The first edition of Circus Nights brought contemporary circus to ten Czech cities
Over the weekend of 15–17 November 2024, the first edition of Circus Nights took place, delivering 26 diverse contemporary circus events to ten cities across the Czech Republic. The festival welcomed more than 2,200 spectators and featured over 150 artists, presenting contemporary circus as a vibrant, modern art form that speaks to audiences of all ages.
A diverse programme connecting audiences across the country
The festival programme offered a rich spectrum of events — from acrobatic performances and live shows to interactive workshops and unique site-specific projects.
One of the participating cities was Brno, where the open creative hub INDUSTRA hosted the company Cie Pieds Perchés. Together they presented a site-specific performance linked to the multidisciplinary project Scars / Children of Bakelite.
“This performance reflected historical and social contexts connected to 17 November, not only through its theme but also through its form. We consider Circus Nights a success both for audiences and organisers. We are pleased that by presenting this project we could help raise awareness of emerging genres such as contemporary circus in Brno. We are happy to take part again in 2025 and hope to develop Circus Nights into a multi-day event,” says Silvie Grmolcová on behalf of INDUSTRA.
Similarly strong engagement took place in Ostrava, where two organisers joined the programme: MOVE Fest and BoCirk. The MOVE Fest team collaborated with the gallery Futureum to create a performative experience set in an industrial environment.
“We used Circus Nights to create a circus experience rooted in Ostrava’s industrial spirit. The performance Carpe(t) diem reloaded clearly found a new audience, supported by the shared promotion of Circus Nights, MOVE and Futureum. We even managed to create a piece with future continuation. We are definitely looking forward to next year,” says organiser Jana Ryšlavá, director of MOVE Fest Ostrava.
From Šumava to Prague: contemporary circus in many forms
Circus Nights extended far beyond major cities. In Dešenice in the Šumava region, audiences enjoyed the full-day event NeNoc, while Plzeň hosted presentations of the international project Young Voice, including the screening of a short film.
In Prague, audiences could attend performances by the international company Knot on Hands at Jatka78, the acrobatic show Konkurz by Losers Cirque Company, or take part in workshops at KD Mlejn and CIRQUEON.
Contemporary circus in its many forms was also presented in Trutnov, Varnsdorf, Valašské Meziříčí, Hradec Králové, and České Budějovice.
Positive feedback and plans for the next edition
Organisers and participating artists alike evaluate the first edition as highly successful.
“From our perspective, the first edition was very successful — not only in terms of the number of participating organisers, but also due to the wide range of audience experiences, from performances and workshops to special formats. Our aim was to highlight contemporary circus as a genre, its diversity, specificity and artistic potential. And it seems we achieved that. I would like to thank all participating venues and artists, and we look forward to meeting again next year on 14–16 November,” says Anna Vondráčková, project coordinator of Czech Contemporary Circus Association.
La Nuit du Cirque is an international initiative dedicated to supporting contemporary circus. It was initiated and is coordinated by Territoires de Cirque, with the support of the French Ministry of Culture, in cooperation with Institut français.
The project is supported by a wide network of partners, including Circostrada, ProCirque (CH), BUZZ a Forum Neuer Zirkus (DE), the FFEC – French Federation of Circus Schools, the FEDEC – European Federation of Professional Circus Schools, Circuscentrum (BE) and Czech Contemporary Circus Association.
In 2024, the project was co-organised with the Platform of Czech Contemporary Circus Professionals and funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU, the National Recovery Plan, and the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.
