Most people will travel up and spend 2-3 nights in Hanmer, leaving Friday afternoon or after work and staying the Friday & Saturday Night. Accommodation between a group of dancers is often very cheap and fairly easy to organise with your fellow dance class friends. The average house to hire can work out as little as $20 per person per night, you can join our Facebook group to find more people willing to do this. Some people will travel up on the Saturday morning, while others will just travel to make the party and leave the same night without staying. We prefer to stay 2 nights so we can relax in the hot pools & make the most of the weekend. You choose! . read more on the Hanmer Location page about booking a Holiday Home or Air BnB

Yes you can buy party tickets only online before the festival or at the event in cash or online payment, note there will be no eftpos available. Buy party tickets early for the best discounts. We recommend a full pass, which gives you access to everything at a great price... see the prices page >

We do not arrange accommodation for attendees, so you will need to organise your own. For some suggestions, visit our Locations page.

Most people tend stay for a couple of nights for this event, however you can also drive there and back in a day, We recommend staying so you can relax and enjoy the whole event. The best thing to do is arrange with a group of people a holiday home, its very affordable. See Hanmer Holiday Homes for bookings, prices etc. You might also consider House pooling with other dancers see more about this on this page.

If you'd like to connect with others traveling to or staying in Hanmer, join our Facebook group. You can post there to fill spots in your accommodation or to find carpooling partners. We recommend either catching a bus or driving, which typically takes about 2 hours from Christchurch. To save money and make new friends, consider carpooling. Join our Facebook group to find or offer carpooling opportunities.

Kids under 16yo are welcome to the parties Free entry

This dance floor doesn't require them, but they will help your dance shoes last longer.

Yes!.. and partner dance classes aka workshops, rotate partners frequently which is much more inclusive and social.

Partner dance classes and workshops are also a great way to meet people before the parties, so you can social dance more easily.

Everyone is welcome to join in, no matter if you're a beginner, seasoned dancer or have never danced before, there is something available for you. However if you are a Non-dancer you are welcome to the parties and we would recommend learning the dance styles before you come to the workshops as these are generally not for absolute beginners Check our your local dance schools. All ages are welcome too, including kids, which also have Free entry to the parties.

If you are new to dancing or a beginner, we recommend attending classes before the event. If that's not possible, consider joining us for the parties only, as there will be fun dance activities throughout the night. Most workshops are geared towards those with some dance experience, so we suggest learning Salsa or Bachata beforehand to make the most of the event......See our sponsors below for some dance schools around NZ.

You can only watch if you have paid for the workshop or have a Full Pass.

Not recommended for dancing

You may film during the parties and at the end of the workshops during the demo, but only if you have paid for that workshop. Recording during the workshops without permission is not allowed.

It won't be free unless you're under 16 years old. However, we often need event helpers for tasks such as reception, packing, and cleaning. If you're interested in helping out, please contact us. Depending on the role, we can support your entry to the event in some way.

Registration at the event will open 30mins prior to any workshop or party at the Event.

Get your wrist bands/tickets on the day. Bring your receipt with the order numbers as proof of purchase to make this transaction seamless.

Yes you can join the parties at any time, but we do recommend coming early to get the most from the event.

Feel free to join us at any point during the evening and make a cash payment at the entrance for admission, see if online payments available in the store. Currently, there are no strict limitations on the number of attendees for parties, as our capacity is expanded by utilizing the entire venue instead of just the main hall. If we do happen to reach capacity, entry might be temporarily restricted until the numbers decrease. However, it's important to note that we haven't encountered such capacity constraints yet. Those holding passes will be granted priority and immediate access. We recommend considering the purchase of online passes to ensure your entrance and avoid any uncertainties.

If you do not have a 'full pass', there's still a possibility for you to participate in workshops as a casual entry. If there's available space, we recommend arriving a few minutes early, ideally around 5 minutes prior to the class commencement. We welcome drop-in participants who wish to make a cash payment on the event day, as long as there are vacant spots. You'd need to leave once the workshop has finished and re-enter if you wish to do more than one workshop.

During the event day, attendees holding full passes will be provided with wristbands. It's important to keep these wristbands on your wrist until the event concludes.

Please be aware that all individuals entering the festival premises are expected to adhere to the Entry conditions outlined in the provided Terms & Conditions and Code of Conduct on this website.

Dancing is for all ages and is very diverse. We often have teenagers and grandparents attending these events. Whatever your age, don't let it stop you from dancing.