Fabric presents Applause Youth Dance Festival (AYDF) 2026, a weekend celebration of youth dance in the Midlands this April.

AYDF 2026 welcomes young dancers aged 11 to 24 from all backgrounds, dance genres, and levels of experience to perform in this vibrant celebration of regional youth dance that takes place at Royal Concert Hall Nottingham for the first time.

AYDF is the U.Dance Regional Platform for the Midlands, and gives the opportunity for audiences to experience an exciting evening of young dancers showcasing their creativity and sharing new original dance works.

The selected groups that will be performing will be announced in February 2026.

During the day the festival will also be hosting a marketplace. This will be an opportunity for people to connect with dance organisations, providers and institutions, explore training opportunities, projects and learn about progression pathways related to and around dance.

The marketplace will be located on level 2 and will run:

• Saturday – 12.30 – 5.30pm
• Sunday – 12.30 – 4.30pm

Image by Matthew Cawrey

Applause Youth Dance Festival is delivered in partnership with U.Dance Regional and One Dance UK, continuing its role as the U.Dance Regional Platform for the Midlands for 2026.