Dancing with the Stars cast members appeared on Good Morning America to announce the show’s first-ever fan convention on Feb 10. The three-day event will take place this summer at the Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, California.
The cast took over GMA, featuring a professional performance, Q&A session, and game segment. Most of the pro-dancer cast from the 2025 season of Dancing with the Stars was present for the announcement, as well as former pros Lindsay Arnold and Sasha Farber. Season 33 Mirrorball champion Joey Graziadei, Season 34 finalist Elaine Hendrix, and Season 22 finalist and ABC News’ chief meteorologist Ginger Zee were also in attendance.
The GMA attendees confirmed their participation in the convention, plus former pro Sharna Burgess and two of the show’s judges, Carrie Ann Inaba and Bruno Tonioli, are also set to attend. Former Dancing with the Stars contestants Danielle Fishel, Xochitl Gomez, Rashad Jennings, Amanda Kloots, Whitney Leavitt, Phaedra Parks, Jojo Siwa, Johnny Weir, Rumer Willis, and Kristi Yamaguchi are among the list of celebrity attendees for the convention.
The cast expressed excitement about the immersive fan event, which will include live dance performances, a game show, live panels, photo experiences, exhibits, and more, according to the Dancing with the Stars Con website.
“I just think this is an intimate experience for the weekend to get to know us even more,” pro Valentin Chmerkovskiy said on GMA. “I mean again, if you’re a fan of the show, if you’re a fan of all of this incredible talent, you’re in for a real treat.”
Despite the excitement shown on GMA, fans had mixed responses to the convention announcement. TikTok videos expressing disappointment over the announcement gained significant traction. In a TikTok post, pro Emma Slater asked fans what they thought of the announcement. The most popular comments stated that the event is inaccessible to most people and doesn’t reflect what fans really want to see from the show.
Ahead of the announcement, teasers circulated on the internet, and fans speculated about the possibility of two seasons per year because of the show’s rising popularity. This theory likely contributed to the underwhelm following the convention announcement and may impact the turnout of the event.
“This could’ve been an email. Why did they hype this up so much?” Emily Alber, a viewer of the GMA announcement, said in a TikTok post with over 6,000 likes.
People who want to attend the convention can expect to pay anywhere between $244 and $1,000 per ticket, depending on seating location and VIP package selection, according to Ticketmaster.
The convention may be the newest development in the growing Dancing with the Stars world, but it is not the only way fans can connect with the show in person. “The Dancing with the Stars Live” tour is making stops throughout North America, coming to the Addition Financial Arena on March 26.