archive

1. edition   |   2015

Everything began in 2015 on one of the most beautiful places in the city: the children and youth circus Schatzinsel. With much enthusiasm, only little time and a firm belief in the idea, the first Berlin Circus Festival for Contemporary Circus was created in just six months.

With the first festival we created many of the formats that have since shaped the festival. On 10 days in Kreuzberg 1500 spectators could discover the first five productions.
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Pictures by Hugo Estrela   |   Design by Frank Wagner

3. edition   |   2017

At the beginning of 2017 we received a special and truly moving message. After many applications, the festival was granted ist first financial support by the Hauptstadtkulturfonds. This support was a milestone in the history of the circus and meant more than just a financial relief: it was also a first step towards the recognition of the circus as an artform.

After a rainy summer, the clouds opened up just in time for the beginning of the festival and a fantastic late summer took its course. After just a few days of festival, it became clear that this was going to be a very special festival. In the end, all events were sold out for 10 days.
Pictures by Johanna Maria Fritz   |   Design by Leonard Bergmann

5. edition   |   2019

Always think ahead and keep going strong. In May, we we received the mind-blowing news of the decision that the Senate for Culture and Europe will include the Berlin Circus Festival in the four-year funding scheme for festivals in Berlin.

With this support, the Berlin Circus Festival has a solid base and will continue in the coming years to enrich Berlin‘s cultural calendar with great contemporary circus on the Tempelhof Field.

Pictures by Hugo Estrela   |   Design by Leonard Bergmann

2. edition   |   2016

The first successful edition and the great enthusiasm of the audience gave us energy to go on and continue on the path we started. However, it quickly became clear that the location of the first festival was too small for the many ideas and enthusiastic spectators.

And so we moved to Tempelhof field. Still without financial support from the cultural department, we dove into a huge adventure: We had to transform an empty meadow into a unique place of culture. The 2nd edition was probably the most challenging edition but showed us equally, what a power lies in the circus.
Pictures by Ekopics   |   Design by Leonard Bergmann

4. edition   |   2018

It was clear early enough that there cannot be a better place than the Tempelhof Field for the Berlin Circus Festival. But one thing was missing: a tent of out own, a suitable venue for the growing festival. With much support and a little effort, we plunged into the adventure and a little bit later the white beauty found her way to us.

With now two tents and an outdoor stage, we decided to expand the program again and to create more space to discover the many facets of our favorite art form.

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Pictures by Slimane Brahimi   |   Design by Leonard Bergmann

6. edition   |   2020

After many different festival concepts, we also had to let go the live edition of the Berlin Circus Festival at the end of 2020. In order to still give our audience and especially the artists space for creation, we developed an online edition.

Selected artists could use our tents for 48 hours as creative spaces to experiment and create. You can find the livestream as well as other formats and documentations in the MEDIA ARCHIVE.

Picture by Konrad Langer   |   Design by Leonard Bergmann

2021

After a far too long time without contemporary circus and further postponements due to the pandemic, we didn't let it get us down and came back with two formats right away! 

lite edition (intermission)


In order to start softly in troubled times and to give us all a good return to live culture, we started with a lite edition in august 2021.

With this small but sweet edition the audience could enjoy 3 pieces in 2 different formats in the small tent. 

Even if everything was a bit smaller, it was noticeable how much we all missed the space for encounters between art, artists* and audience.
Pictures by Christoffer Collina   |   Design by Leonard Bergmann

8. edition   |   2022

Finally summer again! The 8th Berlin Circus Festival and the first big summer edition after two years was a very special one.

In a time when the tension in society is so palpable and no one knows what challenges the future will bring, it is all the more moving to feel how circus brings people together! As Berlin Circus Festival we are happy to contribute to this: 7000 guests, 10 productions, a beautifully designed festival area and countless unforgettable moments.

Pictures by Christoffer Collina   |   Design by Leonard Bergmann

Winteredition  (7. Edition)   


We dreamed about it for a long time and took the crisis as an opportunity to be used: a winter edition of the festival!  

With a new program structure of the festival and a three-week program over the holidays and into the New Year, we were able to enchant our audience. 

In addition to the shows, for the first time our guests could enjoy an exquisite menu in the new restaurant. 


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Picture by Konrad Langer   |   Design by Leonard Bergmann

9. edition   |   2023

​What a celebration! 

The first real post-pandemic year, without restrictions and measures, with a full focus on creating shared moments, was very moving.

The sold-out festival edition with 9000 guests showed in a great way how the festival and contemporary circus have become an integral part of Berlin's cultural landscape.
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Pictures by Leonard Bergmann & Camila Berrio   |   Design by Leonard Bergmann

10. edition   |   2024

A 12-day birthday party!

 With two new venues and an extended festival to 12 days, we celebrated this 10th anniversary! The performance party “This is (not) a party!” opened the festival with the best circus event of the year! 

 This was followed by 11 unforgettable days: 17 companies, 47 productions and 11,000 visitors made the 10th Berlin Circus Festival a very special, unique and extraordinary one. We invited old and new friends to present the entire diversity of contemporary circus on 5 stages.

After 10 years, the former dream of establishing contemporary circus in Germany has become reality and the Berlin Circus Festival is the largest and most innovative festival for contemporary circus in Germany.

​We are incredibly proud of this and look forward to the future full of energy and anticipation. 
Pictures by Pan Ray Photography   |   Design by Leonard Bergmann

artists

We're proud to have had a number of magnificent performers with us in Berlin. One of our core values is to present international high-quality productions. Gender equality and openness towards all cultures is key to our work. We want to establish contemporary circus as an art form in Germany.
Discover here all artists who have played at the Berlin Circus Festival.

2024

"Lab Rats"
​Cie Moost (CH)
"Carnivale Royale"
​House of Circus (NL)
"Traces"
Hristina Sormaz (HR) - work in progress
"La Boule"
Liam Lelarge & Kim Marro (FR)
"Instante"
Juan Ignacio Tula
“Masacrade"
​Marcel et ses droles femmes (FR)
"Concrete"
Knot on Hands (NL)
"AVoid"
Marina Cherry (SWE) - work in progress
"WILT and shine"
Analog - Florian Zumkehr (GER)
"Red Hot Condition"
Company Afterclap
“Show Pony“
Still Hungry
"Cow Love"
Société protectrice de petites idées (FR)
"De Cuyper vs de Cuyper"
Cie Pol & Freddy
"Lontano"
Marica Marinoni
"Delusional"
Diana Salles (BRA)
"Wald"
Right Way Down (SWE)
"All Genuis All Idiot"
Svalbard (SWE)

2023

​"kurzstücke open air"
lone luuk brantjes  (NL)
it happens la campistany (CAT)
"fora"
alice rende (BRA) - work in progress​
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​"brace for impact + extracts of passing by"
knot on hands  (NL)
​"la bande à tyrex"
la bande à tyrex  (FR)
​"bitbybit"
collectif malunes & movedbymatter  (FR/BE)
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​"konstrukt"
dora komenda  (HR) - work in progress
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​"kurzstücke"
60% bananas monki (NL)
ways of being ready hendrik van maele (NL)
​"sanctuaire sauvage"
collectif rafale (FR)
​"bello"
fabbrica C (IT)
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​​"lyalka"
artists of kyiv
academy for circus (UKR)
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"materia"
andrea salustri (IT)
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​"my body is your body"
overhead project  (DE)

2022

"We agree to disagree"
Collectif Malunes  (FR)
"All the fun" 
Compagnie EaEo (FR/BE)
"Ikuemän"
Compagnie du Chaos  (FR)
"Kartographie der Nähe" 
Kollektiv Zwischenraum
​ "Enva"
Amer & Àfrica (CAT–ES)
"Static"
Monki Business (NL)
​"Surface"
Familiar Faces  (BE)
"Memoirs of Mud"
Sisus  (FIN)
"CUIR"
Un loup pour l'homme (FR)​​

2021

winter edition

lite edition

2020

Discover everything about our online edition in our MEDIA ARCHIVE.

2019

Open Stage
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Click here for a list of all artists.
Work-in-progress
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Click here for a list of all artists.

2018

Open Stage
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Click here for a list of all artists.
Work-in-progress
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Click here for a list of all artists.

worldpremiere


​It was a special pleasure for us to welcome the three artists of the Collectif Still Hungry with us for the world premiere of their production "RAVEN" - a powerful, wonderful and important piece that deals with the theme of "Rabenmütter".

Supported with a residency at the Berlin Circus Festival and the Chamäleon Theater Berlin, the three are now on tour with their first own production.

2017

Open Stage
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Click here for a list of all artists.
Work-in-progress
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Click here for a list of all artists.

2016 
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Open Stage

Click here for a list of all artists.
Work in Progress (WIP)

Click here for a list of all artists.

2015
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Open Stage
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Work in Progress 
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Tanter  (SWE/NO) 
​"Vixen"
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