Berlin Circus Festival
Germany's largest festival for contemporary circus on Tempelhofer Feld
2026
About Berlin Circus Festival
Berlin Circus Festival — edition 2026
From August 5 to 16, 2026, the Berlin Circus Festival will transform Tempelhofer Feld for the twelfth time into a venue for contemporary circus. Across three tents and an open-air stage, 19 productions with a total of 51 performances will showcase the most important trends in the European scene. Acrobatics, performance, dance, and theater merge — no trained animals, but artistic bodywork. The festival sees itself as a place of diversity and stands for freedom, art, and open coexistence in tolerance and respect.
Highlights Berlin Circus Festival 2026
- Germany's largest festival for contemporary circus
- 12 days on Tempelhofer Feld — 19 productions, 51 performances
- 3 tents and open-air stage for various formats
- International companies from France, Belgium, Scandinavia, Germany
- Art exhibition, live music, audience discussions
Programme Berlin Circus Festival 2026
The complete program for the 12th Berlin Circus Festival 2026 will be published in spring/early summer 2026 on berlin-circus-festival.de, according to the organizers. Key points for the 12th edition (August 5–16, 2026):
Venue Structure — Tempelhofer Feld
- 3 Tents: Main Tent, Studio Tent, Chamber Tent for different formats (large production, intimate, experimental)
- Open-Air Stage: Acrobatics under the open sky
- Festival Grounds: Gastronomy, lounge area, art exhibition
Program Format
- 19 Productions from all over Europe — French Cirque Nouveau tradition, Belgian and Northern European companies, German collectives
- 51 Performances over 12 days — typically 4–5 performances daily on parallel stages
- Opening Night — "This is (not) a party" as the exclusive festival opening on August 5
Accompanying Program
- Annually changing Art Exhibition
- Live Music in the festival area
- Audience Discussions with artists after performances
- Gastronomy in cooperation with the Berlin food truck scene
Early Bird / Festival Friends
- Since 2025: Early Bird Ticket for the following year during the current festival — active participation in the curation process
- Festival Friends membership with discounts and exclusive insights
Prices Berlin Circus Festival 2026
Ticket prices will be published on the official festival website. Discounted early bird tickets available (also via the previous year's Early Bird promotion). Festival Friends membership with discounts and exclusive events. Admission to the festival grounds is free; tickets for performances are separate.
Practical information — Berlin Circus Festival
Getting there
S-Bahn S41/S42/S45/S46 to S Tempelhof or U-Bahn U6 to U Tempelhof (5–10 minutes walk to the festival grounds each). Traveling by car is not recommended — parking is not possible on Tempelhofer Feld.
Tickets
Tickets via the official website. Early bird rates available; Festival Friends membership with discounts and exclusive events.
Duration
August 5 to 16, 2026 (12 days). Performances several times a day, program schedule available from May/June 2026 on the website.
When Tempelhof becomes a circus ground
Tempelhofer Feld, the former airport in the heart of Berlin, has been a public open space and one of Europe's most unusual city parks since 2010. Every August, the Berlin Circus Festival pitches its three tents and open-air stage here — transforming the meadow between hangars and asphalt runways into Germany's largest festival for contemporary circus.
19 Productions, 51 Performances — Contemporary, Not Ringmaster
The term "contemporary circus" marks the distance from traditional traveling circuses: no trained animals, no ringmaster romance, but acrobatics as a choreographic language, a strong connection to theater, dance, and performance, often with political or social themes. International troupes from France, Belgium, Scandinavia, and Germany shape the program — Berlin has been one of the most important hubs for this European scene for years.
- Where: Tempelhofer Feld, Berlin (Tempelhof-Schöneberg district)
- When: Every August, 12 days long
- Format: 3 tents + open-air stage
- 2026: 12th edition, August 5 to 16, 2026
- Accompanying program: Art exhibition, live music, audience discussions, gastronomy
A Festival with Attitude
The festival calls itself a "place of diversity" — freedom, art, and open coexistence. In a city increasingly grappling with cultural policy cuts, the existence of an independent, programmatically ambitious circus festival on a public meadow is a statement. Since 2025, there has been the "Early Bird Ticket" format: visitors of the current edition can book the following year in advance, actively participating in the curation process.
Where it takes place Berlin Circus Festival
Berlin Circus Festival at a glance
History of Berlin Circus Festival
Edition 2025 Jul 2025Festivals similar to Berlin Circus Festival
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