2026 edition

Bristol Swing Fiesta (“BSF”) 2026 by Steve and Kate Hall was one of the most enjoyable and inclusive WSDC events in the UK. Set in vibrant Bristol City Centre, the location and facilities had parallels with Edinburgh (SR, FCS), but being at Bristol Beacon gave it facilities well beyond the usual hotel setup. A week before the event, the EDs sent out a 13-page PDF booklet covering schedules, maps, nearby food options and opening times, Code of Conduct & Etiquette, and venue logistics. The schedule itself wasn't crammed with workshops, with breathing room for breaks, solo choreos, parties and Westie Talks - open floor discussions on WCS topics including DJ music selection, competition nerves, community building, post-competition self-management and sustainable dance motivation. Five volunteer ‘Bristol Buddies’ were also on-hand to welcome and assist first time visitors, and of course, the Bristolian Westies with their welcoming energy and high quality of dance made the event. Also loved that Robert Royston stayed on to do his Musicality workshop the day after the weekender. If you attended it before or during the event, you know how eye-opening it was! The staff line-up was excellent: visiting Leo & Fernanda, Florian & Steffi, Orhiane Dang of France on her first Staff foray, Bristolians Henry & Julia Leonard, and of course RoRo, who gave THREE open workshops on top of the Int/Adv WSs! Comps were fun and chilled, with Nov/Int Finals as paired spotlights. Socials were equally relaxed, with Catherine Bickle leading the DJ team and excellent tracks. Two on-site dance floors, air conditioning, late-night bars, storage, and an off-site hall for Int/Adv WSs rounded the facilities. Overall event cost was HALF that of other UK weekenders. My personal WCS experience to date was topped by MySwing 2026, a more compact version of Asia Open excellent community, organisation and infrastructure. BSF comes the closest in the UK to those impressive formats.