OTB Street Dance Competition July 2026 – Blackpool Tower
Welcome to the Competition Info Page for OTB Weekender- Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th July at Blackpool Tower Ballroom
Here, you’ll find all the information you need to plan your time with us. Use the tabs at the bottom of this page to navigate through different sections of information for this event. Please note that final event details are typically posted one week before the event, once entries have been processed.
This is one of our main events and is open to dancers of all levels.
Entry Limits:
Each dancer can participate in the following across the weekend:
- Workshops on both days
- One team event
- One set routine event
- One freestyle solo event
- One duo event
- One fun duo on Saturday (Little & Large or Parent & Child)
- One fun duo on Sunday (mixed dance school duo or teacher/student)
- One trio OR quad event
- One house battle event
- Party night on Saturday
- Megacrew section (Sunday)
Winners of set routine/freestyle solos will also compete in ‘tops of’ finals. Please note that any teachers competing can only take part in limited events. Please check through rules on this.
Schedule
Below is a draft schedule based on last years entries. Confirmed times will be released 1 week prior to the event.
Saturday 4th July
Morning
- 10:00am – Promenade doors open
- 10:45am – Ballroom doors open (teachers access earlier)
- 11:15am – 11:45am – Warm-Up Workshop (11 years & under)
- 12:00pm – 12:30pm – Warm-Up Workshop (12 years & over)
Afternoon
- 12:45pm – Trios & Quads (7 years & under / 9 years & under)
- 1:15pm – Trios & Quads (11 years & under / 13 years & under)
- 1:45pm – Trios & Quads (15 years & under / 16 years & over)
- 2:15pm – Freestyle solos (11 years & under – Class Members/Beginners/Intermediates)
- 3:45pm – Advanced Freestyle Solos (All ages) & Parents Freestyle
- 4:15pm – Freestyle solos (12 years & over – Class Members/Beginners/Intermediates)
- 5:15pm – Tops of Solos (Class Members, Beginners, Intermediates) & Elite All Stars
- 5:45pm – Little & Large / Parent & Child
Evening
- 7:15pm – All 12 years & over Team Events & Parents Teams
- 8:30pm – Party
- 10:00pm – 10:30pm – Approximate finish
Sunday 5th July
Morning
- 8:00am – Promenade doors open
- 8:30am – Ballroom doors open (teachers access earlier)
- 9:00am – Beginner/Intermediate Workshop (level aimed at dancers entering Set Routines 1-3 dancers or dancers aged 11 years & under)
- 10:00am – All 11 years & under Team Events
- 11:30am – Set Routines 1-3 (All ages)
- 11:30am – Workshop 2 in another room (level aimed at dancers entering Set Routines 4-7 or dancers aged 12 years & over )
Afternoon
- 1:45pm – Set Routines 4-6 (All ages)
- 3:45pm – Tops of Set Routines
- 4:15pm – All 11 years & under Duos Events
- 5:10pm – All 12 years & over Duos Events
- 5:50pm – Teacher/Student Duos & Mixed Dance School Duos
Evening
- 6:20pm – 11 Years & Under House Battle
- 7:00pm – 12 Years & Over House Battle
- 7:30pm – 8:00pm – Approximate finish
Note: Megacrew section will also be held on Sunday (time TBC)
Age Categories
Please refer to the link below for the initial programme for this event. Note that the age categories may be adjusted slightly once all entries have been processed. The finalised age categories will be displayed here one week prior to the event.
Provisional Saturday Programme- click here
Provisional Sunday Programme- click here
Judges
Important Information
A Body of Persons Approval (BOPA) has been issued for this event by the local Council. Under BOPA conditions, the priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of all event participants, with particular attention to children up to school-leaving age. This should be considered a team effort between:
* Event Organisers
* Event Staff
* Licensed Chaperones
* Dance School Teachers/Leaders
* Parents/Guardians/Responsible Adults
It would be much appreciated if all attendees could take note of the following information.
Photo/ Video Policy-
As this is a private event for event participants and their family/friends, our organisation would like to be able to permit the use of cameras to capture these special memories. We would however like to bring your attention to the following:
Solos & Duos- If you are intending to upload photos/videos of your participant to social media, it is recommended that you consider your privacy settings so that you limit your audience to close friends & family. Our team may also take videos and photos to use on OTB social media pages. If anyone does have any concerns/objections to this or would like us to make adjustments for any particular event, please speak to your dance school lead who will communicate this with our events team.
Team events- One nominated person from the dance school performing their team routine may video the routine from the front. It is strictly prohibited for anyone else in the venue to take a video recording. It is then at the teachers discretion where that recording gets shared. This is so that the teacher can decide who has access to their choreography and also for safeguarding reasons which are considered different to a solos/duos type event. Still photographs are permitted but please consider the points highlighted in the solos/pairs sections above.
Child Supervision & Sign in/ Sign Out Procedure-Participants up to school-leaving age are supervised by a responsible adult at all times. Participants of this age will not be permitted to pass our door/security team without a responsible adult accompanying them. On arrival and departure, event participants are asked to inform their teacher/group lead so that they can record attendance times at the event.
Safeguarding info- Our safeguarding policy can be found here
The Designated Safeguarding Lead for OTB is Jessica Porter, who will be in attendance for the duration of the event and will be based on the stage. Alternatively, you can email info@onthebeat.dance
Venue Information
Please see the venue page for information on travel, parking, changing facilities, emergency procedures and first aid.
Merchandise– Our merchandise stall will be available in the Arena. Payments by cash & card are accepted.
Wristband Information
Please have your wristbands on and fastened securely before entering the building. Lost, damaged or forgotten wristbands will not be replaced and will have to be re-purchased.
Please see our full wristband policy here.
There will be a limited number of wristbands available on the door – priority access will be given to those who have a wristband in advance.
Please note that bands are only available to people attending with a dance school and are not on sale to the general public.
Payments by cash & card are accepted.
Wristbands purchased on the door are usually £3–£5 more than the advanced price through a dance school.
Allocated Seating- All seating will be reserved clearly with your dance school name.