Leap Dance Festival returns to Liverpool for 2026

Liverpool’s Leap Dance Festival returns to city venues next month with a programme of performances, workshops and free public events.

The festival, which was revived and relaunched by Chaos Arts CIC in 2024 after a five year break, this year runs from April 24 to May 9 and encompasses National Day of Dance on April 29.

It aims to showcase local and regional talent and nurture and support the next generation of dancers as well as bring top dance companies and artists to the city and surrounding region.

Visiting artists in 2026 include the Cathy Waller Company which is bringing You and Us to the Capstone Theatre on April 24, Toussaint to Move with Windows of Displacement, coming to the Unity Theatre on May 2, and Phoenix Dance Theatre which presents Interplay at the Liverpool Playhouse on May 8.

Free public events include a Dancing at the Palm House afternoon in Sefton Park Palm House on Sunday, April 26, and Dancing in the Streets which takes over Liverpool ONE on Bank Holiday, May 4.

Meanwhile Chaos Arts has teamed up with Culture Liverpool to offer five bursaries of £750 for artists to create new work which will be showcased at a Liverpool Dance Prize evening at the Unity on April 30. The successful recipients are Joseph Thomas Adamson, Zara Phillips and Natassa Argyropoulou, Hui-Hsin Lu, Aimee Gerrard and Laura Macy.

Above: Akeim Toussaint Buck brings Windows of Displacement to the Unity. Photo by Ashley Karrell. Top: Phoenix Dance Theatre's Interplay.

In addition, there are several separate Leap commissions which will also be staged during the festival including pieces by Rowena Gander, Amber Buttery and Owen Gillott, Dawn Holgate and a film by Tom Shennan.

And the festival ends on May 9 with two events at Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescot, including a Big Burlesque Cabaret.

Festival director Paul Doyle says: “This year Leap Dance Festival is packed with performances by some of the most exciting artists in the UK. But as well as presenting national touring shows, we’re committed to supporting the development of new work and raising the profile of local artists across the region and beyond.

“This includes supporting the next generation of talent by providing grants to five emerging artists through the Liverpool Dance Prize, as well as commissioning new work from four established artists thanks to our partnership with Culture Liverpool.”

Leap Dance Festival runs from April 24 to May 9 at venues across Liverpool and beyond. More details on the full programme and booking HERE