How To Get Audience Tickets Strictly Come Dancing 2026

Strictly Come Dancing is back for 2026 with another star studded line-up.

2026 sees the 24th series of Strictly Come Dancing, bringing glamour and show stopping dancing back to Saturday nights on BBC One.

Emma Willis, Josh Widdecombe and Johannes Radebe are confirmed as replacing Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman as the hosts of Strictly Come Dancing. Alongside judges Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse, the show will once again come live from Elstree Film and Television Studios, with a one-off special from Blackpool Tower Ballroom.

Celebrities already confirmed for 2026 include Lacey Turner, Danni Dyer and Delta Goodrem,

Expected 2026 Strictly Come Dancing Dates (Unofficial Estimates)
The dates below are our predictions, based on previous BBC Strictly Come Dancing production schedules from recent years.

These dates have not been announced or endorsed by the BBC or Strictly Come Dancing production team, and may change once official information is released.

We will update this page when official BBC details become available.

Estimated Launch Show Pre-Record: Wednesday 9th September 2026
Estimated On Air: Saturday 19th September 2026
Venue: Elstree Film Studios

Estimated Live Show Dates: 26th September, 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th & 31st October, 7th, 14th & 28th November, 5th, 12th & 19th December 2026
Venue: Elstree Film Studios

Estimated Blackpool Week: 21st November 2026
Venue: Blackpool Tower Ballroom

Estimated Christmas Special Pre Record: Tuesday 8th December 2026
On Air: Christmas Day
Venue: Elstree Film Studios

Estimated Grand Final Date: Saturday 19th December 2026
Venue: Elstree Film Studios

Learn how to apply for tickets below

Join the Stars – 5* Weekend Breaks

📆 Friday 5th – Sunday 7th March 2027
📍 4* Alton Towers Resort Hotel, Staffordshire
⌛ Early Bird £659pp Dinner, Bed & Breakfast
💃 Strictly Stars confirmed – Kai Widdrington & Lauren Oakley, Julian Caillon, Aljaz Skorjanec & Janette Manrara, Giovanni Pernice, Leandro Palou & Maria Tsiatsiani, David Cockram & Rosie Ward
🛏️ Double, Twin, Triple & Themed Bedrooms available
✨ Over half the rooms already sold!

⭐ Join Strictly Come Dancing Stars Kai Widdrington & Lauren Oakley, Aljaz Skorjanec & Janette Manrara, Giovanni Pernice, Julian Caillon, British Showdance Champions David Cockram & Rosie Ward, Argentine Tango Stars Leandro Palou & Maria Tsiatsiani, plus the Tony Greenwood Big Band at the fabulous Alton Towers Resort Hotel ⭐

Donaheys Dance Lessons & Weekend Breaks are not endorsed by or associated with BBC Studios.

How To Get Official BBC Strictly Audience Tickets 2026

As in previous year’s, it’s expected there will be random draws for tickets to make the allocation as fair as possible.

Be the first to know when audience tickets become available, join our monthly newsletter here

Strictly Come Dancing Audience Tickets 2026

Strictly Come Dancing will be bringing the sparkle back to Saturday nights on BBC One and BBC iPlayer this Autumn.

Hosted by Emma Willis, Josh Widdecombe and Johannes Radebe alongside judges Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse, the show will come live from Elstree Film and Television Studios, with a one-off special from Blackpool Tower Ballroom.

Predicted Dates: Saturday’s 26th September, 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th & 31st October, 7th, 14th & 28th November, 5th, 12th & 19th December 2026
Venue: Elstree Film Studios, Shenley Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, WD6 1JG

Predicted Blackpool Week: 21st November 2026
Venue: Blackpool Tower Ballroom, Blackpool, FY1 4BJ

Predicted Timings: Approximate validation time will be between 3pm – 4pm on the day of recording. Expected finish time 11pm

Age limit: 14+ (anyone aged between 14 and 17 must be accompanied by an adult aged 18+ at all times)

Ticket Allocation

As in previous years it’s expected there will be a random draw operating. You can apply for tickets when the draw officially opens.

You can apply for a maximum of one pair of tickets and for as many dates as you wish, but if you are successful in the random draw you will only receive tickets for one date.

Applications for all 2026 Strictly Come Dancing shows has not yet opened

Be the first to know when audience tickets become available, join our monthly newsletter here

Strictly Come Dancing 2026 Christmas Special

Marking the end of the latest incredible series of sparkles and show-stopping moments, Strictly Come Dancing returns with a special one-off programme this Christmas..

