Dirty Dancing in Concert – Liverpool Philharmonic, 31st May 2026

The live screening of Dirty Dancing with full band at The Philharmonic Hall made for a wonderful summer’s night of uplifting music and a palpable sense of communal nostalgia. The enduring appeal of the film is undoubtedly down to its soundtrack of infectious classics such as Hey Baby and Do You Love Me, which conjure the dreamy coming of age story so perfectly.

I was surprised to realise this film is nearly 40 years old and revisiting it transported me to a camping trip with my best mate to the Lake District, aged 17. She had just passed her driving test and her Dirty Dancing cassette played obsessively on the tinny radio of her newly acquired Ford Fiesta. After drinking cider, trying cigarettes and playing pool with some posh boys from Cheshire we sang ‘I’ve had the time of my life’ with our arms out the window all the way home. Judging by the audience enthusiasm in the room last night, there were many youths being relived!

From the moment the credits rolled and the band took to the stage, this audience was ready to join in. Each time Swayze smouldered in his black vest and leathers, we all whooped! Together, we booed the sleazy Robbie, recited our favourite lines, (‘I carried a watermelon,’) and cheered ‘the lift’. The hall absolutely erupted to “Nobody puts Baby in a corner!’ The atmosphere felt more like a feel good celebration of all our yesterdays than a film screening.

There is something very joyous about watching pink taffeta skirts twirl across the large screen with an exceptional band of musicians belting out beloved songs beneath it. High kicks, and shaking hips were perfectly timed with the full band sound provided by the Kellerman’s band. Danielle Len’s soaring falsetto on Big Girls Don’t Cry set the tone for the evening, while the musicians effortlessly moved between merengue, mambo and cha-cha-cha. Yet it was Wipe Out that proved a particular highlight with the crowd. The drummer’s thrilling solo, paired with frenetic electric guitar, accompanied Baby and Johnny’s lakeside training montage with infectious momentum and had the hall buzzing.

Following the film, the evening transformed into a full-scale concert with the three vocalists stepping forward for an energetic medley of soundtrack favourites, complete with ‘dirty dancing’ choreography and audience singalongs. Phone torches appeared during She’s Like the Wind and soon the entire hall was on its feet. Some audience members even danced in the aisles, recreating the film’s famous finale.

Looking around, it was impossible not to smile. Pensioners spinning one another around, gangs of friends having a ball and younger audiences singing at the tops of their voices. A room full of strangers sharing a collective moment of joy.

A bit camp and a little bit cheesy, but I’ve not had this much fun in ages – and there’s nothing wrong with that.

GIll Smith