Hosted at Defected’s annual event Defected Croatia, 2023’s edition will present the festival’s first live dance takeover hosted by Glitterbox, the multifaceted artist Kiddy Smile and dance collective Waack in Paris.

Paying homage to disco’s inclusive spirit and history, nightlife phenomenon Glitterbox has teamed up with Paris-based collective and event Waack in Paris to present a showcase like no other on the Adriatic coast this August. Emerging in the gay underground clubs of Los Angeles in the 1970s, the dance style became a form of expression and empowerment among the queer Black and Latinx community, with disco soundtracking the social art form.

Officially named GlitterWhack, the live competition will celebrate all there is to love about disco music, dance and performance, hosting 30+ participants from across the globe, uniting the whacking community with one of the world’s hottest nightlife brands. A perfect pairing for Glitterbox’s inclusive dancefloor, dancer, creative and DJ Kiddy Smile will host this year’s showcase, bringing with him a host of renowned MCs, judges and DJs set to bring the festival’s Beach Stage to life on Saturday 5th August 2023.

“For years now Defected has given a platform to dancers and performers on their many stages across the globe. I wanted to push this even further, providing dancers with an even bigger stage within a festival setting. Whacking is a queer dance style and is still mostly performed to disco music, making it the perfect match for the Glitterbox brand.” – Kiddy Smile.

The competition will be open to all that register, giving participants the opportunity to battle it out and be crowned GlitterWhack Winner. Prizes will also be up for grabs, with added surprises making this whacking debut an event not to be missed!

More details to be announced shortly via Glitterbox and Waack in Paris.