First Time Visitor
Welcome to the Rock That Swing Festival
We are looking forward to welcoming you at the Rock That Swing Festival. If this is your first time, this page will give you an overview of the festival and point you to the places on this website where you can find the details.
Festival
The Rock That Swing Festival brings together people from around the world who love to dance or listen to the music of the 20s to 50s. Participants from over 35 nations have attended the festival. An outstanding line-up of top bands, instructors and performers makes it one of the best events of its kind, unmatched in its variety and classy atmosphere.
You can admire people with cool demeanor, dressed in vintage clothes, petticoats or suits, with quiffs or ponytails, or be a part of it yourself. Feel nostalgically transported back to the times of Fred Astaire, Elvis or Marilyn Monroe. But most important: Rock That Swing is about having a good time.
Answers to the most common questions
Evenings
Our various venues, from the intimate atmosphere of our dance studio to two spectacular nights at the Deutsches Theater, will transport you back to the Swingin’ Forties and Rockin’ Fifties. Even if you’re not a dancer, you’ll love soaking up the unique atmosphere, enjoying the fantastic live bands, spectacular shows, exciting competitions, and the joy and energy of the dancers.
At the Deutsches Theater and Künstlerhaus, you can dance on multiple dance floors to the music of outstanding live bands and DJs, some of the world’s finest in their genres. Reserved seats are also available for purchase at both venues.
For the untiring ones, the two After Hours Parties (Thursday and Friday night) give you more time to party and dance at the Vintage Club until you drop.
Go to Evenings / Go to Bands / Go to DJs
Shows and Contests
The Rock That Swing Festival offers a series of open contests in Lindy Hop, Boogie Woogie, Balboa, Blues, Shag and Charleston. Watch the best dancers compete for honor and great prizes.
The best international teachers and dancers perform incredible shows at the Deutsches Theater on Saturday and Sunday evening. The show programme covers Lindy Hop, Charleston, Burlesque, Balboa, Blues and Boogie Woogie.
Dance Camp
It doesn’t matter if you can dance or not. If you have ever wanted to learn the Swing dances, the Rock That Swing Festival is the perfect place to start, with classes designed for everyone from beginners to teachers. Learn from the world’s best dancers and let the latest trends, styles and moves surprise and inspire you.
On Saturday and Sunday there are also free intro classes for beginners before the evening events start.
Go to Dance Camp Information / Go to Intro Classes
Dress Code
In general we would like to encourage you to add to the atmosphere of the dance nights with a stylish outfit; 40s or 50s style would be ideal, of course. Please leave tracksuit bottoms and T-shirts for the training room—they are not meant for an evening like this. If you don’t have any vintage clothing, you can’t go wrong with a nice dress or a smart suit. You can also shop for chic clothing, dance shoes, accessories, the newest CDs, DVDs and Rock That Swing souvenirs at the Vintage Market during the festival.
How to Book
You can order tickets for all events of the Rock That Swing Festival and register for the Rock That Swing Dance Camp through the order system on this website. Dance Camp passes and info material are picked up at the Rock That Swing Check-In; the evening tickets are sent to you as electronic tickets.
Go to Order Page / Go to Check-In
Tight Budget
You can book single evenings and single days of the Dance Camp to tailor your booking to your budget and your time. Students and groups of 10 or more people receive additional discounts. You can also earn free Dance Camp days or tickets for the evenings by helping at the festival — if you are interested, get in touch at helpers@rockthatswing.com.
The festival takes place in the off-peak travel season, so you can benefit from cheaper flights, train fares and hotel rates. Hostels with shared rooms start at about 20,– € per night.
How to Get There
Munich is easily accessible by plane, train or car, and the city’s excellent infrastructure makes it convenient to get around by public transport. All studios of the Rock That Swing Dance Camp and all evening venues are within a few minutes’ walk of each other in the center of Munich. Our directions page has detailed maps and travel descriptions.
Accommodation
We cannot arrange private accommodation, but there is a large selection of hotels in a variety of price categories just around the corner. Since the venues are very close to each other, staying at one of these hotels is a real advantage. Further information can be found on the accommodation page.
Media
This website gives you a good sense of what the Rock That Swing Festival is like. Over the past years our official festival photographers have taken many wonderful pictures, and you will find a selection of their work in the picture gallery. A large selection of video clips showing the atmosphere, performances and contests is on our YouTube channel.
Go to Picture Gallery / Go to Videos
Stay Up to Date
Sign up for our newsletter to stay informed about news and special promotions. You can also follow us on Instagram for the latest updates, or visit our Facebook page and Facebook group to connect with other participants and fans.
