Hiphop Forever Battles 2026 - The Warrior Edition

Hiphop Forever brings together the scene’s top hiphop dancers at Paradiso for an explosive battle night. This year, we take it even further. Together with SNIPES, we bring back the Warrior Edition, a format designed to push dancers to their highest level. With the Warrior Edition, the Top 6 don’t stop at the battles. They must first take on six warriors — former winners, finalists, and judges — before going up against this year’s judges. No shortcuts. The higher the pressure, the heavier the belt. And this is the one you want!

We start the day with the Top 48 dancers from the Preselection. Each dancer gets one more minute to prove themselves, after which the judges select the Top 24 to advance to the battles. From there, the competition builds toward the Top 6, and that’s where it really begins... Scroll down to see how it all works!

Join us for the toughest battle in the scene, built to crown the ultimate heavyweight Warrior.

➤ Preselections Hiphop & House Dance Forever take place on Friday 28 August.
➤ If you stay at Paradiso after the battles, you can attend the club night "From the floor to the Decks - Hiphop Special" for free, starting at 23:00 (if you leave Paradiso, you have to buy a separate ticket for this event!).

Line-up Hiphop Forever

Judges: 
Majid
Icee
Batalla CL

DJs: 
Lumi Sow
DJ Stew

Hosts: 
JNM The Naked MC
John Agesilas

*the 6 warriors will remain secret until the battle

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Want to participate?

If you want to participate in the battles, you first need to take part in the Preselection on Friday 28 August. For this, you need a ticket and must register at Paradiso Amsterdam. On the Battle day, the Top 48 dancers from the Preselection will each get one more minute to prove themselves on the day of the battles, after which the judges will select the Top 24 to advance to the battles. 

⮕ Registration opens Friday 28 August from 12:30
⮕ Preselections Hiphop Forever: Friday 28 August from 13:30 - 18:00 (doors open at 13:00)
⮕ Preselections House Dance Forever: Friday 28 August from 18:30 - 21:30

How do the SDF Warrior Edition Battles work?

Preselections:
Everyone is welcome at the Preselections, whether you're participating or simply there to enjoy the vibe. Dancers hit the floor and get 45 seconds to show what they’ve got. After that, the three judges select 48 dancers, who each get one more minute to impress and earn a spot in the Top 24 that advance to the battles.

Battles:
In the Battles, the Top 24 dancers go head-to-head in 1vs1 rounds, battling their way through the Top 12, Top 6, and ultimately the Top 3. These Top 3 dancers then face off against the 3 judges, who step onto the floor themselves in the legendary Judge Battles. This is what sets Summer Dance Forever apart: our judges don’t just sit behind a desk, they get in the mix and battle too. Don’t talk about it — be about it!

The Warrior Edition:
This year, SDF and SNIPES are bringing back the Warrior Edition! Before reaching the Judge Battles, the Top 6 dancers must first take on six warriors — former winners, finalists, and judges. And if that isn’t hard enough, the warriors themselves choose which dancers they want to battle. If a dancer makes it through to the Judge Battles, the power shifts back to them: they choose which judge they want to face.After the Judge Battles, three dancers remain. One dancer then gets to call back an eliminated opponent to complete the Semi-Final line-up.

Audience vote:
You, the audience at Paradiso Amsterdam, play a vital role. In the Semi-Finals and Final, the dancers themselves answer the legendary question: Did you win or lose? But if both dancers claim the win, the final decision is in your hands. You help crown the Forever Warrior champion, who earns prize money, eternal glory, and the chance to judge at a future edition.