CIRKL 2026

CIRKL Festival is Leuven’s annual three-day celebration of contemporary circus arts. Each year, the festival presents around 45 performances by 20 companies from 9 different countries, with at least half of the shows offered free of charge. In 2024, CIRKL attracted a record number of around 12,000 national and international visitors — including professionals, amateurs, and circus enthusiasts. With its strong roots in Leuven and its growing international reach, CIRKL continues to evolve as an innovative and forward-looking circus festival.

CIRKL presents a broad spectrum of circus art through a dynamic and versatile program that responds to artistic developments and international trends. The festival features both accessible performances for wide audiences and more experimental productions that challenge the boundaries of the circus genre. Shows take place in a variety of settings — indoors, outdoors, and in unexpected urban spaces — creating numerous opportunities for artists to showcase their work and connect with diverse audiences.

Artistic development is one of CIRKL’s main pillars. The festival hosts try-outs and work-in-progress presentations, offering artists a chance to test and refine new creations in front of both professional and general audiences. Each year, the exchange stage curated by Cirkus in Beweging provides a platform for youth and emerging circus groups to share their work and gain visibility.

CIRKL also serves as a meeting point for the local and international circus community. It’s a place for inspiration, dialogue, and exchange — where artists, programmers, and organizations connect around key themes such as cross-disciplinary collaboration, cultural accessibility, and talent development. In collaboration with partners like Circuscentrum, CIRKL regularly hosts professional gatherings and discussions that help strengthen and shape the Flemish and international circus landscape.

Accessibility and inclusion are central to CIRKL’s philosophy. The festival consciously combines free and ticketed performances, supported by the UiTPAS system and partnerships with local community and social organizations. By showcasing a wide range of stories, styles, and perspectives, CIRKL aims to reach diverse audiences and ensure that everyone feels represented and welcome.

The city of Leuven itself plays an active role in shaping the festival. Every four to five years, CIRKL moves to a new location, allowing each edition to grow from the unique character and dynamics of its surroundings. Each site becomes both a stage and a source of inspiration, sparking collaborations with local residents and organizations. These partnerships can take many forms — from sharing spaces and providing logistical support to developing joint projects. In 2025, for instance, CIRKL will collaborate with the local skate scene to create a focus on urban sports, and with a nearby daycare center to develop programming for the very youngest audiences.

CIRKL also has a strong international profile. About half of the program features companies from abroad, and the festival continues to build connections with international networks and programmers. In 2025, CIRKL will organize its first international programmers’ program, focusing on Flemish productions, work-in-progress presentations, and professional exchange. Around twenty international guests from countries including Canada, Taiwan, and France will be welcomed to discover the richness of contemporary circus in Flanders.

Each edition of CIRKL combines a number of recurring elements: a major tent show at the heart of the festival, a large outdoor performance for broad audiences, the exchange stage for youth and professional groups, site-specific productions that explore the relationship between circus and the city, and a variety of workshops and participatory activities. Together, these elements create a festival that is both rooted in Leuven and connected to the world — a lively meeting place where artists, audiences, and communities come together to celebrate the creativity, diversity, and transformative power of circus.