Summer Birthday Swing 2026 - West Coast Swing Festival in Köln

31. Juli - 02. August | Köln, Germany

Ein cozy West Coast Swing Community Event in Köln

Workshops, Social Dance & gemeinsames Lernen

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Diverse workshops (taught in German) & real festival vibes

West Coast Swing Cologne - learning together, dancing together

Summer Birthday Swing is a West Coast Swing festival in Cologne where shared learning, social dancing, and genuine community are at the heart of everything.

There are three clearly structured workshop levels, allowing everyone to join at a level where they feel comfortable.

What makes this special:
Eight instructor couples from across NRW teach together and guide you through a total of 12 progressive workshop hours.

The schedule is intentionally designed so that every participant can attend all workshops of their own level in full - no overlaps, no stress, no feeling of missing out.

This creates an intensive, coherent learning experience rather than isolated individual classes.

Learning from many - as a group

Thanks to the large number of instructor couples, you benefit from:

different perspectives and styles
diverse input on technique, musicality, and connection
personal attention despite the festival size

All instructors come from NRW and are deeply rooted in the regional West Coast Swing community - approachable, dedicated, and driven by a genuine passion for dancing.

Parties that bring people together

Social Dance Cologne

Of course, dancing itself is a key part of the weekend:

Three social dance parties lasting late into the night
varied music by an experienced DJ team
a large dance floor where the whole community comes together

This is not about show or competition, but about social dance in Cologne, connection, and sharing the festival experience.

No competition - just real togetherness

There are no competitions at Summer Birthday Swing.

Instead, we create space for meeting people, conversations, and community.

A special highlight is the Social Brunch:
A relaxed moment where instructors, participants, and volunteers come together, enjoy brunch, exchange ideas, and grow closer as a community -
without time pressure, without performance expectations.

More than just workshops & parties

Summer Birthday Swing stands for:

an open and welcoming atmosphere
high-quality, thoughtfully structured learning
real closeness between instructors and participants
a dance festival in Cologne where everyone feels welcome

We have developed a concept that focuses on what truly matters:

The instructors are motivated.
The community is at the center.
And we are looking forward to a weekend that feels less like an event and more like a shared experience.

Location

Summer Birthday Swing takes place in Cologne - in the heart of NRW and easily accessible for the West Coast Swing community from all over Germany.

The venue offers:

easy accessibility
plenty of space
ideal conditions for workshops, parties, and social time together

In short:
A place where you enjoy staying - even between program highlights.

Weekend Program - Workshops

Summer Birthday Swing is designed as a shared learning and community festival in Cologne.

Throughout the weekend, you can expect 12 progressive workshop hours, clearly structured and planned so that you can attend all content of your level in full -
no overlaps, no decision stress.

You will be taught by eight instructor couples from across NRW, who together create a coherent and diverse learning experience.

In total, we offer more than 40 hours of workshops.

The workshops are structured by level as well as by topic and follow one clear goal:
shared, progressive learning in a homogeneous learning group.

Level workshops - learn together, grow with purpose

The level workshops focus specifically on West Coast Swing content and support you in developing your dancing in a targeted way.

During registration, you are asked to self-assess as Level 2, 3, or 4.
This self-assessment is used exclusively for organizational planning and helps us get an initial sense of the group composition.

👉 Final level placement is determined on site.

At the beginning of the festival, we conduct a joint audition. Based on this, we form the groups so that:

all participants dance in a homogeneous learning group
a shared learning goal is established
the workshops can build on each other thematically

This ensures that every group is met exactly where they are - regardless of the self-assessment given during registration.

The content of the level workshops is thematically aligned and includes topics such as:

connection and communication within the partnership
technique and movement
musical understanding
selected patterns and their application

All groups work on the same overarching themes, adapted to level and individual needs - creating a coherent learning process throughout the entire weekend.

Why auditions?

Group placement through auditions allows for:

fairer and more suitable groups
less frustration due to under- or over-challenging
more effective learning progress
stronger connection within the level groups

Our goal is that all participants feel seen, supported, and challenged in their level - regardless of how they might assess themselves.

Intensive Workshops (optional add-on)

In addition to the regular festival program, we offer Intensive Workshops, which can be booked separately.

These are aimed at dancers who:

want to work on specific topics in depth
wish to invest more time and focus
are looking for a more concentrated learning environment in smaller groups

The intensives are a voluntary extension of the festival and not part of the regular level program.
Unfortunately, overlaps cannot be fully avoided here. Details on content, schedule, and requirements will follow separately.

A festival with a conscious concept

Summer Birthday Swing will take place for the first time in 2026.

What it does not yet have is a long history - what it does have is a clear concept, extensive community experience, and the ambition to meaningfully connect
West Coast Swing, social dance, and community in Cologne.

Together. Thoughtful. On eye level.