World Championship Hoop Dance Contest
Heard Museum Grounds, 2301 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85004
About
The World Championship Hoop Dance Contest is a two-day championship event that features the World Championship Hoop Dance Contest and a Family Fun Zone with hoop-themed art activities, games, and information about Heardlings programs for kids and families. The contest showcases more than 100 Indigenous dancers from diverse tribal backgrounds throughout North America, with contestants judged on precision, timing and rhythm, showmanship, creativity, and speed. Contestants compete in five divisions: Tiny Tots (age 5 and younger), Youth (6–12), Teen (13–17), Adult (18–39), and Senior (40 and older), and photos and video for personal or social media are encouraged.
• Ages: 0–18 years old
• Schedule: February 14–15, 2026, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., with general public entry at 8:30 a.m., members early bird entry at 8:00 a.m., and the Family Fun Zone open 11 a.m.–4 p.m.; this is a rain or shine event
• Price: Cash prizes totaling $25,000 are awarded to winners in each division
The 2026 event is the 36th Annual World Championship Hoop Dance Contest, continuing a series that has taken place since the first World Championship Hoop Dance Contest hosted at the Heard Museum in 1991. The event is described as a cornerstone for cultural preservation, celebrating the profound history of hoop dancing within Indigenous communities, and victors in each division can claim the honor of being the Hoop Dance World Champion. The annual event includes food and drinks from local vendors, the Heard Museum’s Coffee Cantina, and the award-winning Courtyard Café featuring southwestern specialties, and it includes access to the Heard Museum galleries and current exhibitions during a one-hour lunch break.
The contest is led by Emcee Dennis Bowen, Sr. (Seneca) and Arena Director Eric Manuelito (Dinê), with judges Lowery Begay (Dinê), Kricket Rhoades (Kiowa/Caddo), Quentin Pipestem (Tsuut’ina), Jasmine Bell (Crow Creek Sioux), Daniel Tramper (Cherokee), and Sage Romero (Tovowahamatu Numu/Tuah-Tahi). CART services provide real-time transcription of all spoken content into text, and sensory-friendly resources are available, including noise-canceling headphones, color-correcting glasses, Williams Sound personal amplifiers, and weighted lap pads. The Family Fun Zone at the World Championship Hoop Dance Contest is supported by APS, and the Heard Museum is supported, in part, by the generosity of Heard Museum members and donors, the Arizona Commission on the Arts, and the City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture.
The Heard Museum’s mission for this event is connected to its broader mission: it envisions a world where Indigenous creativity thrives and fosters mutual respect and understanding, and it connects Indigenous creativity to the world by presenting the voice and vision of American Indian artists. Culture Passes are not valid during this Signature Event. Light Rail access is available via the Encanto/Central stop, which is a one-minute walk via Valley Metro Light Rail.
Families attending are encouraged to bring refillable water bottles to use at free water refill stations, along with fold-up chairs, blankets, hats, sunblock, sunglasses, visors, and an umbrella or poncho, while pop-up tents are not permitted. No outside food or drink is allowed except for water bottles, no outside alcohol is permitted, and cooler bags, coolers, and ice chests are not allowed inside the event. Only service animals that are leashed or tethered are allowed, comfort animals are not permitted, and no weapons are allowed at any time inside or outside. Smoking is not permitted in the museum or within 20 feet of the front entrance and is only allowed in designated smoking areas, and prohibited items include illegal drugs or substances, skateboards, Segways, scooters, rollerblades, bicycles, hoverboards, helmets, pointed-tip umbrellas, and entry of patrons without shoes or a shirt. It is illegal to fly a drone during this event, and the competition may be postponed and/or moved indoors to the Steele Auditorium if weather turns grey.
Last updated January 10, 2026.
• Ages: 0–18 years old
• Schedule: February 14–15, 2026, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., with general public entry at 8:30 a.m., members early bird entry at 8:00 a.m., and the Family Fun Zone open 11 a.m.–4 p.m.; this is a rain or shine event
• Price: Cash prizes totaling $25,000 are awarded to winners in each division
The 2026 event is the 36th Annual World Championship Hoop Dance Contest, continuing a series that has taken place since the first World Championship Hoop Dance Contest hosted at the Heard Museum in 1991. The event is described as a cornerstone for cultural preservation, celebrating the profound history of hoop dancing within Indigenous communities, and victors in each division can claim the honor of being the Hoop Dance World Champion. The annual event includes food and drinks from local vendors, the Heard Museum’s Coffee Cantina, and the award-winning Courtyard Café featuring southwestern specialties, and it includes access to the Heard Museum galleries and current exhibitions during a one-hour lunch break.
The contest is led by Emcee Dennis Bowen, Sr. (Seneca) and Arena Director Eric Manuelito (Dinê), with judges Lowery Begay (Dinê), Kricket Rhoades (Kiowa/Caddo), Quentin Pipestem (Tsuut’ina), Jasmine Bell (Crow Creek Sioux), Daniel Tramper (Cherokee), and Sage Romero (Tovowahamatu Numu/Tuah-Tahi). CART services provide real-time transcription of all spoken content into text, and sensory-friendly resources are available, including noise-canceling headphones, color-correcting glasses, Williams Sound personal amplifiers, and weighted lap pads. The Family Fun Zone at the World Championship Hoop Dance Contest is supported by APS, and the Heard Museum is supported, in part, by the generosity of Heard Museum members and donors, the Arizona Commission on the Arts, and the City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture.
The Heard Museum’s mission for this event is connected to its broader mission: it envisions a world where Indigenous creativity thrives and fosters mutual respect and understanding, and it connects Indigenous creativity to the world by presenting the voice and vision of American Indian artists. Culture Passes are not valid during this Signature Event. Light Rail access is available via the Encanto/Central stop, which is a one-minute walk via Valley Metro Light Rail.
Families attending are encouraged to bring refillable water bottles to use at free water refill stations, along with fold-up chairs, blankets, hats, sunblock, sunglasses, visors, and an umbrella or poncho, while pop-up tents are not permitted. No outside food or drink is allowed except for water bottles, no outside alcohol is permitted, and cooler bags, coolers, and ice chests are not allowed inside the event. Only service animals that are leashed or tethered are allowed, comfort animals are not permitted, and no weapons are allowed at any time inside or outside. Smoking is not permitted in the museum or within 20 feet of the front entrance and is only allowed in designated smoking areas, and prohibited items include illegal drugs or substances, skateboards, Segways, scooters, rollerblades, bicycles, hoverboards, helmets, pointed-tip umbrellas, and entry of patrons without shoes or a shirt. It is illegal to fly a drone during this event, and the competition may be postponed and/or moved indoors to the Steele Auditorium if weather turns grey.
Last updated January 10, 2026.
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