Afrosoul 2026 | NZ & AUS

AUCKLAND

Gold Coast

Key Information

Dancer & Spectator Information

Auckland • Saturday 10 October 2026

Gold Coast • Sunday 11 October 2026

SOULWAVE is an open-style 1v1 dance battle experience built around Afro and Dancehall-inspired music, high-energy competition, international guest judges, showcases and a major prize pool. The 2026 event runs across Auckland and the Gold Coast, with the Gold Coast edition delivered in partnership with UPGRADE Dance Experience.

Event Overview

Auckland: Saturday 10 October 2026, Lilyworld, Auckland, 12:00pm–6:00pm.

Gold Coast: Sunday 11 October 2026, Sea World, Gold Coast, 7:00pm–12:00am.

Format: Open Style 1v1 battle with Afro and Dancehall-inspired music.

Capacity: Dancer registrations are strictly limited to the first 100 confirmed registrations in each city. Spectator capacity is 500.

Prize pool: over $35,000 in prizes across the 2026 SOULWAVE events.

Battle prizes PER CITY: 1st place $10,000; 2nd place $5,000; 3rd place $2,500.

Who Can Enter

SOULWAVE is open to dancers aged 13 and over. Entry is open-style, meaning dancers can bring their own movement vocabulary, musicality and personality to the floor. The music direction is Afro and Dancehall-inspired, so entrants should be comfortable freestyling within that musical environment.

Each city is capped at 100 dancer registrations. Once 100 confirmed dancer registrations are reached for a city, registrations will close unless the organiser chooses to operate a waitlist.

Dancer Registration

Dancer registration: $30 per dancer.

Only the first 100 confirmed dancer registrations in each city will be accepted.

Dancers should arrive and complete on-site check-in one hour before doors/opening time unless otherwise advised.

Auckland dancer check-in target: from 11:00am for a 12:00pm event start.

Gold Coast dancer check-in target: from 6:00pm for a 7:00pm event start.

Heats and finals will take place on the same day.

Dancers must be ready to compete when called. Missing a call time may result in forfeiture.

Spectator Information

General spectator ticket: $30.

Concession ticket: $20, subject to valid concession identification where requested.

Children under 5: free entry.

Spectator entry is subject to venue capacity and ticket availability.

Spectators should expect a standing/high-energy battle environment, music at event volume, crowd participation and showcase performances.

Competition Format

SOULWAVE is an Open Style 1v1 battle. Competitors will progress through heats and elimination rounds, with finals held on the same day. Judging will be based on the judges’ assessment of performance, including factors such as musicality, originality, execution, presence, adaptability and overall battle impact. The judging panel’s decisions are final.

Exact round structures, heat sizes, battle lengths, music selection process and progression rules may be adjusted by the organiser to suit registration numbers, production requirements and venue timing.

Guest Judges, MCs & Showcases

The 2026 SOULWAVE programme features major international guest judges and showcase artists. Current announced talent includes:

Israel Adesanya – Guest Judge (Auckland and Gold Coast).

Mr Wiggles – Guest Judge (Gold Coast).

Kieran Crowe – Guest Judge (Gold Coast).

Oxy – Guest Judge (both events) + showcase.

XIII – Guest Judge (Auckland) + showcase.

Chris Cielo – MC (Gold Coast).

Talent line-ups and appearances are subject to change due to travel, illness, scheduling, force majeure or other circumstances outside the organiser’s control.

Gold Coast Partnership

The Gold Coast event is presented as SOULWAVE x UPGRADE Dance Experience, bringing the SOULWAVE battle format together with UPGRADE for a major Australian edition at Sea World.

What to Expect

Expect a full-scale dance battle atmosphere: packed circles, big crowd energy, high-level freestyle, international judges, showcase performances, music built for the floor and serious prize money on the line. Whether you are entering the battle or coming to watch, SOULWAVE is designed to feel competitive, social and fun from the first heat through to the final.

Tickets & Information

Tickets, dancer registration and event updates: afrosoulfestival.com

Gold Coast partnership information: theuphub.com.au/upgrade

Important Information for Dancers

Bring valid photo identification if requested for registration or age verification.

Wear suitable dance footwear and clothing and arrive ready to compete.

Stay close to the battle area and listen for your name/number during heats and rounds.

Dancers are responsible for their own warm-up, hydration, personal belongings and physical readiness to compete.

Entry does not guarantee progression beyond the opening stage of the competition.

Prizes are awarded according to final competition results and may require winner verification before payment.

Important Information for Spectators

Tickets should be purchased in advance where possible, as venue capacity is limited.

Children must remain under the supervision of a responsible adult at all times.

The event may include loud music, flashing or moving lighting, crowd noise and filming/photography.

