Strictly isn’t just glitter, it’s a masterclass in staying relevant.

I am not a diehard Strictly-head. I haven’t watched every series or voted in every final. In fact, I only fell into it two winters ago, when my wife and I put it on “just to see what the fuss was about”, and instantly wondered why we’d wasted 19 years pretending “it was not for us”. But watching it with fresh eyes, I realised something: Strictly has quietly evolved more effectively than most visitor attractions have. And honestly? The sector should be taking notes. Here’s why...

Strictly is one of the last remaining shows that three generations can watch on the sofa without someone threatening divorce. Toddlers copy the dances, parents watch on iPlayer after bedtime chaos, and grandparents still call it “Come Dancing” but never miss a week. That clarity of audience, and the consistency with which they serve it, is why Strictly thrives. 

Meanwhile, many attractions say they want families… then erect barriers that push families away. “Two adults, two children” still being the default pricing model when half the country doesn’t live in a 1990s cereal-box family. (See the ALVA family research). Strictly never stops adapting to keep that family audience close. It’s not complacent. It doesn’t assume loyalty. It earns it.

Here’s a stat that shocks every room I say it in: Over-55s control 70% of the UK’s asset and wealth, yet less than 10% of attractions’ advertising targets them.

Madness.

Strictly, meanwhile, courts this demographic expertly. There is always at least one celebrity who resonates with older viewers. One judge who feels familiar. One dancer who reminds them they’ve still “got a bit of hip movement left”. It’s deliberate. It’s generous. It’s effective.

But they haven’t forgotten the younger crowd either. In fact, the data is wild: Strictly (and its US cousin, Dancing with the Stars) are growing among under-25s. Why? Because its social content is sharp, funny, fast, and perfectly tailored to TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. A younger audience isn’t magic. It’s strategy. Attractions could do the same. Meet different audiences where they live, not where you wish they lived. Serve content in the voice, channel, and rhythm that each group defaults to. No attraction should have a “one size fits all” homepage in 2025. You need frictionless landing pages, tailored ads, and multiple creative voices. If Strictly can do it with glitter balls, we can do it with penguins, trebuchets or planetariums.

Strictly could have clung to landline voting forever. But instead, they leapt, full QR codes, app voting, online accounts. And the audience followed.

Not because audiences “love digital”. They don’t. They love feeling involved. Digital just happens to be the best vehicle for involvement. Most attractions still treat digital as a cost centre or an afterthought. Strictly treats it as oxygen. And as the BBC’s Chief Product Officer admitted recently: the real battleground now is iPlayer growth, not live TV.

Attractions need their equivalent. Not an app for the sake of it, but a digital strategy that increases reach, personalisation, and repeat engagement. QR-enabled trails. Dynamic pricing. Micro-content. Audience participation. Digital that matches how culture behaves now.

Strictly is a masterclass in being inclusive without being overbearing. Over the years, they’ve showcased dancers with disabilities, same-sex partnerships, neurodiverse contestants, and celebrities from across the political spectrum. They’re welcoming without turning the dance floor into Westminster. Attractions often struggle with this balance. They fear that having values means being “political”. But having values simply means being human. It means training your staff well, designing spaces that welcome everyone, and programming events that reflect your community. Visitors don’t want neutrality. They want kindness, clarity, and care. They want to feel seen.

Strictly gets this. We should too.

1. Serve the family audience, genuinely. Not the theoretical nuclear family of the brochure. The real multigenerational mix. Flexible pricing, flexible expectations, flexible experiences.

2. Diversify your audiences with intention. Older visitors are a growth market. Younger visitors are, too, if you show up where they live. Tailor your content, tone and channels.

3. Let your values shine. You don’t need to be political to be principled. Show it in your signage, staff, exhibitions and storytelling.

4. Embrace digital properly. Not as a bolt-on. As a core part of how you build loyalty, involvement and repeat visits. If you need support with this, we’re specialists in digital for attractions and can help.

Strictly has survived, even thrive, for 20 years not because it’s sparkly, but because it evolves with its audience. It listens. It adapts. It takes risks. Visitor attractions can do the same. And if all else fails: add a glitter ball. It never hurts.

Will I be in the running for one of the new Strictly hosts? No comment.