Orlando, Fla. — The Cheerleading Worlds and The Dance Worlds began Friday and run through Monday at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, with a combined 14,429 athletes competing in 2026.
Cheerleading Worlds accounts for 11,589 of those athletes across 513 teams, representing approximately 80 percent of total participation. Dance Worlds includes 2,840 athletes across 391 performances, making up the remaining 20 percent.
The cheer competition marks 22 years since its start in 2004 with 14 teams. Dance Worlds is in its 19th year after launching in 2007 with 50 teams. Both events have expanded in scale, now operating as a combined international championship.
In 2026, cheer teams represent 19 countries and 39 U.S. states, including 227 international teams. Dance includes programs from 20 countries and 23 states, with 135 international entries. Across both events, 26 countries and 362 international teams are represented.
The competitions are produced by the United States All Star Federation and International All Star Foundation, which oversee qualification standards, division structures, and scoring systems.
The International Cheer Union recognizes The Cheerleading Worlds as the official world championship for the All Star discipline. The ICU includes 121 national federations and more than 10 million athletes worldwide and was recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 2021.
A total of 904 teams are competing across both events. Teams qualified through sanctioned competitions during the season and will advance through preliminary and final rounds based on standardized scoring.
Attendance is projected at 30,000 spectators over the four-day event.
The combined format continues to reflect the structure of the All Star industry, with cheer comprising the majority of participation and dance maintaining a consistent share of the championship field.
Competition continues through Monday, with world champions to be decided across all divisions.