Venue rules, security requirements and conditions of entry also apply.

Terms & Conditions

The following is practical website-ready draft wording. It should be reviewed against your ticketing provider, venue terms, insurance requirements and applicable New Zealand and Australian consumer law before publication.

1. Acceptance of Terms

By purchasing a ticket, registering as a dancer, attending or participating in SOULWAVE, you agree to these Terms & Conditions, the relevant venue conditions of entry and any reasonable event instructions issued by the organiser.

2. Dancer Registration Capacity

Dancer registrations are limited to the first 100 confirmed registrations in Auckland and the first 100 confirmed registrations on the Gold Coast. A registration is only confirmed once payment and required registration details have been successfully received. The organiser may close registrations without notice once capacity is reached.

3. Eligibility

Dancer entry is for participants aged 13 years and over. The organiser may request proof of age or identity. A registration may be refused or cancelled if eligibility information is false, incomplete or misleading.

4. Check-In and Attendance

Dancers must check in at the time advised by the organiser, currently one hour before doors unless otherwise stated. Dancers who arrive late, fail to check in, or are not present when called may lose their place without refund.

5. Battle Format and Judging

The organiser may determine and amend battle format, heat sizes, round lengths, seeding, music, schedules and progression systems where reasonably required. Judges’ decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding scoring or results.

6. Prizes

Prize amounts and prize categories are as advertised by the organiser. Winners may be required to provide identification, payment details and any information reasonably required to process a prize. Prize payments may be subject to administrative processing times. Unless required by law, prizes are not transferable or exchangeable.

7. Tickets and Entry

All tickets and registrations are subject to availability and venue capacity. Entry may be refused where a ticket is invalid, duplicated, altered, obtained fraudulently, or where the attendee breaches venue or event conditions.

8. Refunds and Event Changes

Tickets and dancer registrations are non-refundable for change of mind, inability to attend, late arrival or failure to compete, except where required by applicable consumer law. The organiser may make reasonable changes to schedules, artists, judges, hosts, venues, timings or event format. If an event is cancelled or materially rescheduled, refund or transfer options will be provided as required by applicable law and the ticketing provider’s terms.

9. Guest Judges and Performers

Advertised judges, hosts and performers are subject to change. Changes to individual talent do not automatically entitle a ticket holder or dancer to a refund, except where required by law.

10. Health, Safety and Participation Risk

Dance competition involves physical activity and carries a risk of injury. Dancers participate voluntarily and are responsible for ensuring they are physically capable of competing. Participants must follow reasonable safety directions from event staff, judges, security and venue personnel. The organiser may stop a dancer from participating where there is a reasonable health or safety concern.

11. Personal Property

Attendees are responsible for their own personal belongings. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the organiser is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged personal items.

12. Behaviour and Removal

SOULWAVE is intended to be competitive, respectful and safe. Harassment, intimidation, violence, discrimination, deliberate disruption, unsafe conduct or abuse of dancers, judges, staff or attendees may result in removal from the event and/or disqualification without refund, subject to applicable law.

13. Photography, Video and Media

The event may be photographed, filmed and recorded. By attending, you acknowledge that you may appear incidentally in event content. Dancers may also be photographed or filmed during competition and showcases. Where legally required, appropriate consent processes will apply, particularly for minors. Event media may be used for promotional, editorial and archival purposes.

14. Minors

Participants aged under 18 should attend with the knowledge and permission of a parent or legal guardian. The organiser may require parent/guardian consent for under-18 dancer registrations. Children attending as spectators must remain supervised by a responsible adult.

15. Venue Conditions

All attendees must comply with the relevant venue’s entry, security, prohibited-item, alcohol, behaviour and safety requirements. Venue management may refuse entry or remove attendees in accordance with its lawful conditions of entry.

16. Force Majeure

The organiser is not liable for failure to deliver the event as originally planned where this results from circumstances beyond reasonable control, including extreme weather, natural disaster, government action, travel disruption, venue closure, public health events, civil disturbance or other force majeure circumstances. Any refunds or credits will be handled in accordance with applicable consumer law.

17. Privacy

Personal information collected through ticketing and dancer registration will be used for event administration, communications, safety, competition operations and related purposes. Information will be handled in accordance with applicable privacy law and the privacy policies of the organiser and relevant ticketing providers.

18. Liability

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits any rights or remedies that cannot lawfully be excluded under applicable New Zealand or Australian consumer law. Subject to those rights, attendees and participants accept the ordinary risks associated with attendance at and participation in a live dance event.

19. Updates to Event Information

The organiser may update event information, schedules and operational details. Material updates will be communicated through official SOULWAVE/AFROSOUL channels, the event website, ticketing platform or email where appropriate.