The Cirkopolis contemporary circus festival opens in Prague on Sunday with Tout Rien by the Belgian company Cie Modo Grosso at Palác Akropolis.

The biennial event brings together Czech artists with leading French and Belgian performers and runs across several Prague venues until February 14.

Performances will take place across several Prague venues, including Palác Akropolis, ARŠE+, La Fabrika, Jatka78, DOX and CIRQUEON, a local hub for contemporary circus training and production.

International Program Highlights

The opening performance, “Tout Rien” by Belgian artist Alexis Rouvre, explores time and movement through object manipulation. Chains, nets and stones replace traditional juggling props. The work focuses on rhythm, balance and perception rather than spectacle. The production will also appear in Hradec Králové and Ostrava outside the Prague run.

French performer Rémi Luchez brings “L’Homme Canon,” a minimalist duet created with Lola Calvet. The piece draws on the image of a human cannonball. The staging avoids technical effects. The focus stays on risk, trust and physical interaction between two performers.

Another project, “In Difference,” comes from Jef Everaert and Marica Marinoni, both recognised by the European circus platform circusnext. The performance centres on the Cyr wheel, used here as a shared performance space. The work examines coexistence, independence and physical dialogue without spoken text.

Participatory Project With Prague Seniors

One of the most discussed productions is the “Grand-Mother Project” by French collective Un loup pour l’Homme. Performer Alexandre Fray will work with eight Prague women aged over 70. The piece is built locally through workshops, interviews and physical training.

Each version exists only once. Conversations with participants form part of the sound design. Organisers describe the result as an exploration of ageing, fear of falling and physical resilience. This Prague edition marks the first time the project has been produced outside France in another language.

Festival Context

Cirkopolis has developed into one of Central Europe’s established platforms for contemporary circus. The program avoids traditional circus formats. Instead it highlights hybrid work combining movement, theatre, visual art and sound design.

Artistic director Šárka Maršíková said the 2026 edition aims to show different creative approaches within European circus while maintaining accessibility for general audiences.

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