26 Aug

10:30

Paradiso

Weteringschans 6-8, Amsterdam

The world's best Locking and Waacking dancers battle it out in The Warrior Edition, a format designed to push dancers to their highest level.

Locking & Waacking Forever Battles 2026

More info & tickets

Part of Summer Dance Forever Festival

This program is part of Summer Dance Forever — an international hip-hop dance festival that brings together dancers and dance lovers from around the world for a week-long celebration. The festival showcases a wide variety of dance performances, next-level battles, soulful club nights, and energizing workshops to refresh and boost your skills.

Locking & Waacking Forever brings together the world’s best Locking ánd Waacking dancers to battle it out at Paradiso. This year, we take it even further. Together with SNIPES, we bring back The Warrior Edition, a format designed to push dancers to their highest level.

With the Warrior Edition, the Top 6 don’t stop at the battles. They must first take on six warriors — former winners, finalists, and judges — before going up against this year’s judges. No shortcuts. The higher the pressure, the heavier the belt. And this is the one you want. Join us for the toughest battle in the scene, built to crown the ultimate heavyweight Warrior.

Program is half seated, half standing. Kids up to 8 years old have free entrance for the battles and preselections. The minimum age to participate in the battle is 15.

Want to participate?

If you want to participate in the battles, you first need to register at Paradiso and participate in the Preselections. The Top 24 best dancers from the preselection will go through to the actual battle. Minimum age for participation is 15 years.

How do the SDF Warrior Edition Battles work?

Preselections:
Everyone is welcome at the Preselections, whether you're participating or simply there to enjoy the vibe. Dancers hit the floor and get 45 seconds to show what they’ve got. After that, the three judges select 48 dancers, who each get one more minute to impress and earn a spot in the Top 24 that advance to the battles.

Battles:
In the Battles, the Top 24 dancers go head-to-head in 1vs1 rounds, battling their way through the Top 12, Top 6, and ultimately the Top 3. These Top 3 dancers then face off against the 3 judges, who step onto the floor themselves in the legendary Judge Battles. This is what sets Summer Dance Forever apart: our judges don’t just sit behind a desk, they get in the mix and battle too. Don’t talk about it — be about it!

The Warrior Edition:
This year, SDF and SNIPES are bringing back the Warrior Edition! Before reaching the Judge Battles, the Top 6 dancers must first take on six warriors — former winners, finalists, and judges. And if that isn’t hard enough, the warriors themselves choose which dancers they want to battle. If a dancer makes it through to the Judge Battles, the power shifts back to them: they choose which judge they want to face.After the Judge Battles, three dancers remain. One dancer then gets to call back an eliminated opponent to complete the Semi-Final line-up.

Audience vote:
You, the audience at Paradiso Amsterdam, play a vital role. In the Semi-Finals and Final, the dancers themselves answer the legendary question: Did you win or lose? But if both dancers claim the win, the final decision is in your hands. You help crown the Forever Warrior champion, who earns prize money, eternal glory, and the chance to judge at a future edition.