Wigan Borough Dance Festival 2026
Wigan Borough Dance Festival 2026 brought together 1,910 children and young people from 95 schools, dance schools and community groups for five days of performance, workshops and creative learning.
Produced by Spirix Collective, the festival continues to create high-quality opportunities for children and young people to perform in a professional venue, work with leading dance artists and celebrate creativity with their peers, families and communities.
The 2026 festival was developed around the theme We Dance Together, shaped by conversations with young people across our programmes. Through our Looking Up in Leigh consultation and wider youth engagement, young people spoke about the importance of belonging, friendship and feeling connected to their communities. These conversations informed the artistic programme, artist commissions and shared performances throughout the week.
Photo: Owen Peters
The Festival in Numbers
Before we take you through some of our highlights from the marathon week of movement that took place at Wigan’s iconic venue, The Edge, here are some impressive statistics from our 2026 dance festival:
1,910 children and young people performed
5,000+ audience members
95 schools, dance schools and community groups
68 artists, creatives and freelancers employed
60 artist-led workshops delivered
6 performances across 5 days
4 sold-out performances
High Quality Creative Experiences
The festival brought together participants from across Wigan Borough alongside guest companies, higher education partners and professional artists.
Young people performed in a professional theatre environment, took part in artist-led workshops and rehearsed alongside industry professionals. Schools, community groups and dance schools shared the same programme, creating opportunities to perform, learn from one another and experience a wide range of dance styles and approaches.
Professional companies including NSCD Collide and Company Chameleon delivered performances and workshops, giving participants direct access to artists working in the sector today.
We Dance Together - Carnival Finale
Inclusion and Access
Access and inclusion were embedded throughout the planning and delivery of the festival.
Access funding supported participation from Landgate School, primary schools with high levels of SEND and Everything Human Rights, enabling more children and young people to take part. Quiet spaces, social stories and additional support were available throughout the week to help participants, schools and families access the festival confidently.
The artistic programme reflected the diversity of the borough, with participants representing a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and dance styles. The festival provided opportunities for every group to perform as part of the same programme and celebrate their achievements together.
Spirix Creatives - Photography by Owen Peters
Developing Confidence and Progression
The festival creates opportunities for young people at every stage of their creative journey.
For many participants, WBDF was their first experience of performing on a professional stage. Others returned with growing confidence, stronger performance skills and greater ambition developed through previous festivals.
Spirix Creatives performed throughout the week alongside professional artists, providing progression opportunities for emerging dancers aged 16–25. Behind the scenes, paid young creatives gained experience in production, photography, videography, front of house and digital content creation, working alongside experienced professionals throughout the festival.
Ince CE Primary School - Photography by Owen Peters
Increasing Participation
One of our priorities for 2026 was increasing opportunities for boys to engage with dance.
Targeted outreach workshops took place ahead of the festival, contributing to increased participation from boys across school performances and the Community Platform. Spirix Boys Youth Dance Group performed as part of the festival for the first time, while NSCD Collide delivered workshops and performances that introduced participants to male-identifying professional dancers working across the contemporary dance sector.
Collide Dance Company - Photography by Owen Peters
Looking Ahead
Planning is now underway for the tenth anniversary Wigan Borough Dance Festival in 2027.
The festival will continue to create ambitious performance opportunities, strengthen progression routes for young people, support artists and freelancers, and work in partnership with schools, community organisations and cultural partners across Wigan Borough and Greater Manchester.
Thank you to every child, young person, teacher, artist, volunteer, partner and funder who contributed to Wigan Borough Dance Festival 2026. Your commitment, creativity and collaboration continue to shape a festival that belongs to the whole borough.
