Article from Blackpool Gazette in the U.K. May 20, 2026, by Jack Marshall Thanks Diana D. Le, for sharing this article. André Rieu is already planning for his 80th birthday tour in 2029! Legendary Dutch violinist André Rieu will make a special appearance at the 100th Blackpool Dance Festival next week as he searches for world-class ballroom couples to join his forthcoming 80th Birthday Anniversary World Tour in 2029. Rieu, widely known as the “King of Waltz”, is due to arrive at Blackpool Airport on Tuesday May 26, 2026 before traveling directly to the iconic Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens Blackpool. There, he will address thousands of competitors gathered for the landmark centenary celebrations of the world-famous festival. During the visit, Rieu will invite dancers competing at the festival to apply to join him and his renowned Johann Strauss Orchestra on a major international tour celebrating his 80th birthday in 2029. The tour will span multiple countries and celebrate the waltz, the art form that has defined his career. Selected couples will perform alongside Rieu in specially commissioned matching costumes, reflecting the theatrical grandeur for which his arena productions are internationally recognized. His concerts, including the celebrated Maastricht summer and Christmas performances, regularly feature between 150 and 300 dancers performing to pieces such as "The Second Waltz" and "Lara's Theme". With more than 2,000 dancers competing at the Winter Gardens during this year’s festival, organizers say the event represents the caliber of ballroom talent Rieu is seeking for what is expected to become one of the most ambitious productions of his career. André Rieu said: “I am very much looking forward to coming to Blackpool to meet all of you and hope many of you would like to join me on my tour in 2029!” World-Class The Blackpool Dance Festival, now in its landmark 100th year, is the world’s most prestigious competitive ballroom dancing event. Held annually at the Winter Gardens’ Empress Ballroom, a breathtaking Victorian venue of ornate gilding and sweeping balconies, the festival attracts competitors from over 50 countries across the globe. Blackpool has long been acknowledged as the global capital of competitive ballroom dancing. The town’s intimate association with the dance world stretches back over a century and the annual festival remains its crowning jewel, drawing competitors, judges and spectators from every corner of the globe. Natalie Hayes, Organizer of Blackpool Dance Festival said: “To have André Rieu walk through the doors of the Empress Ballroom in this, our centenary year, is almost beyond words. For our competitors, who have dedicated their lives to perfecting every step, this is an opportunity that will simply never come again. “To perform alongside André on one of the dates on his world tour in front of tens of thousands of people is the stuff of dreams. We are enormously proud that he has chosen the Blackpool Dance Festival as the place to make this announcement.” Kate Shane MBE, Managing Director, Blackpool Tourism said: “Blackpool is the home of dance, a fact recognized the world over. When the greatest dancers on earth want to test themselves against the very best, they come to Blackpool. “André Rieu’s visit to the magnificent Empress Ballroom in our centenary year is a magnificent tribute to everything this festival and this town represent.” How to Apply Couples wishing to audition for a place on the André Rieu 80th Birthday Anniversary World Tour 2029 will be invited to apply following Rieu’s address at the Empress Ballroom. Full details of the application process, including audition requirements and selection criteria, will be announced at the event.