Since 2012, Montreal Swing Riot has sought to bring together the Jazz dance and Street Dance communities to share and inspire. The event started as a small afternoon competition in 2012 where we gave birth to our Jazz Dancers vs Street Dancers Invitational Battle. The festival then grew quickly over five years to give more space for sharing, for live music, for workshops and competitions like the All That Jazz contest that pushed dancers to broaden their creative horizons.

Over five editions, we built a space where people could come together to celebrate good jazz music and dance. Rooted in tradition and culture, Montreal Swing Riot creates a space where it’s possible to learn, to be vulnerable, to express yourself, and to share with other communities for inspiration.

Again this year, we are hosting Swing Riot at the same time as the Montreal International Jazz Festival (the biggest jazz fest in the world, according to Guinness World Records!) to showcase Montreal’s unique mix of cultures and give you more opportunities to explore our beautiful city.

The 6th edition of Montreal Swing Riot will take place July 3-6, 2025. Since our last edition in 2017, the Swing Riot family has grown, welcoming many future dancers to the world—dancers who we hope will carry on these traditions and art forms for years to come. At the same time, we’ve continued to listen, be inspired, learn, and dance. We’re super excited for this new edition, which will continue to reflect the same values of cultural respect, artistic expression, sharing, and community. See you there?

Videos:

• Swing Riot is back in 2025!

• Guest performance by Nathan, Gaby and Joyss 2015

• Solo Jazz Finals 2016