Saturday night, the Rialto Theatre filled with dozens of self-proclaimed Directioners looking to dance all night to the best songs ever, and enjoy a set of their favorite band's nostalgic hits at the Stan Societyβs 1D Dance Party.
At first glance, you could be forgiven for thinking you stumbled upon a genuine concert by the now disbanded boy group.Β
Fans donned their favorite One Direction merch outfits, sporting photos from album covers, or clever fan designed t-shirts. One trio wore shirts that read, βWe Took a Chonce,β a loving jest at the pronunciation of the lyric in the bandβs song β18.βΒ Β
There were partygoers wrapped in One Direction flags, and of course, plenty of friendship bracelets to go around, most made by longtime fan Shay Ogburn.
Ogburn said she was there to enjoy a rare night out with friends away from her 3-year-old, and to connect to the music she loved so much when she was younger.Β
βI've been (a fan) since I was a little girl. I never got to see them live. So I'm treating this literally as like my One Direction concert that I never went to,β Ogburn said. βI'm here to meet people, have fun, and enjoy the music.β
Partygoers at the One Direction Dance party, dance together onstage at the Rialto, May 31, 2025.
The partyβs DJβd soundscape included some of One Directionβs biggest pop hits like βUp All Nightβ and βSheβs Not Afraid,β fan favorites like β18β and emotional ballads like βYou and Iβ and βLittle Things.βΒ
For more than two hours, the fans sang along to every word of every song, and partygoers were treated to footage of the band's concert tours and music videos, as if the boys of One Direction were singing along with them.
The night also featured special highlights of each of the five band members, with audience members brought onstage to dance to popular songs from their solo careers.Β
Amber McVay, who was proudly wearing her βI <3 Zayn" t-shirt, spent the night dancing along with her fiancΓ©. She said she has always been a massive fan of One Direction.
βI mean, that was my entire childhood,β McVay said. βIt was everything.βΒ
She said the bandβs music was there for her during difficult times when she was growing up.Β
βI knew that I didn't know themΒ personally, but it still felt like I did, you know? That's just being a teenager or whatever,β McVay said. βI felt like I knew them and that they knew that I was going through something at that time.β
Fans of One Direction dance at the Rialto, May 31, 2025
Beyond the music, part of the magic of The 1D Dance Party is the community bond between the fans, and McVay said she was excited to connect with people who loved the band as much as she did.
βI'm just wanting to have fun listening to the music that I listened to when I was a kid with other people that enjoyed it as much as I did,β McVay said.
Saturday nightβs event was not the first time the Rialto had hosted the One Direction themed dance party.
Over the last few years, the Rialto and its other property, 191 Toole, have become well-knownΒ for hosting similar themed dance parties, coordinating with local, statewide and regional touring parties to bring popular music to Tucson audiences.
Valerie Richarme,Β director of marketing for the Rialto Theatre,Β said the demand for the parties kicked into high gear post-COVID, with Tucson residents searching for a return to night life.
Since then, the dance parties have proved wildly successful, and Richarme said the Rialto properties have held 22 dance nights in the last year, and have sold nearly 10,000 tickets.
βWe're averagingΒ β right now β about two dance nights every six to eight weeks, depending on season and availability,β Richarme said. βSo they are quite popular.β
Some of their recurring dance events include Electric Feels, an indie pop and electric music dance party, Queer Goth Nite, Gimmeβ Gimmeβ DiscoΒ β featuring ABBA-inspired '70s and '80s hits, the Taylor Party, and more. According to Richarme, however, their Slacker University events are hands-down the biggest and most well attended.
βThey come through at least once a year, sometimes two to three times a year,β she said. βThe last one that we had was 1,200 people at that club night. So definitely a big one.β
What Tucsonans seem to love most about these events is that there is something for everybody, regardless of whether youβre looking for a night of dancing, escapism, novelty, or even nostalgia.
At the center of it all is the community the dance parties offer, Richarme said.
βWhen you have those niches and those themes, it really does make it just so easy to kind of find your people,β Richarme said.Β
Haley Bolen was one of the excited fans who made their way to the stage to dance during Liam Payneβs βStrip That Down.β She said she was nervous to get on stage, but that she enjoyed her night, dancing with other fans.
β(It was) really fun, everybody seemed to be having a good time,β Bolen said.
Bolen had not been to a Rialto dance party before Saturdayβs event, but said she would likely return for another in the future. βIβll probably invite some friends," she said. βThis was so much fun.βΒ
Over the next two months, the Rialto has four upcoming dance parties, and an additional two, according to Richarme, that have not been announced yet.
The first is the EDM rave experience, United We Dance on June 6.
βWeβve made 100 candy bracelets that all say βRialto,β and we're giving them out to the first 100 in the door,β Richarme said.
Then, on June 13, Goodieβs 2000 Hip Hop Dance Night will be coming to 191 Toole, followed by Kittyβs Rave on Aug. 8.
