Dance World Cup 2026 World Finals

The World Finals will be held at one of Ireland’s most prestigious venues.

• Dates: July 8 – July 18, 2026

• Venue: The Convention Centre Dublin (CCD), Spencer Dock, Dublin 1, D01 T1W6

Useful for Visitors:

We’ve put together a practical Dublin Survival Guide for international teams. Find the best places to stay near the CCD, how to get around the city with a team, and essential local tips for your stay in Ireland.

Ballet Syllabus & Age Categories

DWC is highly specific regarding ballet styles. All ages are calculated as of January 1, 2026.

Time Limits

• Solos: 2 minutes (2:30 for Repertoire/Song & Dance).

• Duets/Trios: 2 minutes (Mini/Children) to 2:30 (Junior/Senior).

• Groups: 2:30 to 3:30 depending on size and age.

• Note: 5-point penalties apply for overrunning by even 5 seconds.

Entry Fees (World Finals)

If qualified, the following fees apply for the Dublin Finals:

• Solo: €85 per dancer

• Duet/Trio: €52 per dancer

• Small Group (4-10 dancers): €32 per dancer

• Large Group (11+ dancers): €27 per dancer

• Event Fee: €85 (Compulsory one-time fee per dancer for the Finals).

Rules for Teachers & Schools

1. Teacher Portal: All entries must be submitted by the Principal of a dance school via the DWC Entry System.

2. Child Protection: Since the 2026 Finals are in Dublin, strict Irish/UK Child Protection standards apply. All teachers and helpers must undergo background clearance (Vetting/DBS).

3. Video Quality: For video qualifiers, footage must be in Landscape (Horizontal), showing the full body and feet at all times with no edits or cuts.

For official entry forms and the full 2026 Rulebook, visit www.dwcworld.com

Summer Intensives in Dublin Make the most of your time in Ireland. Several of Dublin's elite ballet schools host intensives in July that coincide with the World Finals.

• View upcoming Summer Intensives & Masterclasses

Please note: To compete in the World Finals, dancers must first qualify. View details for the Dance World Cup Ireland Qualifiers here.

Traveling to Dublin? Read our Visitor's Guide Here.

This event is for qualified dancers aged 4 to 25 competing at an international level. Participants are categorized into the following divisions:

• Mini & Children: Ages 4–13 (Competing July 8–13)

• Junior & Senior: Ages 14–25 (Competing July 13–18)

• Eligibility: Open to soloists, duets/trios, and groups (small and large) who have successfully qualified for the World Finals.

Note: All ages are calculated based on the dancer's age as of January 1, 2026.

• World-Class Venue: Performance opportunities at The Convention Centre Dublin (CCD).

• Professional Adjudication: Scoring and feedback from an international panel of elite judges.

• Grand Finals Path: Eligibility to qualify for the prestigious Mini/Children and Junior/Senior Grand Finals.

• Official Entry: Inclusion in the 2026 World Finals rankings and program.

• Teacher Support: Access to the DWC Teacher Portal for school principals to manage entries and music uploads.

Provisional schedule — pulled from DWC's v1 class schedule PDF on 28 May 2026. DWC publishes the finalised public schedule via the DWC App from 22 June. Confirm against the official schedule page before travelling.

Dancers must be at the correct stage one hour before their class time and ready to perform 30 minutes before.

All ballet sessions take place at The Convention Centre Dublin across four stages — Stage 1 — Auditorium, Stage 2 — Forum, Stage 3 — Liffey and Stage 4 — Round Room.

Mini & Children section — Wed 8 → Sun 12 July

Wednesday 8 July

• 09:30 — Children Duet/Trio Ballet (any style) · Stage 1, Auditorium
• 10:51 — Mini Large Group Ballet (any style) · Stage 1, Auditorium
• 11:13 — Children Large Group Ballet (any style) · Stage 1, Auditorium
• 14:26 — Mini Quartet Ballet (any style) · Stage 2, Forum

Thursday 9 July

• 08:30 — Mini Solo Ballet (A) · Stage 2, Forum
• 09:28 — Mini Solo Ballet (B) · Stage 2, Forum
• 10:20 — Mini Solo Ballet (C) · Stage 2, Forum
• 12:05 — Children Solo Ballet Repertoire (A), age 10–12 · Stage 1, Auditorium
• 12:52 — Children Solo Ballet Repertoire (B), age 10–12 · Stage 1, Auditorium
• 13:47 — Children Solo Ballet Repertoire (Boys) · Stage 1, Auditorium
• 13:56 — Children Solo Ballet Repertoire with pointe, age 12–13 (A) · Stage 1, Auditorium
• 14:26 — Children Solo Ballet Repertoire with pointe, age 12–13 (B) · Stage 1, Auditorium

Friday 10 July

• 12:24 — Children Duet/Trio Pas de Deux/Trois, age 12–13 · Stage 1, Auditorium
• 12:38 — Children Solo Ballet with pointe optional, age 12–13 (A) · Stage 1, Auditorium
• 13:36 — Children Solo Ballet with pointe optional, age 12–13 (B) · Stage 1, Auditorium
• 14:37 — Children Small Group Classical Ballet & Repertoire · Stage 1, Auditorium
• 15:21 — Children Duet/Trio Ballet (pointe shoe only) · Stage 1, Auditorium