This year six new celebrities will take to the floor and compete to become the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas champion 2026.

5* Weekend Breaks with the Stars of Strictly Come Dancing

If you can’t get hold of Strictly audience tickets, what’s the next best thing? If not a little better?

Donahey’s Dancing With The Stars Weekends – You too can watch all the Strictly stars perform up close and personal, plus you could learn to dance with these professional stars.

📆 Friday 19th – Sunday 21st March 2027
📍 4* De Vere Beaumont Estate, Old Windsor
⌛ Early Bird £689pp Dinner, Bed & Breakfast
💃 Strictly Stars confirmed – Anton Du Beke, Julian Caillon, Aljaz Skorjanec & Janette Manrara, David Cockram & Rosie Ward
🛏️ Double, Twin, Deluxe & Deluxe View
✨ Over half the rooms already booked

⭐ Join Strictly Come Dancing Stars Anton Du Beke, Julian Caillon, Aljaz Skorjanec & Janette Manrara, British Showdance Champions David Cockram & Rosie Ward, Argentine Tango Stars plus the Tony Greenwood Big Band at the impressive De Vere Beaumont Estate ⭐

Google Reviews & Recommendations

Excellent

Donaheys Dancing With The Stars Weekend5.0

Based on 264 reviews

Suzanne Greenop

2 months ago

Amazing weekend! We were thoroughly entertained throughout. Highly recommend if you love dancing.

Teresa Doherty

2 months ago

Absolutely wonderful - can’t recommend enough!!

Hereward Gas

2 months ago

Paul Smith

2 months ago

An Unforgettable, Starry-Eyed Strictly Experience at the Celtic Manor Resort Hotel. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We came away completely starry-eyed as first-timers at the Donaheys Dancing With The Stars Weekend at the Celtic Manor Resort Hotel. An exceptional experience – incredibly well organised and it exceeded all expectations from start to finish. The hotel was fantastic – great staff, a lovely room with a view, and a delicious variety of vegetarian options which we really appreciated. As complete beginners, the 7 hours of dance tuition were inspiring and great fun. Learning from the Strictly professionals – Aljaž Škorjanec & Janette Manrara, Giovanni Pernice, Anton Du Beke, and Gorka Márquez & Karen Hauer – was a real highlight. They were so supportive and made everything enjoyable. The evenings were pure glamour and glitz, with stunning professional performances. The Black Tie Ball with the Tony Greenwood 15-piece Big Band was brilliant – a perfect chance to practise what we’d learned. Being among 400 like-minded people created such a fun, friendly atmosphere. A truly memorable weekend – we would highly recommend it and will definitely be back! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

John Vaughan

2 months ago

My wife and I went to our 1st Donahey's Weekend in April @ Celtic Manor . We did have a preconceived idea as to how it would go but , honestly , we were simply blown away . The Hotel was magnificent . The quality of the food , service and facilities was top class . The 2 Ballrooms were superb . Getting to see the Strictly Stars up close was an incredible experience . They were each so kind , generous and patient and we had great fun learning 7 different Dances which we got to practice on the floor on Friday and Saturday evening . There are 4 levels so everyone can enjoy learning at their own standard . The people we met were fabulous and everyone mixed so well . The atmosphere was electric . Paul and his ' Dance Family ' were so lovely , approachable and helpful . Their organisation of the weekend was a fantastic ' 10 ' and the weekend flowed like an beautifully fluid Ballroom dance . We could go on and on but will finish by saying . If you love Strictly and enjoy dancing , a Donahey's Weekend MUST go on your Bucket List . You will not be disappointed . We are definately going back John & Olive Vaughan ( Cork - Ireland )

PAUL DOWNS

2 months ago

Our first time attending a weekend of dancing with the stars. What an incredible experience. The entire weekend was so professionally organised. The Donaheys Team are so friendly, helpful and attentive. We are complete novices with zero experience. The classes are structured into 4 categories, depending upon your experience. We were in the Red class for those learning steps for the very first time. This worked so well. Going in with zero expectations (other than to enjoy) and leaving each class with some basic steps was really fun and fulfilling. The entire weekend was organised by people who seriously know what they’re doing! To have your first classes ever being instructed by the likes of Aljaz and Janette, Anton, Giovanni and the wonderful Argentine Tango specialists Maria and Alejandro (who choreograph all the strictly Argentine Tango routines) was special. The British Showdance Champions, Rosie and David were a joy to watch and we really enjoyed their Foxtrot lesson. What lovely people they all are. So kind and warm. The evening shows on Friday and Saturday evening were amazing. Intimate performances from all of the teachers and stars and some special guests from the World of dance and song!. Great entertainment. The shows were worth the fee!! We have booked again for 2027 and we can’t wait. Would highly recommend, especially for those wanting a first dance experience or are looking to build on their basic skills and for those wanting a weekend of great entertainment. The Celtic Manor is an amazing venue too. Loved it! Thanks to the entire Donaheys Team Esther and Paul ❤️

Andrea Dobson

2 months ago

Huge congratulations to Paul and his fabulous team for delivering a fantastic weekend, absolutely jam packed with dance instruction, dance showcases and lots of fun. We were really looking forward to it anyway, but the whole experience completely surpassed are high expectations! Well done and thank you team Donaheys!

Martin Gerrard

2 months ago

I had been advised that I would enjoy the dance weekend but the experience exceeded any of my expectations... The hotel was wonderful, the Strictly dancers were as pleasant and helpful as they could possibly be, the organisation and timing of all the workshops was just perfect... I have already booked for next year and would recommend the dance weekends to anyone and everyone!! Well done Donaheys!!

The Dream

2 months ago

Amazing weekend, it was our first time going and it was even better than expected, we have re booked to back next year. 💃💃💃

Wendy Rathbone

2 months ago

We had an amazing time at our first Donaheys weekend. We stayed at the Celtic Manor hotel in April 2026. The organisation beforehand was excellent, with timely emails asking for information or confirming details. A very comprehensive email came out about a month ahead of time which dealt with all the details you need to know. The weekend itself ran like clockwork. We had just the right amount of workshops, there was breathing space in-between, and we were never bored. There is a lot of dancing available, either in social sessions or the workshops. All abilities are catered for in 4 separate workshops: absolute beginners up to more experienced dancers. It was lovely to see so many dancers with such a wide range of experience enjoying their dancing. We never felt judged or out of place on the dance floor or at any time. All of the lessons were excellent and well structured. It was super exciting to be taught the cha cha by Aljaz and Janette, and the waltz by Anton. Every single Strictly star and all of the teachers were so kind, nice people and very helpful. We have already booked for next year and strongly recommend it if you are thinking about it. The weekends do sell out! All the Donaheys people were professional, kind and helpful and there was just a lovely vibe to the whole weekend.

Lorraine Dicker (Fred)

2 months ago

Wonderful weekend we just had at Celtic Manor with the Donaheys team Fabulous line up of stars. Brilliant workshop on how to do certain dances. Wonderful friendly staff and guests. Had. A couple of minor issues which I want to thank Jackie and Tracy for sorting these out efficiently. Enjoyed it so much have booked for next year. Keep Dancing. 💃💃🕺💃

Richard Thompson

2 months ago

Just back from Celtic Manor. Unfortunately due to some knee surgery i wasn't able to dance. As always Paul and his team were on hand to make me as comfortable as possible. The showcases were exceptional with the youngsters quickstep routines my favourite. All stars were approachable and clearly enjoyed being part of Donaheys family. The DSI behind the scenes a very interesting addition. All booked for next year. See you all there.

Martyn Reid

2 months ago

Another wonderful action packed fun Donaheys weekend at the Celtic Manor, Newport. Being tutored up close by the Strictly Stars and professionals in such a friendly environment was such a great experience. Hats off to the Donaheys team too for making the whole event run so smoothly, thanks for the memories, Martyn & Nyree

Trudy Walmsley

2 months ago

Fabulous weekend. My first time and, with no dancing experience, I was a bit apprehensive. The weekend was really well organised, I learned far more than I expected and the accommodation was lovely. Thank you to all involved.

Hereward Gas

3 months ago

What a fantastic time we had at the De Vere Beaumont Estate Windsor, at the Donaheys dancing with the stars weekend. We had a fabulous dance lessons with the stars and in the evenings we watched the professionals incredible showcase dances. The black tie ball with a 15 piece band was fantastic. We love it so much we have already booked to return for our 4th years next year.Thank you Paul.Amy and all the Donaheys Team for all your hard work and for making it another memorable weekend.Looking forward to nest year . Tony & Amanda

Nigel Skinner

3 months ago

Another fab-u-lous weekend of dance with Donaheys. This has been our 6th visit and it never fails to inspire us. Extremely well organised, fitting in so much in one weekend! We have already booked our 7th visit.

les williams

3 months ago

What an incredible weekend 👏 As a complete beginner (my only experience being classic Dad dancing at parties), I genuinely didn’t know what to expect but booking this was one of the best decisions we’ve made. My wife loves Strictly, I wanted to book something for a nice surprise, that she would enjoy. I found Donahey”s Online, so I booked. The professional line-up looked outstanding, and travelling from Lincolnshire to Berkshire turned out to be more than worth it. Huge thanks to @mrantondubeke, @rosie_rw, @ellingtonlance, @leandropalou1, @maria_tsiatsiani, @pernicegiovann1, @david_and_rosie_, @michelle_tsiak, @simonearena_official, @kaiwidd and @laurenmayoakley, the level of talent was matched by the encouragement, patience and energy you brought. You made complete beginners feel comfortable and capable from the first step. An unforgettable experience fun, welcoming, and brilliantly run. Paul, Shirley, Amy and the team should be incredibly proud of what they’ve created. Safe to say… we’ve already booked again for 2027.

Beverley Gough

3 months ago

The Amazing Donaheys Dancing with the Stars Weekend We have spent a fantastic weekend with Donaheys, Dancing with the Stars, at De Vere Estate Windsor I can't speak highly enough of the entire experience! The magnificent Donaheys Team are a highly professional Family run Team who deliver perfection every time. It's fantastic to get up close and personal with the Strictly Stars in the dance workshops and photocalls. Truly an experience not to be missed. And the Showcases are absolutely out of this world A-MAZ-ING! The organisation and precision of the entire weekend, coordinating the workshops for all abilities, from Beginners, and Intermediate to Advanced Dancers. This makes for an amazing experience. The Team are extremely helpful and whatever your question, they are always on hand to help and advise. The Donaheys Team work hard 52 weeks a year to bring Dancing with the Stars weekend to us. If you haven't been to one of these weekends, then you are in for a truly wonderful experience. The is a 5* plus weekend in any of their resorts. I highly recommend Donaheys dance weekends, you will fall in love with Dance, of that you can be sure! Keeeep Dancing! Beverley

Rosie Priestley

3 months ago

Great weekend

Jo Covey

3 months ago

THE BEST WEEKEND !! we had never attended one of these weekends before but we were not disappointed, the whole weekend exceeded our expectations. My husband and I are both in our 50’s and had never danced before ( apart from a taster at learn to dance in a day with donaheys) all the classes were amazing and such fun ( we were red band for beginners ) to be able to have classes with some of the strictly pros and other pro dancers was amazing. The showcases were brilliant and the black tie ball was fab to see everyone dressed up. All the donaheys team were fab and so helpful. Hotel was lovely just outside of Windsor and food was lovely a great choice. The whole weekend was so well organised and was great to meet other people who love dancing. We got home yesterday evening and I’m still buzzing from it. We have already booked to go again next year. I can definitely recommend this weekend and whatever your dance level you will love it !!

Roger N

3 months ago

An incredible experience. Brilliant performances from the stars. The Donahey planning and support throughout the booking and the weekend experience was exceptional. The hotel was great. Cannot thank Donaheys and their sparkling star performers enough.

Sharon Reed

3 months ago

Having joined the Donaheys team for our 3rd year at Alton Towers I can honestly say this is one of the best weekends of the year. Everyone is so happy and eager to learn and for us it is a joy to catch up with both the Donaheys team and all the other returning guests who have now become friends. My Mum and I want to thank everyone involved in creating these magical weekends. I am currently practicing at home with the fantastic online courses and can’t wait to use what I have learned on the dance floor next year!

Derek Bish

4 months ago

We had a fantastic weekend at Alton Towers hotel. From start to finish the weekend was superbly organised. All the Donaheys team are very friendly and helpful. We loved the lessons with the strictly stars, David and Rosie and Tony Bennett. The showcases were fab-u-lous! The location is great and the hotel staff are brilliant. We have booked again for 2027 and can't wait!

Joanne Clark

4 months ago

It is always a fantastic weekend. Great to see Strictly stars up close but David and Rosie are always a highlight for me. Looking forward to next year.

Margaret Lloyd

4 months ago

10 of us had a FAB U LOUS weekend of dance and fun. Paul and the Donaheys Team are super friendly, kind and accomodating. They are all welcoming and helpful, both on the dance floor and off. The ballrooms are spacious and well planned, there is ample seating for the evenings entertainment. We learned new dances from the Stars, heard their personal stories and were blown away by their magnificent performances during their showtime. Even thinking about them leaves me breathless! David and Rosie were around at Practice sessions to help, their show was amazing. I love them ❤️ We ve booked for next year, choosing an alternative venue as it's nearer to travel.

How much are Strictly audience tickets?

Tickets for the Strictly Come Dancing audience are free

The BBC allows fans to come along and watch the show in order to fill the studio and create the amazing atmosphere we see at home.

What are the chances of getting Strictly tickets?

If you get tickets consider yourself lucky – it has previously been revealed that almost 2 million regularly apply for tickets but only around 450 members of the general public get the chance to take a seat at each show – thats less than 10,000 over the course of each series.

How many people are in the audience of Strictly Come Dancing?

Around 700 people are in the Strictly studio audience.

Around 450 are allocated to the General Public, and around 250 are allocated to production guests.

Is Strictly Filmed Live on Sunday?

Sadly not! The results show is filmed as live, immediately following Saturday evening’s main show.

Over recent years, the professional dancers have pre-recorded the group numbers which frequently appear during the Sunday evening results programme.

Where is Strictly filmed?

Strictly Come Dancing is primarily filmed at Elstree Film and Television Studios in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire. 

Each year, the show also films a special episode at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom. 

Locations of Donahey’s Dancing With The Stars Weekends

Exclusive Weekend Breaks with the Stars

Donaheys organise exclusive 5* Weekend Breaks where these sizzling stars will teach you how to dance and perform exceptional shows for you . And who better to teach you to dance than the Strictly Come Dancing Professional Dancers themselves; be captivated as they perform spectacular shows just for you.

Strictly audience members experience…

David Swan; Had the great pleasure of managing to get 2 tickets for last Saturdays show (29th October 2016 – Halloween show). All I can say is, it was Brilliant. There is no comparison to seeing it live than on the TV. Seeing how everything is recorded (the group dances, the Guest on the Sunday results show and then the dreaded end bit of the results show. So much more tense in the studio than watching on TV). And the biggest surprise, how much smaller the dance floor looks in real life, than on TV.

Long day though. We had to be at the studio for 3.15 and recording didn’t finally finish until 10.20 with only 1 real break between 8.15 and 9.00. Although we did get a free KitKat and a small carton of Juice from the BBC.

Registration for this years shows are now closed (they shut at the beginning of September). For those wanting to apply for next year. First you have to register on the BBC website (I think its on the Strictly section). In August, they send out a reminder to everyone who’s registered. Once registration is open, you then get the choice of which shows you want (put them all down). You will get confirmation of your registration. Then I’m afraid its pot luck.

I kept getting e-mails from the BBC to say my registration had been unsuccessful, then out of the blue (about 3 weeks beforehand), I got one to say, I had been successful and my tickets were attached. This year there was 5.5 million applications for tickets and they only allocate about 550/600 tickets per show. And it doesn’t end there. Even if you are lucky enough to get tickets, it doesn’t guarantee you will get in.

On the day you have to go to the studios to validate your tickets. We arrived at 1145 to be told we had the very last 2 guaranteed seats (449/450). So if you are so very lucky to get tickets, you have to get there very early in the morning to get them validated. The first 100 get on the studio floor (which you never see as they are behind the cameras). The rest are allocated to the upstairs balconies (You can see most of the dance floor). The 1 thing I did want to try and get over was the thing about validating your tickets. Apparently they over subscribe by between 100 & 150 per show and its only the 1st 450 who turn up are guaranteed seats. We tried to imagine what it would have been like, driving 170 miles only to be told we had missed out by a few minutes. Just shows how some people think though. The person who got ticket 1 on Saturday was at the Studio at 1-30 in the Morning. Validation didn’t start till 9 oclock.

We were sat directly opposite the judges so had a brilliant view of them (including Craig, Darcy and Len arguing like hell after Craig gave Greg Rutherford a 4 and upset Natalie). All those seats directly behind the judges and the others opposite on the studio floor and all for invited guests/VIPs.

Hopefully, those who wish to apply, this has given you a bit more insight on how the process works. And if you do get them, it is so much worth it. Good Luck. Believe you me, if you enjoy it on the Tele, you’ll absolutely love it live.

Best of luck with your application for Strictly audience tickets.