Helsinki Circus Festival 2026

Helsinki Circus Festival 2026 is a new four-day contemporary circus festival taking place in Helsinki from 10 to 13 September. The programme features 13 circus works, including street circus, tent circus, comedy, art circus, new magic, performances and children’s shows.

Helsinki Circus Festival 2026 is a new contemporary circus festival taking place in Helsinki from 10 to 13 September 2026. The four-day event celebrates the diversity of Finnish contemporary circus and brings together performances, street circus, tent circus, comedy, art circus, new magic and children’s shows. During the festival, audiences can experience 13 circus works in different genres and formats. The programme is suitable for both adults and families with children: some performances take place in cultural centres, some in a circus tent, and selected events will be presented in an open urban space. The main idea of Helsinki Circus Festival is to show contemporary circus as a bold, living and diverse art form. Here, circus goes beyond traditional tricks and the arena: it connects with theatre, performance art, visual arts, music, humour, physical expression and experimental forms. The festival takes place across several venues in Helsinki, including Caisa in Kallio, Stoa in Itäkeskus, Cirko – Centre for New Circus in Suvilahti, a circus tent at Energiakenttä, the open-air Suvilahti area and Kuudes Linja. This multi-venue format brings the festival to different parts of the city and creates the feeling of a larger urban celebration of circus arts. The programme includes performances and events such as Suddenly, Memoirs of Mud, Kajo, AikaKONE, Maannos, Häppy Hour, Nonstop Paradise, Hope, Motör Circus, Super Sale, Spinsane, Ensembled, Sirkusgaala, Iltagaala** and Queer Circus Club Night. Some events are ticketed, while selected outdoor performances at Energiakenttä are free to attend. Helsinki Circus Festival is produced by Pro Sirkus ry together with Cirko – Centre for New Circus, Cultural Centre Stoa and Cultural Centre Caisa. The festival highlights artistic community, collaboration and the richness of contemporary circus as an art form.