What is Festival Circolo?

Welcome to Festival Circolo

We believe in a world where together is so much more than alone. A place where the strongest shoulders carry the heaviest loads. We catch each other when we fall. Get higher if we give each other a hand. That world exists…the circus world.

Festival Circolo wants more than ever to be a place where we come together. Here you will see boundary pushers, go-getters and top artistic athletes celebrating our differences in performances that everyone may identify with. Discover how extraordinary people and their stories are. And we prefer to see you with open mouth, big eyes, sweaty hands and gnashing teeth.

Behold this spectacle and – like us – become a guaranteed fan of circus! Our unique universe can be visited temporarily from October 13 to 22.

Nice and all, but eh, what is Festival Circolo?

Good question. Festival Circolo is the biggest circus festival in the Netherlands. From 21 to 30 October, we present ten days of circus of the highest level. The heart of the festival is located in Tilburg’s Spoorpark There you’ll find several circus tents, food trucks, playgrounds and an outdoor stage where daily free circus performances can be seen. There are also performances at other locations in the city.

What exactly is ‘contemporary circus’?

Again, a good question. Contemporary circus is difficult to capture in a single word. It is a love child of circus, theatre, dance, music, design, visual arts and everything that is fantasised about. Dat kan circus en drag zijn, circus en illusionisme, maar ook circus en breakdance of opera. Anything is possible… well, almost anything. In the contemporary circus, there is no room for classical clowns between various separate acts. Because we know that trick already. We prefer to focus on the story, the characters and the form. And not to forget the life-threatening tricks, breathtaking stunts and incredible body movements. Because we won’t change a thing about that recipe for success.

Who is Festival Circolo for?

Festival Circolo is for everyone who wants to treat their senses to spectacle, excitement and beauty. Hearing impaired or not, visually impaired or a perfect sight, able-bodied and disabled, 4 or 104 years old: there is a place for everyone at our festival. The circus is a universal language that transcends all barriers and borders and is therefore accessible to everyone. Discover on our programme page which performance suits you best!