerse you in the world of swing dances, music, and its culture. 

Have you only recently started swing dancing? Have you been a fresh, rising star for the past months or for the past year and you feel like your self-confidence can use a little boosting? These classes will make you feel more at home during the parties at night. Come on and shine! 

We’ll be exploring the thrilling fun or absolute challenge of deconstructing and reconstructing jazz and swing dancing. What is being an authentic jazz dancer? What is free and unconventional? And where do we take responsibility for jazz dance qualities and Black African American roots and context? Let’s rock this. 

Join a group of dancers to work 12 hours over 4 days during the festival on a performance together. You’ll be shining on stage for a whole audience to cheer and encourage you on. No previous stage experience required.

Want a bit of everything? Well, you can have it in our Pick ‘n’ Mix Track! 

You can choose between 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, or 16 hours of classes, depending on your energy or budget.

You can choose a different class each day depending on your mood. The options each day will be between:

Let’s get you turned Upside Down! Don’t expect a typical lindy hop class. We made a nice selection of dances with a swing era link that allow you to expand your dancing skills.

Every day, three teachers present you a different topic. You can decide on the spot which workshop you’ll attend.

Swing Expansion is part of the Pick ‘n’ Mix Track

Feel like looking from a different perspective? Why not try painting? Or singing? We will be inviting artists of all types to do workshops with you. It might affect your dancing in unexpected ways. 

Arts Discovery is part of the Pick ‘n’ Mix Track

Upside Down Daily Activities

You’re out of class or have opted for a less intensive festival? What’s there to do? Don’t worry, darlings, we’ve got you! Come and experience all the activities you like. The Upside Down activities are open for everybody. 

Jazz Café

You want to recover from the busy program and want some quality time with others. Let’s enjoy our jazz café where it’s all about hanging out with other dancers, catching some nice food and drinks, and hopefully enjoying some sun.

Out of the box

Life is more than dancing? Of course! We’ve selected some nice non-dancing afternoon activities. Perfect to get out of the dancing bubble and be refreshed for the evening parties.

You’ll be able to register for Out of the Box activities at the festival.

Topical talks

These workshops are about festival management and the swing community. We’ll share experiences, good practices, thoughts and doubts. Perfect for everybody that’s involved, or interested in the swing community and organising swing dance festivals. Let’s activate our brains and commit our organizational skills to tackling ecological, economical and social problems.  

Roundtable discussions

These open chats will be about topics that are close to our hearts.

You’re not afraid of challenging your own ideas? You like to question your own point of view? You like to listen to people sharing their own passionate ideas? Come and participate or just listen, hopefully you will feel empowered against the tiresome tide of miscommunication.
They will be guided but time limited so you might need to take them to dinner with you too!

Daily and Bonus track Schedules

Evenings of Upside Down

What to expect when the sun goes down.

Parties

ROLL UP ROLL UP for 5 nights of parties! A fine selection of bands, DJ’s, competitions and midnight encounters are waiting. It’s never over before 5 am strikes and often we’re dancing home into the sunrise.

Sure, we like competitions! But let’s do something a little bit different.

Every day we’ll hold one competition, with different formats, challenges, partners, etc. etc. For most competitions, you will be able to sign up during the festival or even on the spot.

Don’t be shy and don’t be late, our daily starters are always great! Before the lights turn out and the music begins we have Upside Down moments to provoke connections, inspiration and new ideas. Come feel the vibrations!