Lisbon Westie Fest – Comprehensive Guide

Everything you need to know to enjoy the most unforgettable West Coast Swing weekend in Lisbon!

How to get to the event venue?

The VIP Executive Santa Iria Hotel is in Santa Iria de Azoia, just a short distance from Lisbon’s city center.

  • From Lisbon Airport (Humberto Delgado Airport):
    The hotel is approximately a 10-minute drive from the airport. You can take a taxi or use a ride-sharing service such as Uber or Bolt. Alternatively, you can take the metro from the airport to “Moscavide” station (second stop), then transfer to the train heading in the direction of “Azambuja” and get off at Santa Iria Station, which is a 10-minute walk from the hotel.

  • By Train:
    The nearest train station is Santa Iria, which is just 10-minute walk from the hotel.

  • By Car:
    If you are driving, you can easily reach the hotel via the A1 or A8 highways, following the signs for Santa Iria de Azoia.

Want to Explore Lisbon?

We made a guide just for you! Check out our Lisbon City Guide here.

Check-in Info

Check-in opens Thursday during the Pre-Party and continues on Friday and Saturday at the hotel.

At the registration desk, you’ll find:

  • Your event wristband and pass info

  • The chance to register or pay for intensives and competitions (cash or card)

  • LWF T-shirts for sale – 25€ – (cash or card)

Workshops, Levels & Auditions

We have 5 levels at LWF:

  • Social 2 – Newcomer

  • Social 3 – Novice/Intermediate

  • Social 4 – Advanced

  • WSDC Novice/Intermediate – requires minimum 1 WSDC Novice point

  • WSDC Adv/All-Star – requires minimum 1 WSDC Advanced point

Each level has 4 dedicated workshops + open-level workshops.

📅 Check the schedule here: Workshop Schedule

⚠️ The schedule will be updated live on our website — always double-check before your workshops.

🎟️ You’ll receive a wristband during check-in indicating your level.

🧭 Audition – Social 3 Only

If you’re in Social 3 level, there’s a mandatory audition to potentially move you to Social 4.

  • 📍 Friday at 15:30

  • ⏰ Late Auditions: Saturday at 10:00

  • No one will be leveled down.

Competitions

📝 All competition payments are made at check-in — cash or card.

LWF is a trial event, so all comps cost only 5€! Your second competition is free! So if you register for more than one comp, you only pay for the first one.

⏰ Registration deadline: Saturday 11:00 AM

✅ Already registered? Confirm your info with Agata (our scorer) at the desk.

📲 You can pre-confirm now to speed up check-in: Register & Confirm Here

You’ll get a QR code to show Agata and receive your bib number.

⏱️ During comps:

  • Arrive 15 min early for marshaling

  • Scoring.dance will be used for: Registration, callbacks and results.

📄 Read all competition rules here: Competition Rules

✨ Most important rule? Have fun and enjoy your mistakes!

Intensives

We offer 3 incredible intensives during the weekend! Check all the details here

📝 Registration possible (if spots are still available) during check-in.

💳 Payment: cash or card at check-in.

  • For Thibault & Nicole and Ardenas intensives, we recommend registering with a partner.

  • If you’re solo, ask at check-in for availability or join the waiting list.

Parties

We have 4 amazing parties planned for you:

1. Pre-Party – Thursday (21:00–01:00)

  • 📍 Ferroviário – Rua de Santa Apolónia 59

  • Free with your LWF pass | 20€ at the door (open to the public!)

  • Rooftop bar open all night | Afterparty until 2AM upstairs!

2. Friday – Black & White Party (20:45–2:00)

  • Opening night with Pro Show and surprises!

  • More than 5h of dancing in the main ballroom.

3. Saturday – Beach/Hawaiian Party (20:30–2:00)

  • Relaxed beach vibes after comps

  • Includes LWF Invitational & Awards

  • More than 5.5h of social dancing!

4. Sunday – “See You Next Year” Party (20:00–2:00)

  • Just dancing, lounging, and sharing memories.

  • The chillest 6 hours of dancing of the weekend.

🎟 Party Drinks Info:

  • Hotel bar open until 00:00

  • After that, our own private bar stays open until 2:00!

  • Until 00:00: Buy tickets at hotel bar, use at our bar

  • After 00:00: Buy drinks directly at our bar

  • 🍸 We’ll have a cozy lounge area next to the bar and dancefloor for relaxing and socializing!

⚠️ IMPORTANT:

  • No drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) or food are allowed on the dancefloor – help us protect the wooden floor and everyone’s dance experience.

  • It is strictly forbidden to bring alcoholic drinks from outside. Only beverages purchased at the hotel or event bars may be consumed during the parties.

⏳ Parties end at 2AM (legal limit in Portugal).

But don’t worry — we’ve scheduled 20+ hours of dancing during the weekend, so you get both party time and rest!

💧 Water at the Event

We’ll have free water available at all parties – please bring your own bottle to help us reduce waste and care for the planet. 🌍💙

Food

Hotel Restaurant (for those with meal reservations):

  • Lunch: 12:30 – 15:00

  • Dinner: 19:00 – 22:00

Other food options:

  • Hotel Bar (open 10:00–22:00) — snacks, pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, salads

  • Nearby options:

  • LIDL supermarket around the corner

  • KFC next to Lidl

  • Local restaurants within walking distance (we highly recommend the restaurant at Residencial Miratejo – affordable and tasty local food. Open all day until 23:30, except from 15:00 to 16:00 for cleaning).

Other Important Info

  • Please read our Terms & Conditions before the event

  • LWF Staff members will be wearing name tags labeled “STAFF” – feel free to ask them anything!

  • In case of emergency, here are some useful contacts: