HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam will for the first time host the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF)'s World Championship Show Dance Latin 2026, marking a new milestone in the development of Vietnamese dancesport.

Taking place from December 19 to 20, the event is expected to welcome elite dancers from 30 countries and regions, along with a large number of coaches, judges and members of the international dancesport community in Hà Nội. 

Alongside the world championship, Việt Nam will also host the Asian Senior II Latin Championship.

"After many rounds of judgement, Việt Nam overcame many strong opponents to finally win the right to host the championship. This is not only a honour for Việt Nam, but also recognition for Vietnamese dancesport in the international arena," said Khánh Thi, CEO of King The Art, the country's leading dancesport organiser.

"In recent years, Việt Nam has hosted number of prestigious international tournaments. After the success of the recent Việt Nam DanceSport Festival 2026 and WDSF Asian DanceSport Championships, we proved our organisation capacity and showed the world our high quality and the great potential of dancesport's development.

"This recognition will open the door for more major events to come to Việt Nam in the future, while at the same time set higher requirements for professional standards and event operations," she said.

Thi was previously a top national female dancer, who competed along with her former dance partner and boyfriend Chí Anh. Both have been retired for years and now work as coaches, judges and event organisers.

They are now seeking partnerships with businesses and brands across the aviation, hospitality, tourism, restaurant, transportation, sports, fashion, media and technology sectors.

Thi said there are a wide range of requirements for hosting a world championship, including competition venues, judging systems, hotels, transportation, security, medical services, technical facilities, prize money and arrangements for participating delegations.

The national team coach said that the tournament would give Vietnamese athletes the opportunity to compete against world-class dancers and perform on home ground. With local support, they will likely get higher results, she said.

Experience gained from the event is also expected to help them be more confident competing abroad in the future.

Beyond its sporting significance, the championship is expected to help promote Việt Nam’s culture, people and image to international participants, according to the organising board. — VNS