These are some of the most mythical festivals to dance swing in Europe. If you want to make a calendar with swing festivals that shine for their originality, here are our special recommendations!

 

Lindy Shock. November, Budapest (Hungary).

Lindy Shock is a paradise for lindy hoppers who love the bands with most swing on the planet. You will not find one or two only, all the good bands are in Budapest in November. And not only the bands, the best dancers also concentrate here. So be prepared to see one jam circle after another, with much insanity included.

The most incredible thing about this event is that most classes and all parties are held on three ships, moored on the Danube River. From the boats you can enjoy beautiful views of the city, from sunset to dawn, because the parties last until breakfast, if the body holds!

And if you do not receive classes during the day, remember to visit one of Budapest’s famous spas, such as the Széchenyi Spa, one of the largest thermal bath complex in Europe. The tune-up you need to give your all at night on the dance floor!

The most mythical part: The night cruise with live music on the deck of one of the ships. And not only this, it is already traditional to run from one side of the deck to the other while the ship passes under one of the city's bridges. It is difficult to explain why it is one of the most famous moments of the event, it is best that you live the experience for yourself!

 

The Snowball. December, Estocolmo (Sweden).

The traditional year-end plan in Europe for any Lindy Hopper. Seeing that everything is covered with snow and that everyone is covered up to their eyebrows, while you wear a short sleeve shirt and sweat buckets dancing swing inside the Clarion Hotel.

Snowball is organized by 4 Swedes, four mythical Lindy Hop dancers in Sweden. This swing festival aims to honour and explore the legacy of African-American culture through dance. There are seven festival nights where you will dance with good jazz bands, and they will make sure that the DJ music is from the “Golden Jazz Age”. This swing festival not only offers Lindy Hop classes, but also Vernacular Solo Jazz and Balboa.

The most mythical part: Dinner on New Year's Eve, people with their best clothes, and obviously starting the new year dancing with good swing music as if there was no tomorrow.

 

Dragon Swing. November, Krakow (Poland).

Krakow is always a good tourist destination, the city is impressive and the prices are very affordable for the pocket of a lindy hopper who spends the year traveling from festival to festival.

If you take classes and are among the last ones to leave the parties, you can regain strengths with one of Poland's typical dishes, goulash.

The most mythical part: The party at the Wieliczka salt mine, more than 125 meters underground. It is a bit impressive to go down by elevator to the centre of the earth, but it is very worthwhile, and it is one of the things that makes this event so famous in Europe.

 

Swim Out Costa Brava. September, Llafranc (Catalonia-Spain).

Your swing experience in the purest Mediterranean style. This 4-day summer camp offers you a complete Lindy Hop experience in the beautiful fishing village of Llafranc, on the Costa Brava. The location of the parties is ideal as it perfectly combines the practical with the magic of the surroundings. Many meters of parquet where to dance without stepping on and gardens to rest, continue enjoying good swing bands and have a good crepe or soda.

The most interesting thing is that the festival includes everything in the pass you choose, also accommodation and meals. And not only can you take advantage of your swing outs, dancing without stopping, but you can also discover incredible corners in one of the most fun activities, the kayak excursion. A beautiful natural environment surrounded by pine trees and its crystal clear turquoise waters await you at the Swim Out Costa Brava!

The most mythical part: The farewell pool party with live swing music. It is a very relaxed moment that closes the festival with a party by the pool of the guest house where the attendees are staying. Never before have you been so cool that dancing Lindy Hop in a swimsuit!

 


Savoy Cup. April, Montpellier (France).

Competitions have always been part of the swing scene since the beginning of everything. Have you seen any videos of old-timers Leon James, Norma Miller and Frankie Manning competing in the Harvest Moon Ball? They loved to compete!

For a festival of swing competitions in all its categories, we have the Savoy Cup. Many of the Lindy Hop dancers who are more enthusiastic about competing attend this event every year. But this does not mean that if you do not like to compete you cannot go. It is an impressive event, not only for its parties with quality swing music, but also for the whole show that can be witnessed. If you do not participate in competitions, you will also have your space to dance. But above all, you will return home full of inspiration, because there is so much talent that it is impossible not to get it.

The most mythical part: The City Battle competition is probably one of the most anticipated moments of the festival. It is a unique format in the world where dancers from two cities compete in a dance battle. It is amazing to see the original ideas that come out of our beloved dance Lindy Hop during this battle.

 

Prague Spring Swing Festival. April, Prague (Czech Republic).

It is the largest festival in the Czech Republic and it goes without saying that it is the greatest excuse to visit the incredible city of Prague, with its palaces and bridges.

Although Prague does not have the same fame as Paris or Rome, it is a romantic city at its best. So if your partner is also a lindy hopper, this can be a good plan for both of you!

The most mythical part: The Saturday night party in Lucerne. Surely, the movie Swing Kids (1993) will be familiar to you. Well, one of the most mythical dance scenes in this film was filmed in the Lucerne room. It is a very beautiful night because not only Lindy Hop dancers are invited to the party. The dance floor is shared with many non-lindy hoppers, simply lovers of jazz and dance, who, with their best costumes and dresses, seek their space to dance what they know or can in the midst of so much swing out. It is of course one of the highlights of the festival!

 

Gastroswing. June, Vitoria-Gasteiz (Basque Country-Spain).

Although there are more and more vegans in the world of swing, for lovers of a good steak, Gastroswing is a perfect option to combine dancing and gastronomy. And not only lovers of good feasts, but also lovers of the extraordinary landscapes that the Basque Country always gives us.

Do not worry if you receive many hours of Lindy Hop classes, or if you are the last one to leave the dance floor. At the table you will always have a full meal plate to keep your energy level at bay. In the Lindy Hopper menu you will even find alubiada, a local bean specialty.

The most mythical part: To have a meal in a cider house is one of the traditional gastronomic rites in Euskal Herria (Basque Country) and, in this case, also of Gastroswing. And do not worry, if you are a vegetarian, you can also go without starving! There are culinary alternatives for you. The landscape is spectacular, and a beautiful atmosphere is generated among the swing community during the meal.

 

Herrang Dance Camp. July-August, Herräng (Sweden).

Every Lindy Hopper has to go to Herräng at least once in a lifetime.

Also known as the world's largest and longest swing festival, it is a 5-week summer camp between July and August in a small town in Sweden called Herräng, and has been around since 1982! How can it not be mythical? Frankie Manning, his son Chazz Young and Norma Miller, among others, have taught in this magical place.

The atmosphere every week in Herräng is wonderful. So many people wanting to learn, housed in tents, shared rooms or dream houses that seem as if they were taken from the pages of a fairy tale.

The most mythical part: There are so many mythical things in Herräng that naming only one does not do justice, but we would choose the Daily Meetings. Probably the best activities you will live in Herräng. You will discover many anecdotes related to the history of swing, enjoy shows, competitions, and receive an update on the weekly activities.

In which swing festivals will you find Madame Dynamite?

- Swinging Undermoon, from December 5th to 8th in Valencia (Spain)
- Harbour Hop, from March 20th to 22nd in Rotterdam (The Netherlands)

 

And if you can't wait to get a pair of comfortable Madame Dynamite swing shoes, go online now and check our best offers!