Six swing weekenders to book this November, from Watford to Glasgow
From solo jazz in Watford to Wales' first international Lindy Hop festival, the Gazette counts six swing weekends before the month is out, with where tickets stand.
The clocks have gone back, the conkers are in and the UK swing calendar has quietly filled up. Counting the dated events in the Gazette's own listings, plus our festival pages, we find six swing weekenders between now and the end of November, spread from Watford to Glasgow by way of Fareham, Exeter, Cambridgeshire and South Wales. Here they are in order, with the caveat that several dates are still marked "to confirm" on our side, so check each organiser's page before you book a train.
6 to 8 November: Savoy Jazz Jam, Watford
JiveSwing's solo jazz weekend reaches its ninth edition at Beechen Grove Baptist Church, a short walk from Watford Junction. American teachers Sonny Allen, Sugar Sullivan, Barbara Billups and Chester Whitmore join the UK's Joseph Sewell and Charlotte Middlemiss, and Saturday brings a band night and competition with the Harlem Nights Band. Full passes have sold out; when we last looked, a handful of evening social passes remained at £69.99. More on our Savoy Jazz Jam page, and if solo jazz is new to you, start with our guide to solo jazz.
13 to 15 November: three at once
- Fareham: The Lindy Club lists its November Lindy Hop weekender with Ryan Francois and Jenia Salakhutdinova among the teachers, and live music from Big Marv & The City Slickers. Its events page said booking was open. See the Lindy Academy listing.
- Exeter: Swing Exe hosts the Devon Balboa Camp, with classes at Exeter Community Centre and a Saturday social at Marsh Barton Social Club. New to the dance? Read our Balboa explainer.
- Buckden, Cambridgeshire: blues dancers have the 16th National Crystal Blues Challenge at Buckden Village Hall, run by Sara White's Blues Nites.
20 to 22 November: Pass the Bounce, South Wales
The headline act of the month may be the newest. Pass the Bounce bills itself as Wales' first ever international Lindy Hop festival, and its website promises workshops, jazz classes and culture talks taught by six international instructors, with live bands on Friday and Saturday nights and a farewell dance on Sunday. The festival describes itself as a Cardiff event; our Pass the Bounce listing, from The Swing Project, gives Ysgol Bro Morgannwg in Barry as the venue. Neither the festival site nor our listing showed prices when we checked, so sign up to its newsletter for ticket news.
28 and 29 November: Soul Lindy in Glasgow
The month closes in Scotland, where Glasgow Jitterbugs run a Soul Lindy Weekend: Saturday at Garnethill Multicultural Centre, Sunday at Glasgow University Union. The same Saturday, Leeds has its student Swing Fling day of workshops and a social, if a single day suits you better.
Looking ahead
December starts in style with the Black & White Ball in Chiswick on 5 December, marking 40 years of SwingdanceUK. The full run of weekends is on our UK swing festivals page, and first-timers should read our guide to swing festivals before packing their shoes.
How to join in
None of these weekends is the place for a very first step, so if you have never danced, find a beginners' class this month: browse every dated event on What's On in November, or type your postcode into swing classes near me. By the time the next festival comes round, you will be ready for it.
Find it on Swing Out UK
Sources
- JiveSwing – Savoy Jazz Jam (opens in a new tab)
- Pass The Bounce – Wales' international Lindy Hop festival (opens in a new tab)
- The Lindy Club – Events & Workshops (opens in a new tab)
- Swing Out UK – what's on listings (listings.json)
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