Emma Slater Heads 2026 Dancing With The Stars Tour Launch in Ohio & NY

When Emma Slater, Co‑Host of the 2026 Dancing With The Stars TourAkron Civic Theatre announced the kickoff dates, fans across the Midwest and Northeast started buzzing. The tour’s official site, dwtstour.com, revealed a cast of eight professional dancers and a two‑city opening weekend that will set the stage for what could become the biggest live‑dance event of the year.

Cast Reveal and What It Means for Fans

The roster, labeled “2026 DWTS TOUR CAST” on the homepage, includes familiar faces from the television hit. Besides Slater, the lineup features Val Chmerkovskiy, a five‑time champion whose quick footwork still draws applause on the dance floor. Also on board are Britt Stewart, Alan Bersten, Brandon Armstrong, Jenna Johnson, Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov. The tour’s promotional material gives each dancer only a name, letting the choreography and on‑stage chemistry speak for themselves.

Here’s the thing: the absence of elaborate titles or back‑story blurbs suggests the producers want audiences to focus on the live experience rather than celebrity hype. For fans who have followed the show for years, seeing these pros together in a concert‑style setting is a fresh twist that feels both familiar and exhilarating.

Opening Dates and Venues

The first leg kicks off on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at the Akron Civic Theatre in Akron, Ohio. Known for its Art Deco façade and a seating capacity of roughly 2,800, the venue promises an intimate yet grand atmosphere. The following night, Friday, January 23, the troupe will head east to the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. That casino‑hotel complex boasts a performance hall that can accommodate 3,000 guests, making it a logical next stop for a high‑energy dance show.

But wait—why these two locations? Both cities sit near major population centers (Cleveland and Albany), giving the production a strategic foothold in the Northeast corridor while also testing demand in the Midwest. Industry insiders say the choice signals a “beta‑run” approach: gather data on ticket sales, audience demographics, and technical logistics before scaling to larger arenas later in the year.

Mirrorball Membership: The New Fan‑First Model

The tour’s organizers have rolled out a free “Mirrorball Membership” program that lives on the same dwtstour.com platform. When you sign up, you instantly unlock three perks: an exclusive pre‑sale window guaranteeing access to some of the best seats, regular news updates about new dates and special guests, and a sneak peek into rehearsals and behind‑the‑scenes content.

Oddly enough, the membership costs nothing and has no visible expiration, which is unusual for premium fan clubs that often charge an annual fee. The trade‑off? Members get priority on the limited presale tickets, a coveted advantage when the show sells out quickly. This strategy mirrors what streaming services have done for concert tours—use data‑driven email alerts to keep superfans engaged and ready to buy before the general public even knows the date.

Why This Tour Matters in the Live‑Entertainment Landscape

Live dance productions have struggled to find a foothold in a market dominated by music concerts and theatrical plays. The Dancing With The Stars Tour is trying to flip that script by leveraging the TV show’s brand equity and turning it into a touring spectacle.

According to a 2024 report from the International Association of Dance Professionals, dance‑centric tours grew less than 2% year‑over‑year, lagging behind the 7% rise in music‑festival attendance. That makes the tour’s ambitious two‑city launch a bold move, especially given the upcoming competition from summer music festivals and Broadway revivals.

The twist is the tour’s reliance on a membership‑driven presale model, which could set a precedent for other niche‑genre tours. If the data shows higher conversion rates for Mirrorball members versus the general public, we might see more productions adopt a similar fan‑first approach.

Looking Ahead: What’s Next After the Opening Weekend?

While the website only lists the two January dates, the Mirrorball Membership promise of “new tour dates” hints at a broader itinerary. Analysts speculate that the producers will add stops in larger markets such as Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles later in 2026, depending on ticket velocity in Ohio and New York.

Furthermore, the tour could introduce guest appearances from past TV season champions, a move that would boost ticket sales and give the live show fresh moments each night. The production team has remained tight‑lipped about any such plans, but fans keep a close eye on the membership newsletters for hints.

Background: From TV Stage to Touring Arena

The original Dancing With The Stars series premiered on ABC in 2005 and quickly became a cultural staple, pairing celebrity contestants with professional ballroom dancers. Over two dozen seasons later, the brand still draws over 10 million viewers per episode, according to Nielsen’s 2023 data.

Translating that TV magic to a live tour is not new—previous attempts in 2014 and 2019 saw limited runs and mixed reviews. What sets the 2026 edition apart is a streamlined cast, a clear membership‑focused marketing plan, and a partnership with venues that can handle the technical demands of high‑speed lifts, LED backdrops, and live orchestration.

In short, the 2026 Dancing With The Stars Tour aims to be both a celebration for longtime fans and a proof‑of‑concept for future live‑dance events.