More than 10,000 dancers from around 60 countries will come foxtrotting into Medway for the 72nd International Dance Festival.
Held at Medway Park Sports Centre in Gillingham from Saturday 4 October to Wednesday 8 October, the festival is one of the most vibrant and diverse dance events of the year, and is the official qualifier for the prestigious finals at The Royal Albert Hall.
It’s the fifth year organisers have chosen to host the event at Medway Park, and this year visitors will get a bigger and better experience thanks to £10,000 in funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Another new feature of this year’s event comes courtesy of 20 volunteer translators from around Medway, who have come forward to offer their services to help welcome the international guests.
Local businesses have also been encouraged to make the event extra special, with restaurants and venues encouraged to create dishes inspired by the represented countries or host dance nights to celebrate the festival.
Cllr Nina Gurung, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Heritage, Culture and Leisure said: “this is a wonderful chance for Medway to shine on the international stage and I’m sure we’ll see yet another big turnout at Medway Park.
It’s so exciting we can be part of a festival that welcomes so many talented dancers from around the world, and I’m sure everyone’s going to have great fun throughout the five days. I would like to thank the Medway Sports team, Love Gillingham team, the volunteer translators, local businesses and everyone who are working together to offer a warm welcome to the international dance competition organisers, participants and their support teams. I'm sure our local residents will join us in making them feel very welcome."
Spectators are welcome. The doors will open at 6am and close at 1am, and Medway Park will provide a 24-hour staffing rota to keep the venue to a professional international standard. Ticket prices at the door are £45 per person. The dance competition is also streamed online and can be viewed at www.dsi-london.tv
Finalists will go on to compete at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall on Thursday 9 October.
Find out more at uk-internationaldance.com
Read more about other events and activities at our sports centres