The sequins are ready, the music is set and the spotlight is waiting as the final of Strictly Come Hospice 2026 comes to the Watersmeet Theatre in Rickmansworth on Friday, January 30, 2026.
Tickets are on sale now for the grand final event that will see 22 locals showcase the dance skills they have learned during 10 weeks of professional tuition, as part of Strictly Come Hospice in aid of Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care.
The hospice charity fundraising event kicked off in November 2025 when a group of 22 locals gathered for the first dance lesson of the challenge. With a wide range of ages, backgrounds and levels of experience with dancing, the contestants were paired up and have been meeting weekly since then to perfect a dance routine for the final show.
On Friday, January 30, 2026, the dancers will come together to showcase their routines in front of an audience of 500 before one couple is named the winners of Strictly Come Hospice 2026. The winners will be chosen by a panel of judges including Kellie Bright, who took part in series 13 of the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, reaching the final with her dance partner Kevin Clifton.
Emma Stewart is events manager at Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care. She says: “Strictly Come Hospice is about more than dance – it’s about learning a new skill, meeting extraordinary people and putting yourself out of your comfort zone to raise vital funds for hospice care. Six weeks ago, some of the dancers joked that they had two left feet, having never danced before. So to see their transformation from nervous supporters to Strictly Showstoppers has been sensational.
“The grand final event will be a wonderful opportunity to celebrate their achievements, show support for the contestants and raise funds to support compassionate hospice care in our community. So grab your tickets now for a night of sparkles and surprises while supporting your local hospice care charity.”
Dawn Sanders from Tring is among those taking part in Strictly Come Hospice this year. Here Dawn explains why she is taking part and how the experience has been so far.
Dawn says: “Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care is a local charity that has a special place in my heart. I have volunteered with the charity at its Tring office, answering calls from patients and their families and supporting the nursing teams, as well as working with the fundraising department.
“I receive the charity’s monthly newsletter and last summer spotted a story about Strictly Come Hospice. I’ve always ‘dabbled’ in dancing and it felt like a great way to support the charity so I signed up and I’m now partway through the process.
“I’ve been matched with a dance partner, Rukmal, and we’re working on a routine that has elements of salsa and the cha cha. Our teachers, Scott and Lauren, are absolutely fantastic. For the first few weeks, they taught us some of the key moves for both dance styles. Then we started learning our own routine for the grand final.
“It’s very challenging. But I am absolutely loving it! The training takes place on a Tuesday evening. When it’s cold and dark I have to drag myself out of the house to go, but the second I get there I come alive! The dancing is just wonderful and it’s great to be working with Rukmal and having Scott and Lauren to teach us and choreograph our routine.
“Rukmal and I actually meet twice per week to practice in between training. So it has been lovely to get to know her more.
“We don’t live particularly close to each other so we meet up somewhere that suits us both. Last week, we also went shopping for costumes! We went to the Rennie Grove Peace shop on Moneyhill Parade in Rickmansworth, where the staff had identified some donated stock that would be good for the show. Rukmal actually found her costume on that first visit so she’s all sorted! I’m still looking for my perfect costume.
“As well as the dancing, fundraising is a vital part of this experience. The fundraising team at Rennie Grove Peace has been wonderful – so supportive. I’m already about one third of the way to my fundraising target. I’ve been keeping a training diary on my Instagram account to give everybody a flavour of how much goes into the whole process – in the hope it will encourage more people to sponsor me!”
Tickets to the grand final of Strictly Come Hospice 2026 cost £22 for adults, £16 for children and £69 for a family (two adults and two children). To buy tickets, visit renniegrovepeace.org/strictly2026
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