By KHT Staff. Photo via KH City Youth Bureau/Wiki Commons.
KAOHSIUNG — Kaohsiung’s annual international street dance competition will expand to two days this year and host Taiwan’s Battle of the Year qualifier for the first time.
The 2026 Kaohsiung Battle Dance International Street Dance Competition (雄爭舞鬥國際街舞大賽) will be held Aug. 15 and 16 at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center (高雄展覽館).
The winning crew in the BOTY Taiwan Crew Breaking Battle will qualify to represent Taiwan at the 2027 Battle of the Year world final in Germany, according to the Kaohsiung Youth Bureau (高雄市政府青年局).
The competition will offer NT$820,000 in total prize money, the largest amount since the city launched the event in 2021.
A K-pop flash mob at Kaohsiung Station on July 12 opened a series of public warm-up events ahead of the finals. Students, street dancers, and travelers joined the dancing in the station’s central plaza.
Three more K-pop events are scheduled for July 18 at the Focus 13 Coral Plaza near Kaohsiung Music Center, Aug. 2 at the Beiji Pavilion near Lotus Pond, and Aug. 9 at Dream Mall’s Dream Plaza.
The city is also offering six street dance masterclasses covering popping, freestyle, hip-hop, breaking, and locking. The sessions include instruction, performance training, and discussions about turning dance into a professional career.
The main competition begins Aug. 15 with the BOTY Taiwan qualifier, including crew and one-on-one breaking battles.
The crew competition is limited to 24 teams of eight to 15 Taiwanese participants. The winning team will receive NT$280,000, while the runner-up will receive NT$75,000.
The one-on-one breaking competition is open to as many as 100 entrants regardless of nationality, age, or gender, with NT$30,000 for the winner. Registration for both closes Aug. 11.
The second day will feature choreography competitions for student and adult groups, along with a one-on-one open-style battle incorporating hip-hop, popping, locking, waacking, and other forms.
The adult choreography champion will receive NT$180,000, while the student champion will receive NT$80,000.
The judging lineup includes dancers from Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Canada, including Ayumi, Dyzee, Taisuke, Vero, Ibuki, Kenzo, and Waackxxxy.
Youth Bureau Director-General Lin Kai-hsuan (林楷軒) said the event has grown into one of southern Taiwan’s largest youth street dance competitions and is intended to give local dancers greater access to international competition.
Free spectator tickets for the Aug. 16 program are scheduled to become available through Accupass on July 19, with 600 tickets offered.
