19 Years After Soweto’s Historic Breaking World Final, Four International All Stars Return to South Africa
Nearly two decades after some of the world’s best breakers gathered at Orlando Power Station in Soweto for a major global breaking final, four of the scene’s biggest names are returning to South Africa.
French B-Boy Lilou, Colombia’s Alvin, Dutch breaker Lee and Belgian B-Boy Djibril will be in the country from 29 August, joining South Africa’s own three-time national champion Courtnaé Paul for a series of workshops, community events and the national breaking final in Cape Town.
The visit has a particular connection to South Africa’s breaking history. In 2007, Soweto hosted the global Red Bull BC One World Final, the first and, so far, only time the competition’s world final has taken place on African soil. Lilou was one of the competitors at that event, and won the world title in 2005 and again in 2009.
This time, the international breakers are coming not to compete, but to spend time with South Africa’s breaking community, sharing their experience with emerging B-Boys and B-Girls through workshops and jams.
Who’s coming?
Lilou, France
Lilou is one of only four B-Boys to have won the BC One World Final twice. He took his first title in 2005 and returned to win again in 2009. He also competed at the 2007 Soweto final, making his return to South Africa a link between the country’s past and present breaking scenes.
Alvin, Colombia
Colombian B-Boy Alvin is known for his power moves and musicality. He has made two wildcard appearances at the global final and is part of a wider South American breaking community that has produced some of the discipline’s strongest dancers.
Lee, Netherlands
Lee is a member of Dutch crew The Ruggeds and was runner-up at the 2022 World Final. He also represented breaking at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where the discipline made its Olympic debut.
Djibril, Belgium
Belgian breaker Djibril is known for his distinctive freezes, including his signature “diamond wrist”. He made his first World Final wildcard appearance in 2025.
They’ll be joined throughout the tour by Cape Town-based breaker, DJ and choreographer Courtnaé Paul, who has won the South African national title three times. Paul has represented the country at World Finals in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo and will be defending her B-Girl title in Cape Town.
Where to see them
The All Star Tour has four stops across South Africa, with workshops taking place in Johannesburg, East London and Cape Town, followed by the national final.
Johannesburg
29 August, 13:00–16:00
TMF Studio, Braamfontein
East London
2 September, 17:00–20:00
Hemingway’s Rooftop Venue
Cape Town
3 September
A community jam and exchange will take place in the city, bringing international and local breakers together.
Cape Town workshop
5 September, 10:00–12:00
Workshop 17, Watershed
The tour is particularly relevant for local breakers because the international dancers will be teaching and exchanging with South African dancers, rather than simply appearing as performers. It offers emerging breakers a chance to train with dancers whose careers span some of the biggest stages in the discipline.
Then, the national final
The tour ends on 5 September with the South African national final at Thibault Square in Cape Town.
From 14:00 to 20:00, 20 of the country’s top breakers, four B-Girls and 16 B-Boys, will compete for the national titles.
The B-Girl line-up includes defending champion Courtnaé Paul, alongside B-Girl Baylie, Keisha Keesh and B-Girl Jordin. The B-Boy finalists are Bashi, Swae V, Nanky, Killy, Ranks, Boeraks, Rhythm, Shady, Chillo, Vector, Seeflehx, Jayden, Tankee, Warren, Labster and Toufeeq.
Entry to the national final is free, with no ticket or advance registration required.
The winners will go on to represent South Africa at the 2026 World Final in Toronto on 29 November. It will be the first time the global final is held in Canada.
For South Africa’s breaking community, the timing feels significant. Nineteen years after Soweto became the unlikely centre of the global breaking world, some of the dancers who helped shape that history are coming back, this time with a new generation of South African breakers watching, learning and competing alongside them.
