The Mess Around 2026

9-10-11 January 2026, The Hague

Get ready to Mess Around!

The next edition of The Hague’s festival will be back to brighten up your post-holiday gloom in 2026. So get out your agenda’s, mark 9 to 11 January, and prepare yourself for a weekend full of music, inspiration and fun!
Curious what the festival looks like? Check out 2024’s aftermovie & teacher presentation below 👇

The Mess Around​ – What is it about?

More than your average Lindy Hop festival, The Mess Around combines excellent locations, swingin’ bands, and great teachers with a fresh concept. Designed to grow your connections with the musicians, rhythms, and each other, our teachers and organizers have been working together to create a program featuring a class with live music, in-class challenges, and surprises during the parties. 

Our locals know us for our welcoming and inclusive monthly beer dances. With The Mess Around, we want to create a weekend of fun and inspiration that helps you grow your dancing, whether it be solo, partnered, or even with more than one partner!  Let’s get connected, be playful, and Mess Around!

Focusing on how we interact and connect, we challenge you to take your dancing experience to the next level and…

Dancing is so much more than doing moves and following steps together with a partner, it is an exploration of the music! That’s why we will strive to really connect with it during the classes, one of which is with live music. Connection and exploration will also be the focus of our three parties with live bands. Tune in to a specific musician, sync with one of the many rhythmic layers, and become a part of the ‘musical organism’ that’s filling the space.

…connect solo to partner dancing and beyond

Be prepared to explore how solo, partner dancing, or group dancing can boost your ability to connect with the music, other dancers, and the dance floor around you. We are welcoming upcoming and established international teachers to guide you along the way.

…connect to your inner joy and mess around!

In the end, just like the move, The Mess Around is all about having fun. Get ready for some grooving, stealing, switching, and jamming. The festival will allow you to safely explore all those groovy possibilities in your body. It’s not about what you do, how you dance, or with whom, as long as it brings a smile to your face.

Our community runs on respect. Let’s work together to make our dances a safe, welcoming, and enjoyable space for everyone!

Safe Space

Hofstad Hop is dedicated to providing a safe space for everyone, no matter their gender, race, nationality, sexual orientation, age, ability, physical appearance, religion, or any other personal characteristic.

Code of Conduct

All attendees and staff are subject to our code of conduct.

We have a zero tolerance policy on harassment be it racist, sexist, homophobic or transphobic abuse, unwanted sexual attention or sexual assault.

Drug use or being under the influence of drugs is prohibited at our venues.

If the code of conduct is breached we reserve the right to remove the participant from current and future events.

Our Team

Members of our team can be found at every dance. You can easily identify us by our “Hofstad Hop” pins.

We have a care team: Merel, Anne, and Marc. If you experience any issue or concern you want to address, please come and find us. This might include unsafe experiences on or off the dance floor, or situations in which you or others have been made to feel uncomfortable. Your concerns will be taken seriously and treated confidentially. If necessary or desired, our care team member will discuss possible courses of action with you. Contact any organiser if you need help in locating us.

Let’s dance!

Asking someone to dance

We encourage anyone to ask anyone to dance. Anyone can respond with ‘no, thank you.’ An explanation is never required.

We believe that dance roles are unrelated to gender. Don’t assume that someone dances a certain role just based on appearances. To have clear communication when asking someone to dance, it’s good to state your preferred role or ask. For example: “Hey, would you mind leading in this dance?” ”Hi, would you like to dance the next song? Would you prefer to lead or follow?”

Floorcraft

While dancing you invite people into your personal space and enter other people’s personal space.

While there is always some risk associated with any physical activity, we are committed to preventing injuries before they happen. Unsafe dancing is any movement that puts anyone at an increased risk of physical injury.

Social dances are not the time or place for aerials. Please save these for competitions or jam circles with the consent of your partner.

Be aware of the space around you and account for this in the moves you do. If you should bump into anyone, check-in with them and offer an apology.

Be considerate of others

Good hygiene can make dancing more comfortable for everyone, so bring a change of clothes, deodorant & mints if you need them.

Our classes and social dances are not the place for unsolicited feedback. This is reserved for teachers or when your partner explicitly asks for it.

Instructors

Our workshop instructors are selected for a variety of reasons including skill, awareness of community safety concerns, and inclusive and accountable teaching methods.

We look forward to dancing with you!

Internal Care Team SOP

Internal care team is not the same as event staff. Any concerns brought to a staff member should be directed to a care team member present. Our current care team members are Merel, Anne & Marc.