Saturday 11 July

• 12:05 — Mini Solo Ballet (Boys) · Stage 2, Forum
• 12:32 — Mini Duet/Trio Ballet (A) · Stage 2, Forum
• 13:06 — Mini Duet/Trio Ballet (B) · Stage 2, Forum
• 13:37 — Mini Small Group Ballet (any style) · Stage 2, Forum
• 19:45 — Children Quartet Ballet (any style) · Stage 1, Auditorium
• 20:26 — Children Small Group Ballet (not classical or repertoire) · Stage 1, Auditorium
• 21:27 — Children Large Group Classical Ballet & Repertoire · Stage 1, Auditorium

Sunday 12 July

• 15:17 — Children Solo Ballet (A), age 10–12 · Stage 3, Liffey
• 16:40 — Children Solo Ballet (B), age 10–12 · Stage 3, Liffey
• 18:01 — Children Solo Ballet (Boys) · Stage 3, Liffey

Junior & Senior section — Tue 14 → Sat 18 July

Tuesday 14 July

• 13:35 — Junior Duet/Trio Pas de Deux/Trois · Stage 2, Forum
• 14:25 — Junior Large Group Ballet (any style, not classical) · Stage 2, Forum
• 15:25 — Junior Large Group Classical Ballet & Repertoire · Stage 2, Forum

Wednesday 15 July

• 08:45 — Junior Quartet Ballet · Stage 2, Forum
• 09:43 — Junior Small Group Classical Ballet & Repertoire · Stage 2, Forum
• 10:29 — Senior Small Group Ballet (any style, not classical) · Stage 2, Forum
• 11:51 — Junior Solo Ballet Repertoire (Male) · Stage 2, Forum
• 12:12 — Junior Solo Ballet Repertoire 1 · Stage 2, Forum
• 13:30 — Junior Solo Ballet Repertoire 2 · Stage 2, Forum

Thursday 16 July

• 09:00 — Junior Solo Ballet (Male) · Stage 2, Forum
• 09:22 — Junior Small Group Ballet (any style, not classical) · Stage 2, Forum
• 10:27 — Senior Quartet Ballet · Stage 2, Forum
• 10:53 — Senior Small Group Classical Ballet & Repertoire · Stage 2, Forum
• 11:06 — Senior Large Group Classical Ballet & Repertoire · Stage 2, Forum
• 11:32 — Senior Large Group Ballet (any style, not classical) · Stage 2, Forum
• 12:13 — Junior Duet/Trio Ballet (any style, not repertoire) · Stage 3, Liffey
• 13:11 — Junior Solo Ballet (any style, not repertoire) 1 · Stage 3, Liffey
• 14:59 — Junior Solo Ballet (any style, not repertoire) 2 · Stage 3, Liffey

Saturday 18 July — Senior ballet finals

• 11:32 — Senior Solo Ballet (any style, not repertoire) · Stage 2, Forum
• 12:37 — Senior Solo Ballet (Male) · Stage 2, Forum
• 12:39 — Senior Solo Ballet Repertoire · Stage 2, Forum
• 13:23 — Senior Duet/Trio Pas de Deux/Trois · Stage 2, Forum
• 13:31 — Senior Duet/Trio Ballet (any style, not repertoire) · Stage 2, Forum

Source: Class Schedule DWC 2026 Finals v1 (DWC). 48 ballet-stream sessions extracted; other genres (acro, jazz, lyrical, tap, contemporary, commercial, national, song & dance, showstopper) are listed in the official schedule.

Ballet runs across all four age sections — Mini (under 9), Children (10–13), Junior and Senior — with separate Male/Boys categories throughout. Forty-eight ballet-stream sessions in total across the eleven-day finals.

• Solo — Ballet (any style), Ballet Repertoire, and pointe-optional / pointe-only variants from age 12–13 up.
• Duet, Trio & Pas de Deux — including dedicated Pas de Deux / Pas de Trois categories from Children up; pointe-shoe-only Children Duet/Trio.
• Quartet — separate Ballet category at each age section.
• Small Group and Large Group — each split into "any style (not classical)" and "Classical Ballet & Repertoire" streams.

Pointe shoes are optional from age 12–13, allowed in selected Children's categories, and required in dedicated pointe-only Duet/Trio. Time limits run 2:00 (solos) to 3:30 (large groups); 5-point penalties apply for overrunning by even 5 seconds.

• Mini Solo Ballet: Thu 9 July (Stage 2, Forum, from 08:30)
• Children Ballet Repertoire (incl. pointe variants): Thu 9 July (Stage 1, Auditorium, from 12:05)
• Children Ballet (pointe optional), Pas de Deux & Classical Small Groups: Fri 10 July (Stage 1, Auditorium)
• Mini Duet/Trio & Group Ballet: Sat 11 July (Stage 2, Forum, midday)
• Children Solo Ballet (any style): Sun 12 July (Stage 3, Liffey, afternoon)
• Junior Pas de Deux & Junior Large Group Ballet: Tue 14 July (Stage 2, Forum, afternoon)
• Junior Solo Ballet Repertoire: Wed 15 July (Stage 2, Forum)
• Junior Solo Ballet (any style): Thu 16 July (Stage 3, Liffey, afternoon)
• Senior Ballet finals — Solo, Repertoire, Pas de Deux & Duet/Trio: Sat 18 July (Stage 2, Forum, late morning to early afternoon)

Age eligibility: all ages calculated as of 1 January 2026.

Mini & Children ballet runs Wed 8 → Sun 12 July. Junior & Senior ballet runs Tue 14 → Sat 18 July, culminating Sat 18 July.