«Vietnam Latin Xperience 2026» Latin Dance Festival

   Three days of salsa, bachata and kizomba in a ballroom that looks straight out onto the Da Nang shoreline: workshops and pool parties by day, socials running towards sunrise by night. You do not have to fly to Manila or Bangkok for an international Latin line-up — for the seventh time it comes to Da Nang instead.

   This year's roster brings close to 50 artists and 13 DJs from more than twenty countries: Italy, Spain, France, Argentina, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Algeria, South Africa, Kenya, Korea, Japan, China, India, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, the USA, Russia, Singapore and Vietnam.

   Some of the names on the bill:

   — Salsa: Bozzy Brothers (Italy), Samuel Funflow (Spain), Lucho Giraldes (Argentina), Sha Sha (Singapore), Suim Kwon (Korea), plus Vietnam's Sandy Phan, Khanh Thu, Hush & Nuno and Hoang Phuong.

   — Bachata: Simon & Lolahontas (Italy and Spain), Ali Loo (USA), Dami Traveres (Mexico), Ryu (Dominican Republic), Yas (Belgium), Ngoc Nam & Bich Ngoc, Oscar & An, Ta Tuoc & Phuong Vu.

   — Kizomba: Jah J'a and Tresor & Aurea (France), Chouaib Ammari (Algeria), Starshot & Sujung (Korea), Jon El Chilenito (Switzerland), Leslie (South Africa), Jose (Kenya), TonyA & Naru (Vietnam).

   — Decks: DJ Nao (Senegal, Belgium, Vietnam), DJ Diablo (France), DJ TreyZ (USA), DJ Alexio (Italy), DJ M.K.Y (Switzerland), DJ Tung Le, DJ Lucern, DJ N.A.M and DJ Mouse (Vietnam).

   The competitive centrepiece is Dancing with the Stars, a pair of Jack & Jill contests in kizomba and bachata: partners are drawn at random and you enter as either a leader or a follower. Entry is US$20 per contest and it is open to anyone on the floor, not only to professionals.

   The festival suits anyone with at least basic partner-dance experience: you take class from people who teach across Europe and Latin America, then test it on the social floor the same evening. Newcomers are not shut out either — a party-only pass lets you come for the socials without committing to the full workshop track.

   The official venue is voco Ma Belle Danang, a five-star IHG hotel standing directly on the beach road on the east bank of the Han river, a short ride from the city centre. The organisers put the emphasis on the three things dancers actually argue about: a properly air-conditioned ballroom, a smooth floor and a serious sound system — with the sea visible from the workshop windows and the pool and beach right there for the daytime parties.

   This is the seventh edition, run by Phuong Thanh, Sao Mai and Hieu Huynh.

   Passes are tiered by how much of the weekend you want:

   — Full Pass — every workshop plus all six parties across the three days.

   — Full Party Pass — all six parties and shows, including the pool parties, the beach party and the night parties, without workshops.

   — KIZ Fullpass — all kizomba workshops and the night parties in the kizomba room.

   — Single Night Party Pass — one night party only.

   One thing worth planning around: the Full Pass goes up in price on 1 September, so book early if you already know you are going.

   The organisers answer on WhatsApp and at [email protected]. Passes are sold through the official ticket page.

   If your dancing has been stuck in the same studio all year, three days on the coast is a fair way to shake it loose.