19 Years After Red Bull BC One's Historic Soweto World Final, All Stars Return To South Africa.

Image by Mpumelelo Macu / Red Bull Content Pool

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, 27 August 2026 – Nineteen years after South Africa hosted the Red Bull BC One World Final at Soweto’s Orlando Power Station, some of the world’s best breakers are returning to the country as Red Bull BC One prepares to crown its next South African champions.

In 2007, 16 of the world’s best B-Boys gathered in Soweto for the Red Bull BC One World Final, the first and only time the global final has been held on African soil. Now, nearly two decades later, two-time Red Bull BC One World Champion Lilou of France returns to South Africa alongside fellow All Stars Alvin of Colombia, Lee of the Netherlands and Djibril of Belgium.

Joining them is South Africa’s own three-time national champion Courtnaeì Paul, who will take part in the All-Star Tour workshops and community events before defending her B-Girl title at the Red Bull BC One South Africa National Final in Cape Town on Saturday, 5 September.

The tour brings international experience directly to South Africa’s breaking community, giving emerging breakers the opportunity to train and exchange alongside some of the discipline’s most accomplished names.

WORLD CHAMPIONS AND HOME-GROWN TALENT: PASS IT ON

The All-Star Tour puts nearly six decades of combined breaking pedigree on South African floors. Lilou is one of only four B-Boys ever to win the Red Bull BC One World Final twice, taking the title in 2005 and again in 2009. He also competed at that historic 2007 World Final in Soweto, making this return trip a homecoming nearly two decades in the making. Colombia’s Alvin carries the legacy of Venezuela where he competes with B-Boy Lil G, known for air power and musicality across two World Final wildcard appearances. Lee, of Dutch crew The Ruggeds, stood as runner-up at the 2022 World Final and competed at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Djibril, known for his signature “diamond wrist” freezes, made his first World Final wildcard appearance in 2025.

Teaching alongside them is Courtnaeì Paul, South Africa's own three-time BC One national champion, DJ and choreographer. Paul joins every stop on the tour, giving local breakers the rare chance to train under both the global All Stars and the country's reigning B-Girl champion before she steps back into competition at the National Final.

The tour touches down for four stops: workshops in Johannesburg and East London on 29 August and 2 September respectively, a community jam and exchange in Cape Town on 3 September, and a closing workshop in Cape Town on 5 September, the morning before the city hosts the National Final itself.

Red Bull BC One All Stars join South Africa’s defending B-Girl champion Courtnaeì Paul for a nationwide workshop tour ahead of the 2026 National Final in Cape Town

THE CIRCLE CLOSES IN CAPE TOWN

The Red Bull BC One South Africa National Final takes place on Saturday, 5 September in Cape Town, running from 14:00 to 20:00. Entry is free, with no ticket or registration required beforehand. The field is drawn from qualifying cyphers held across the country, with the winning B-Boy and B-Girl earning the right to fly the South African flag at the World Final in Toronto in November.

Defending the B-Girl title is Courtnaeì Paul, fresh off leading workshops across the country as part of the All-Star Tour. She has won South Africa's BC One crown three times, most recently defending it back-to-back in 2024 and 2025, and has carried South Africa's colours to the BC One World Final in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.

“Every year this field gets deeper, and that's exactly why I keep coming back. Defending a title never gets easier; it gets sharper. I want the B-Girls coming up behind me to see that this stage belongs to us too.” Courtnae shared

SOUTH AFRICA’S BEST BREAKERS SET TO BATTLE FOR NATIONAL GLORY

The road to the Red Bull BC One National Final has seen some of South Africa’s best breakers battle it out across East London, Cape Town and Johannesburg, with 4 female and 16 male breakers emerging from the regional qualifiers to secure their place at the national stage. Representing different cities, styles and breaking communities, these finalists will now go head-to-head for the opportunity to claim the national title and take the next step towards the global Red Bull BC One stage.

Top 4 B-Girls:

• Courtnaé
• B-girl Baylie
• Keisha Keesh
• B-girl Jordin

Top 16 B-Boys

• Bashi
• Swae V
• Nanky
• Killy
• Ranks
• Boeraks
• Rhythm
• Shady
• Chillo
• Vector
• Seeflehx
• Jayden
• Tankee
• Warren
• Labster
• Toufeeq

ROAD TO TORONTO

South Africa's National Champions will join breakers from across the globe at the Red Bull BC One World Final, taking place at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto on Sunday, 29 November 2026, the first time the World Final has been held in Canada.

Event Details

Red Bull BC One All Stars Lilou, Alvin, Lee and Djibril, together with South African champion Courtnaeì Paul, teach at every workshop stop unless noted otherwise.

– Red Bull BC One All Star Tour Workshop, Johannesburg: 29 August, TMF Studio, Braamfontein, 13.00 - 16.00

– Red Bull BC One All Star Tour Workshop, East London: 2 September, Hemingway's Rooftop Venue, 17:00 - 20:00

– Red Bull BC One All Star Tour Workshop, Cape Town: 5 September, Workshop 17, Watershed, 10:00 – 12:00

– Red Bull BC One South Africa National Final, Cape Town: 5 September, Thibault Square, City Bowl, 14:00 – 20:00, free entry

Red Bull BC One All Stars Lilou, Alvin, Lee and Djibril, together with South African champion Courtnaeì Paul, will participate in the All-Star Tour programme, subject to the individual event schedule.

About Red Bull BC One

Red Bull BC One is the world's most prestigious one-on-one breaking competition, bringing together elite B-Boys and B-Girls from across the globe to battle for the World Championship title. National qualifiers are held in countries around the world throughout the year, culminating in the Red Bull BC One World Final. South Africa has been part of the competition for 19 years and made history in 2007 when Soweto hosted the Red Bull BC One World Final itself.