Joat Festival to Return to Montreal's Quartier des Spectacles
Mr Wiggles, Acky and DJ FLEG will judge battles at Club Soda alongside the CHŌRA performance.
The JOAT International Street Dance Festival, the largest festival of its kind in the Americas, will return to Montreal's Quartier des Spectacles from September 1-7, 2026, bringing a week of world-class street dance battles, performances, workshops, and cultural programming to the city in co-production with Danse Danse.
Led by artistic director Handy Yacinthe, the annual festival celebrates the diversity of street dance culture through an inclusive lineup of Breaking, Hip Hop, Popping, and All Styles competitions, alongside music producer battles, master classes, conferences, art installations, and free outdoor activities designed for audiences of all ages.
Among this year's featured events are four headline dance battles at Club Soda, where dancers will compete in one-on-one improvisational contests judged by internationally renowned artists. Returning judges include legendary Bronx breaker Mr Wiggles, a member of the pioneering MASS crew and multiple-time JOAT champion, alongside world champion popper Acky. DJ FLEG, who served as the breaking DJ during the 2024 Olympic Games, also returns to provide the music for this year's competitions.
More than 250 dancers are expected to compete in the preliminary rounds on the Esplanade de la Place des Arts, where solo improvisations will determine the 16 finalists advancing to the Club Soda championship battles. Unlike many international competitions, every finalist will receive prize money.
The festival will also welcome back the JOAT KidzBattle, allowing young dancers to compete under the same format as the adult competitions. Following open preliminary rounds on the Place des Arts stage, finalists will perform before international judges at Club Soda. This year's KidzBattle will feature special guest MIYU, the 12-year-old Indonesian street dance sensation whose performances have attracted more than one million Instagram followers.
Opening this year's festival is CHŌRA, an immersive interdisciplinary performance created by dancer PAX, composer Lunice, and audiovisual artist Neurotypique. Presented in collaboration with the Société des arts technologiques (SAT) as part of its artist residency program, the production blends dance, music, and digital art in a multimedia experience running September 1-5 before being presented as a film beginning September 8.
Beyond the headline performances, JOAT will offer an extensive lineup of educational and community programming. Festival attendees can participate in free introductory workshops in Hip Hop, Popping, Hustle, rap, and beatmaking, while experienced dancers can attend advanced master classes led by international judges and guest artists. Additional programming includes the returning SPOT Session practice space, MKA Sessions krump battle-performances, C'est quoi les DAWs, a live battle for hip-hop music producers, and community dance parties throughout the week.
The festival will also highlight Montreal's street dance history through DECYPHER, an exhibition and documentary presentation at the Centre des mémoires montréalaises (MEM) that explores the city's Breaking scene through archival footage and interviews with influential artists. MEM will also host Dialogue avec l'histoire, an intergenerational discussion connecting pioneers of 1980s and 1990s street dance with today's artists through archival materials and personal stories.
Festival Details
The JOAT International Street Dance Festival takes place September 1-7, 2026, throughout Montreal's Quartier des Spectacles, including Place des Arts, Club Soda, and the Centre des mémoires montréalaises (MEM).
Battle Schedule
The festival's four signature battles take place September 3-6 at Club Soda:
- Breaking
- Hip Hop
- Popping
- JOAT KidzBattle
Single battle tickets are $55, while a four-battle pass is available for $155. KidzBattle tickets are $30.
Free Festival Activities
In addition to the ticketed competitions, JOAT will present a wide range of free events, including:
- Introductory street dance workshops
- Master classes
- JOAT KidzBattle preliminaries
- Breaking, Hip Hop, and Popping preliminaries
- Hip-hop and R&B concerts
- DJ performances
- Beatmaking demonstrations
- C'est quoi les DAWs music producer battles
- SPOT Session open practice space
- MKA Sessions battle-performances
- Dialogue avec l'histoire panel discussions
- DECYPHER documentary screenings
- Art market, barber shop, food vendors, refreshments, and family activities
Founded in 2014, JOAT Art & Street Dance has grown into one of North America's premier celebrations of street dance culture, attracting nearly 50,000 attendees annually while showcasing both emerging and internationally acclaimed artists.
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