Swing Sanctuary 2027 (Lindy Hop and Solo Jazz festival)

A festival or weekender packs classes, socials and live music into a few days. Most offer graded class tracks (you may be asked to pick a level honestly), party passes for the evenings only, and plenty of social dancing late into the night.

Lindy Hop is the original swing dance, created by African-American dancers in Harlem in the late 1920s and 1930s and danced to big-band swing jazz. It is a partner dance built on an eight-count swingout, mixed with six-count moves, and it is famously improvised – lead and follow play with the music rather than repeating a routine. It suits any age, and most classes rotate partners. Read our full guide.

Blues dancing is a slower, grounded partner dance to blues music, with a close connection and lots of room for musical interpretation. Many swing scenes run blues classes and late-night blues rooms alongside their Lindy Hop nights. Read our full guide.

Cambridge volunteer-style swing scene with weekly Lindy Hop and blues classes, socials, courses and annual festivals. We list 11 of their sessions, running on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. See everything from Cambridge Swing Dance.