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From Friday, September 22 to Sunday, September 24, the absolute world elite in breaking will come to Leuven. At the Lotto WDSF World Breaking Championship 2023, they will compete in 1-on-1 battles for world titles, just about 10 months before the sport makes its debut at the Olympic Games in Paris. The winners in Leuven will automatically qualify for the Olympics.

Breaking, the official name of what is often referred to as breakdancing, is the original hip-hop dance form that combines acrobatics with creativity. Breakers create their own unique moves and seek their personal style of movement. The best 150 b-boys and 100 b-girls in the world will be in Leuven for three days for this first World Championship in Flanders. The entire city will be immersed in an urban sports and culture atmosphere, coinciding with hip-hop's 50th anniversary.

Ladeuzeplein, which was the setting for Unbreakable—the most important international battle in Belgium—last year, will also be the nerve center for the Lotto WDSF World Breaking Championship 2023. Around a covered arena, stands will accommodate 2,500 spectators who can follow the spectacle for free. For the evening sessions on Saturday and Sunday, you can reserve a spot for 7.5 euros, which you get back in drink vouchers on site. Reservations can be made now via the website [www.worldbreakingchamps.com](http://www.worldbreakingchamps.com).
Friday will feature open training sessions, the competition will start on Saturday afternoon with the top 32 rounds in the evening session. On Sunday, the best 16 b-boys and b-girls in various categories will compete for the world titles and Olympic spots in the evening finals.

The rest of Ladeuzeplein will host a public village with food and drink stands and numerous activities. The arcades of the university library will serve as the warm-up area. Various side-events around the four elements of hip-hop (breaking, MC-ing, DJ-ing, and graffiti) will take place on numerous squares, including workshops. The city park will feature activities for kids, including a preliminary round of the VK Kids 1 on 1.
Concerts and after-parties will be held at Het Depot. As part of the 50 years of hip-hop celebration, legends from the hip-hop scene will perform on Saturday and Sunday evenings to close the Lotto WDSF World Breaking Championship 2023 with a bang!

Michel Francken, CEO of events at Golazo/Sportizon: “We have been active in breaking for 18 years and are thrilled to bring a World Championship to Flanders, the year before the sport debuts at the Olympics. This sport, like the successful 3x3 World Cup last summer, is crucial for further popularizing urban sports among our youth. With this World Championship as a flagship, we want to give breaking every opportunity to establish itself in the sports landscape.”

Flemish Minister of Sport, Ben Weyts: “In 2024, Flanders will be in Paris for the Olympics, but in 2023 the whole world will come to Flanders for a spectacular preview: the World Championship breaking. This fits into a broader policy to attract top sports events to Flanders, enhancing our international reputation and inspiring countless spectators at home to get active. Especially with contemporary sports like breaking, we reach out to children and young people.”

Flemish Minister of Tourism, Zuhal Demir: “When people think of Flanders and sports, they often think of cycling or football. But Flanders has much more to offer, and new ‘urban’ sports are flourishing here. That’s why we tried to bring the World Championship breaking to Flanders two years ago, and now that effort is paying off. This summer, Leuven will host the first World Championship breaking in Flanders. This event will ensure that a relatively younger international audience gets to know Flanders.”

Mayor of Leuven, Mohamed Ridouani: “After the fantastic World Road Cycling Championships in 2021, we are now looking forward to a great World Championship breaking. The sport will be part of the Olympics in 2024, so the level will be incredibly high. But breaking is about more than just the sport. It’s about positive values like inclusivity, respect, courage, and creativity—values that are also in Leuven’s DNA.”
“Leuven has a great love for urban sports,” adds Sports Alderman Johan Geleyns. “It’s no wonder that one of the world’s most important breaking events, Unbreakable, originated in our city. Sports in public spaces, in a casual way, bring young people together and are gaining popularity. As a former European sports city, we are committed to urban sports by opening a brand-new urban sports park in Wilsele this summer and providing additional skate spots and play areas that welcome basketball, scootering, and breaking. The arrival of the World Championship breaking is a step towards much more.”

“Lotto has been an indispensable value in sports and sports experiences in our country for decades. Our financial contribution to more than 25 sports federations is the best proof of this commitment. Additionally, as a partner of Team Belgium, we support the athletes who will participate in the 2024 Olympics in Paris. We are very proud to support a dynamic sport like breaking on the road to the Olympics. The fact that the Lotto WDSF World Breaking Championship takes place in Belgium motivates both Lotto players and top athletes and is a great preview of what we can experience in Paris in 2024,” says Jannie Haek, CEO of the National Lottery.

“Celebrating the best in breaking in Leuven at the WDSF World Breaking Championship 2023 is very special for the WDSF and the entire breaking community. It is great to bring the best breakers in the world together and showcase their skills, athletic abilities, and creativity. It is the best possible promotion for breaking, which is a perfect mix of art and top sport. We would like to thank the Belgian Dance Sport Federation and Golazo/Sportizon for their invaluable support in making this event possible. We are already looking forward to an unforgettable championship in September,” says WDSF President Shawn Tay.

Jonny Lekens, President of BDSF and Danssport Vlaanderen: “The opportunity to organize the World Championship breaking is a milestone for Danssport Vlaanderen and a chance to present our country as a vibrant epicenter of cultural exchange, groundbreaking performances, and organizational excellence.”
Stijn Luyten, technical director of elite sports Breaking Vlaanderen/Danssport Vlaanderen: “The World Championship breaking in Leuven connects sport with art, passion with excellence, and the Olympics with hip-hop. It will be an unprecedented spectacle driven by passion, creativity, and respect. The circle is complete, as the World Championship will take place in Leuven, where we launched the cult event Unbreakable in 2005, which is still considered one of the biggest and most influential battles in the world.”

B-girl Maxime Blieck (Madmax): “The World Championship in our own country is very important, and it will be a great honor to be there. It’s very exciting and almost unbelievable that the last World Championship before the Olympics will take place in our own country. I am very excited!”
B-boy Cis Backeljau: “It will be a huge honor to participate in the World Championship and represent Belgium on the biggest stage. The fact that it’s happening in our own country gives an extra boost and motivation, as it means more people close to me can come and support, which is great.”
Sporza will broadcast the Lotto WDSF World Breaking Championship 2023 live on Eén or Canvas and via livestream on sporza.be on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings.

All information and ticket reservations can be found at worldbreakingchamps.com