Venue Info

One Main Venue

Boogie Down South will be held primarily at Busselton's Saltwater. A brand new performing arts centre in the region and the perfect spot to house as many excited dancers as possible for our special 10th edition event and our six teachers.

About the Venue

Upstairs Suite

Equipped with state-of-the-art audio-visual technology, these sophisticated function rooms enjoy abundant natural light and access to an alfresco balcony with superb views of the Foreshore Precinct and Geographe Bay.

With a sprung wooden dance floor, your joints and knees will be thanking you.

Auditorium

Saltwater’s auditorium is the main centre of Busselton's Performing Arts Centre, and it was built to sound and look darn good.

The multipurpose, 500sqm room is equipped with high performance light and sound technology, an orchestra pit and a sub-stage area.

In front of the stage, take advantage of a sprung dance floor. Then when you need to rest your feet (but don't want to miss out on all the action) you can head up to the balcony seats for perfect views of the band and dancing below.

The Saltwater Bar

Enjoy a fully licensed and stocked bar during the weekend's socials on the ground floor, directly outside of the Auditorium.

Parking

Parking can be found directly across from the venue in the various parking lots near the foreshore or along any of the Busselton main and adjoining streets.

A one venue choice

For the big 10th edition BDS, we wanted to try the big scary task of getting six teachers on board for a one time, special celebration of our tenth event. With this many teachers, this would likely perk lots of interested ears. To make it worth it to bring out so many exciting teachers, we needed to be able to find a way to get all those interested ears into the event.

In the Margaret River Region, there was no venue large enough to accommodate the extra 200+ attendees (not to mention the suitability of the floor for dancing on!).

Then Saltwater appeared: a large, multipurpose venue with an Auditorium with 500 sqm of danceable floor?! And it's got built in acoustics and AV?! In a regional area, that kind of space is incredibly rare, and we knew it was a special opportunity.

Space - Floors - and People

Boogie Down South has always been an event that moves around the region. One night you might find yourself in a country town hall, and the next tucked into one of the region’s wineries for a dance. That sense of place and community is a big part of what makes BDS feel like BDS.

Learn about why in 2026 for our big 10th addition, we needed to change it up for the year and why we're actually so excited to share it with you.

A carless event

One of the biggest barriers with an event spread across a region? Cars. We love having an event that allows us to explore different venues and sights. However we also recognise that this makes it challenging for anyone wanting to attend from interstate or overseas.

Having the event primarily in one venue means that you don't need to have a car to enjoy it. And this is also better for our environment.

One venue means:

• less time commuting to venues

• more rest time between classes and socials

• you can grab one more drink

• you don't need to worry about kangaroos on country roads

Missing the BDS of old?

As we’ve grown over the years, we know some of you, especially those who’ve been with us since the early days, have mixed feelings about this year being bigger. We hear that. Part of the magic of BDS has always been that it feels welcoming, regional, and community-focused, not huge or inaccessible.

Yes, this year is bigger. And yes, that changes the feel in some ways. But this is a special celebration year, not a sign that BDS is becoming something else entirely.

BDS is not aiming to grow forever, and we do not want it to become an impersonal 1000-person event. There will not be eight teachers next year. Once the biodegradable confetti settles on this 10th edition, BDS will continue as it has for many years: a smaller, unique, regional event built around community, great music, and inspiring guest teachers.

The swing dance community remains at the heart of why this event exists. Thank you for supporting us through this big and exciting milestone, and for being part of the journey that brought us here.

Now, let’s celebrate.