September Swing On In News
Hello Swing Fambam!
At my desk full of love for our dance community all over the world… Just back, bleary-eyed and with a tired body from all the fun dancing at the Cairns Swing Dance Festival.
Thanks to everyone who welcomed Swing On In and danced with us. Congratulations to John, Mallory, Kerry and their whole team at the Swing Rays who put this festival on. You created a warm, welcoming and fun event. Congratulations!
Highlights? Learning, dancing and hanging out with the Sydney Swing Katz — Justin, Kadj, Suz, Sammi & Henri. You are all nuts but loveable, and so generous with your talent and time. And hanging out and dancing to Lucky Seven — arguably the best swing band ever!
I guess your vibe really does attract your tribe, and this weekend was filled with fantastically fun people.
Can’t wait to see you all at the Byron Bay Lindy Exchange, 16–18 October 2026.
September Class Program
September is shaping up to be a cracker! We have speciality classes, visiting teachers, live bands, social dancing, SWELL by the beach and, of course, we’re on the home stretch to BBLX 2026.
Gold Coast – Wednesday Nights
Beginners / Transition
With Chrissy, Kellie & Ray
Wednesday 2 September
David & Waka – Swing Katz Stylings
Wednesday 9 September
Dion – Hip Hop Meets Lindy Hop
Wednesday 16 September
David & Waka – Swing Katz Stylings
Wednesday 23 September
Kahl & Leigh from Swing Patrol Brisbane
Wednesday 30 September
Amanda DB – Cabaret Routine
Mullumbimby – Thursday Nights
Beginners / Transition
With Chrissy, Deryn & Ray
Thursday 3 September
David & Waka – Swing Katz Stylings
Thursday 10 September
Dion – Hip Hop Meets Lindy Hop
Thursday 17 September
David & Waka – Swing Katz Stylings
Thursday 24 September
Amanda DB – Cabaret Routine
Upcoming Social Dances & Live Music
Friday 4 September – Community Tea Dance
Sweet Felicia & The Honeytones | From 7pm
It’s time for the third and final Community Tea Dance of this series at the CWA Hall, Griffith Street, Coolangatta — and we’re going out with a bang!
This month we welcome the fabulous Sweet Felicia & The Honeytones for an evening of live swing and jump blues.
Proudly supported by Cr Gail O’Neill, Division 14, City of Gold Coast, with proceeds supporting Beauties Feeling Fabulous.
There’ll be a full bar, plus tea, coffee and hot chocolate, and the lovely Charlotte will once again be supplying her delicious home-baked goodies.
Friday 4 September | From 7pm
CWA Hall, Griffith Street, Coolangatta
Saturday 12 September – SWELL Swings The Fringe
4pm–8pm | FREE
What could be better than swing dancing by the beach as the sun sets amongst the incredible installations of the SWELL Sculpture Festival?
Swing-A-Billy Ray will be spinning all your favourite swingin’ tunes at the Fringe Bar from 4pm–8pm.
Come for a dance, come for a drink, come for the sculptures or simply come and hang out with us as the sun goes down over Currumbin.
FREE — everyone welcome!
All Things BBLX 2026
The Titanic Swing Ball
Featuring Bec Whitehead & The Atlantics – 7 Piece Swing Band
Saturday 17 October 2026
Bangalow A&I Hall
All aboard for the headline event of the Byron Bay Lindy Exchange 2026 — The Titanic Swing Ball!
You absolutely DO NOT have to be a swing dancer to come along.
This is a night for dancers, live-music lovers, vintage lovers and anyone who enjoys an excuse to don some fancy garb and have a frolicking good night out!
We’re transforming the beautiful historic Bangalow A&I Hall for a spectacular night of live music, dancing and nautical frivolity, headlined by the sensational Bec Whitehead & The Atlantics — a fabulous seven-piece swing band.
Dress to impress — think first-class passengers, glamour, nautical elegance or simply your finest dancing threads. Costumes are encouraged but certainly not compulsory.
There’ll be a full bar by Kombi Keg Byron Bay, a pizza truck, plenty of parking and a dance floor ready and waiting.
And when the band plays its final tune, Byron Bay Taxis will have Maxi Taxis ready to roll, with BBLX festival-goers receiving a 15% discount on fares. Head to the after party or safely back to your accommodation.
This is one of those nights you don’t want to hear about afterwards and wish you’d been there!
Supporting Local
Supporting local businesses is incredibly important to us. BBLX brings people from all over Australia to Byron Bay and the Northern Rivers, and we want that visitation to benefit the local community wherever possible.
Byron Bay Taxis – Getting Our Tribe Home Safely
We’ve teamed up with Byron Bay Taxis to offer BBLX festival-goers a 15% discount on fares throughout the festival.
Most importantly, they’ll have Maxi Taxis waiting at the conclusion of the Titanic Swing Ball to take you either to the after party or safely back to your accommodation.
Get a group together, share a Maxi Taxi and add the BBLX discount — it makes getting home safely an easy and affordable option.
Kombi Keg Byron Bay – The First Class Bar
Chris and the team from Kombi Keg Byron Bay will be running our bar at the Titanic Swing Ball and have been fantastic supporters, working with us to create a bar worthy of our first-class passengers!
Expect fabulous cocktails, beer, wine and spirits, along with plenty of non-alcoholic options.
Explore Byron Bay With Delta Kay
We are incredibly proud to welcome Delta Kay of Explore Byron Bay to BBLX 2026.
Delta is a proud Arakwal Bundjalung woman who shares the stories, culture and Country of the Byron Bay region through her guided Aboriginal cultural experiences.
We are especially privileged that Delta will join us on Friday evening to offer the Welcome to Country at our BBLX Welcome Dance, a very special way for us to begin our weekend together.
BBLX festival-goers will receive 15% off tours with Explore Byron Bay, giving you the opportunity to step away from the dance floor for a few hours and discover more about the Country, culture and stories of this beautiful place.
Need BBLX Accommodation?
We currently have ONE Queen Unit available at Club Byron, right onsite at our BBLX Festival HQ — and where a whole bunch of us are staying!
It’s a self-contained cabin with a queen bed for $270 per night.
If you’re still looking for somewhere to stay and would love to be right in the middle of the BBLX action, let me know ASAP.
Otherwise, we’ll be releasing the unit back into the general accommodation pool.
See You On The Dance Floor!
September is going to be busy, October is going to be HUGE, and somewhere in between we might remember to rest our dancing feet!
Thank you, as always, for supporting Swing On In, coming to classes, supporting live music, travelling to festivals and helping us keep this wonderful swing dancing community thriving.
Until next time… Keep Swingin’!
Chrissy, Ray & the Swing On In Crew