Festival cirqu'

For 10 days in June, the biannual festival cirqu’ brings contemporary circus to the city of Aarau. The Alte Reithalle Aarau, a unique ex-military riding arena, forms the centre of the festival. However, cirqu’ spreads out to other performance spaces in the city and even offers space to set up a big top.

The programme consists of innovative performances, with an only subtle link to circus. The festival shows a diverse spectrum of aesthetics and artistic formats, often bringing together a wide range of different art forms. Internationally acclaimed productions are as much part of the programme as emerging performances, being shown for the first time in Switzerland.

Since 2012, contemporary circus is part of the artistic programme of the Alte Reithalle. However, it is only since 2015 that this unique and magnificent space hosts the festival cirqu’, programming international productions as well as promoting emergent circus artists from Switzerland.

Roman Müller (Tr’espace) has initiated the festival cirqu’ in collaboration with Peter-Jakob Kelting (Theater Tuchlaube Aarau). It is carried and organised by the charity cirqu’Aarau.