In May the biggest student dance tournament in Europe will take place again, the ETDS! This time with the theme "Dancing Through Wonderland".

The ETDS is a weekend full of dancing, dance tournaments, dance parties, socializing and much more! It is suitable for dance beginners (basics of waltz, rumba, etc.) up to absolute dance experts and offers a unique opportunity for approximate 600 students from all over Europe to come together. You do not need a dance partner to participate and can find one during the "blind dating" evenings at the event.

The whole thing will take place on the weekend of May 22nd - 25th 2026 in Enschede (Netherlands).

There are two ways to participate:

• As a full participant: you stay the entire weekend, compete in the Standard and/or Latin tournament, and party through the night at the balls. Usually everyone sleeps in the sleeping halls.

• As a visitor: (information follow soon)

To take part as a participant you have to register with our team first and the spots at the ETDS will then be given out through a lottery because the number of participants is limited. Please register by February 13 to participate in the lottery round on Sunday February 15. Everything you need to know is explained in the registration form.

Registration form as a participant for Team Zürich: https://forms.gle/dBdhcsn34LaeNowb8

Find more information on the event website: https://etds2026.vercel.app/

Program

• Friday evening: Blind-Dating

• Saturday: Standard tournament

• Saturday night (20:00-8:00): Theme Ball

• Sunday: Latin tournament

• Sunday night (20:00-8:00): Gala Ball

• Monday: travel home

What is the ETDS?!

The European Tournament for Dancing Students (ETDS) is a (usually) twice a year recurring event, where about 600 (ex-)students from all over Europe get together to dance the whole weekend, socialize with other dancers and just have fun. At its peak a couple of years ago, teams from 37 cities and 11 countries were represented!

The event will take place from Friday May 22, 2026 to Monday May 25, 2026. Teams generally arrive together on Friday and everyone sleeps in large sleeping halls. Friday night it all kicks off in big dancing hall, lots of music, and lots more dancing! Basically, from Friday to Monday you have the opportunity to dance as much as you want with people from all over Europe, just have fun and watch other people dancing.
During the weekend there is a big (fun) tournament. Contrary to common national tournaments, this tournament is made for amateur dancers of any level, i.e. from a few months to years of dancing experience.
Importantly, you don't need a dance partner for the tournament. Instead, there will be a "blind dating" event where you can find a dance partner that suits you the night before. But alternatively, you can also come directly with your dance partner. The event is really for everyone, even with just a couple of months dancing experience you can already make it far.

Here are a couple of videos from the highest class a few years ago:
Standard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofKSMzmh_Qg
Latin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBsYtbsbvGw