Breakin’ Convention 2026 brings world‑class hip hop dance theatre to venues across the UK, showcasing some of the most exciting performers working today. This year’s international lineup includes the trailblazing collective ILL‑Abilities, featuring Redo and Bboy Samuka.
Known for pushing creative boundaries and challenging expectations, Redo and Bboy Samuka return to the Breakin’ Convention stage with a powerful fusion of movement, personal narrative and artistry. Audiences can expect innovative choreography, explosive energy and an unforgettable celebration of hip hop culture.
The tour runs from Saturday 9 May to Saturday 6 June 2026, opening at The Marlowe in Canterbury. Tickets and full venue listings are available here.
You’re starring in Breakin’ Convention 2026 on tour, what can you tell us about the show?
Breakin’ Convention is always special because it brings the full spectrum of hip hop theatre onto one stage. You’ll see raw and experimental movement, storytelling, live energy, and artists from different corners of the world sharing their passion on stage.
This year I’ll be performing a brand new duet called Broken Source together with my ILL‑Abilities team member Samuel ‘Samuka’ Silveira da Lima from Brazil. We are drawing inspiration from the Japanese philosophy of repairing broken things with gold, and the piece explores how fractures can become foundations.
Through explosive power, vulnerability, and deep connection, we reveal a shared journey of defying expectations and reclaiming identity beyond labels or limitations.
Broken Source is not about what was lost, but about what is discovered in the breaking. It is a universal story of resilience, a reminder that the moments that once shattered us can also become the source of our strength.
Breakin’ Convention brings together artists from all over the world. How does it feel to be part of such an internationally respected celebration of hip hop dance theatre?
It’s an honour! Breakin’ Convention has been one of the most important platforms for hip hop theatre in the world for many years. It doesn’t just showcase dance, it celebrates the culture, the community, and the evolution of hip hop dance theatre.
Being part of a space where artists from different countries, languages, and styles come together with that same spirit is really powerful.
ILL‑Abilities has inspired audiences globally by redefining what’s possible in dance. What can audiences expect from the collective on this year’s tour?
ILL‑Abilities has a special connection with Breakin’ Convention. We’ve performed and toured with the festival in 2012, 2013, 2014 and again in 2023. From those early years, it really helped spark the theatrical direction of our crew and laid the foundation for the kind of shows we create together today.
This time, however, it will be a duet. Together with Samuka I’ll be presenting Broken Source, so audiences can expect a powerful dialogue between two very different movers on stage — two bodies, two stories, meeting through movement.
It’s also amazing to travel across the UK with the tour, visiting different cities and connecting with new audiences along the way. Being on the road with a show like this always brings a special energy. Every theatre, every crowd, every city adds something new to the experience.
The festival blends performance, community, freestyle sessions and local talent. What excites you most about that mix when you’re touring around the UK?
When you tour and connect with local dancers or meet young people discovering the culture, that’s where the real exchange happens. It keeps the scene fresh and reminds you why you started dancing in the first place.
Breakin’ Convention champions individuality and creative expression. How does this platform influence your own artistic practice and storytelling on stage?
It creates space for authenticity. In hip hop theatre there’s space to be raw, vulnerable, funny, political, experimental, all at the same time. That freedom is something I value a lot.
With Broken Source, for example, Samuka and I are not trying to fit into a specific box of what breaking “should” look like. We’re exploring our own movement language and telling a story that comes from who we are as people. Platforms like Breakin’ Convention encourage that honesty.
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see Breakin’ Convention 2026?
Come by and experience dance theatre like you haven’t seen before. Whether you’re a hip hop fan or have completely different interests, Breakin’ Convention has a way of pulling you in. You’ll laugh, you’ll be surprised, and hopefully you’ll leave inspired by the creativity and resilience that lives at the heart of this culture.
You’ll see incredible dancers, powerful stories, and a dance that’s constantly evolving.
Breakin’ Convention is at Sadler’s Wells 1-3 May then tours to Breakin’ Convention tours to The Marlowe, Canterbury (9 May), Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham (15
& 16 May), Belgrade Theatre, Coventry (20 May), Tramway, Glasgow (23 May), Brighton Dome, Brighton (27 May) Lighthouse, Poole (30 May), CAST, Doncaster (3 June) and The Grand, Blackpool (6 June). For more information please go to www.breakinconvention.com
