One Dance Floor. One Champion!! Likdul makes Red Bull Dance Your Style history in Uganda

Abdul Malik defeats Mico Styles at a high-energy national final at Motiv and earns a place at the World Final in Zurich

Kampala: Uganda’s dance scene made history on Saturday night as LIKDUL, real name Abdul Malik, was crowned the first-ever Ugandan winner of Red Bull Dance Your Style, following an electrifying national final held at Motiv, Kampala, on 5 September 2026. The victory came after a night of high-energy freestyle battles that brought together some of Uganda’s best dancers, entertainers, creatives and dance lovers for a celebration of movement, individuality and self-expression.

Unlike traditional dance competitions, Red Bull Dance Your Style puts the power in the hands of the audience. Dancers battle one-on-one across different styles and respond to unexpected music, with the crowd deciding who advances through each round.

THE ROAD TO THE TITLE

The competition came down to four dancers in the semi-finals: LIKDUL (Abdul Malik), MICO Styles, KiiNESIS and PEZZ MUSTAFA, each bringing their own style, energy and interpretation to the dance floor.

After two intense semi-final battles, the championship showdown was set: LIKDUL versus MICO Styles. With the crowd firmly at the heart of the competition, LIKDUL delivered the performance that earned him the audience’s vote and secured his place in history as the first Ugandan to win Red Bull Dance Your Style. His victory marks a significant moment for Uganda’s street dance community and gives the country’s freestyle dance talent an opportunity to take the national title to the global stage.

FROM KAMPALA TO ZURICH

With the national title comes an even bigger challenge. LIKDUL will represent Uganda at the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final in Zurich, Switzerland, this October, joining national champions from around the world for the global competition. For LIKDUL, the journey from Uganda’s dance floors to an international stage represents more than an individual achievement. It is an opportunity to showcase Uganda’s creativity, musicality and freestyle dance culture to a global audience.Uganda has its champion. Zurich is next.

A NIGHT WHERE DANCE MET POP CULTURE

While the battles were at the heart of the night, the national final also brought together Uganda’s entertainment and creative community, with celebrities, musicians, dancers, content creators and dance lovers turning up to support the competition.

The entertainment line-up added to the energy throughout the night, with a live performance from Big Trill & Urban Dance Crew, combining music and movement in a performance that perfectly matched the spirit of the competition. The crowd also enjoyed performances from Ava Peace & Thee Boys, MPERE, Paul Selah & Crew and STKA Boys, adding to the diverse entertainment experience around the dance battles. As the competition came to a close, the celebration continued with an after-party performance by Karole Kasita, before DJ Vans took over the decks for the closing after-party and kept the crowd moving late into the night.

The event became a meeting point for Uganda’s entertainment and creative scenes, with familiar faces coming through to experience the competition and support the dancers.From the opening performances to the final battle and into the after-party, Motiv remained charged with music, movement and energy.

MORE THAN A DANCE COMPETITION

Red Bull Dance Your Style is built around a simple idea: dance without limits. The all-styles freestyle format gives dancers the freedom to draw from different forms of movement while challenging them to react to music they may not expect. Most importantly, the audience decides who moves forward, making the crowd an active part of every battle.

The Uganda edition built momentum through activities leading up to the national final, including activations at Makerere University and MUBS, the Kampala qualifier on 28 August at Somewhere Else, and a dance workshop led by Verb on 29 August. The journey culminated at Motiv on 5 September, where Uganda’s dance community came together to celebrate talent, creativity and self-expression. For the dancers, it was a chance to compete at the highest level. For the audience, it was an opportunity to decide who had what it took to become Uganda’s champion. And for LIKDUL, it was the night he made history.

THE ROAD AHEADLIKDUL

now carries Uganda’s flag to Zurich, Switzerland, where he will compete against the world’s best dancers at the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Final. His victory opens a new chapter not only for him, but for Uganda’s growing street dance community—one that continues to prove that local talent can command attention on the world’s biggest creative stages.