News

The festival is over, but its impact lives on.
ARTE Journal has dedicated a special report to this year’s festival edition:
ARTE Journal: CircusDanceFestival up close

Numerous journalistic articles about the festival can be found on Theater der Zeit, as well as in the CDF’s own writing workshop:

TDZ: Articles

TDZ: Cultural Journalism Lab

CDF: Blog

The big festival weekend at the Latibul venue may be over, but there are still a few events to enjoy.

On Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 May, the CCCC in Cologne-Kalk will host the showings of our Come Closer Lab. Starting at 4 pm on both days, five Catalan and four Cologne-based artists will present their research on audience interaction, followed by a feedback session.

In addition, on Saturday 30 May at 3 pm, our Circus and Dance Practice students from the Centre for Contemporary Dance will present their “Campus into the City” performance on the Rheintreppen in Deutz.

Both events are free, so feel free to come by!

Die Schreibwerkstatt des CircusDanceFestival lädt junge Journalist:innen, Autor:innen und weitere Textproduzierende ein, das Festival aus ihrer eigenen Perspektive zu begleiten — neugierig, kritisch und experimentell. Gemeinsam mit einer journalistischen Mentor:in entsteht ein offenes Forum für Austausch, Beobachtung und hybride Formate zwischen Journalismus, Dokumentation und persönlicher Position.

Ausgehend von den Themen des Festivals entstehen Beiträge über Körper, Bewegung und gesellschaftliche Öffentlichkeit, über performative Formen zwischen Zirkus, Tanz, Film und Performance sowie über junge Stimmen der nationalen und internationalen Zirkusszene und Zirkus im Wandel. Dabei werden Perspektiven auf den Zirkus geschärft und erweitert, indem neue journalistische Zugänge entwickelt und vor Ort erprobt werden.

Die Schreibwerkstatt versteht sich als lebendiger Denk- und Publikationsraum für neue Stimmen im Kulturjournalismus.

Konzept und Entwicklung: Heike Diehm und Mechtild Tellmann

Zur Schreibwerkstatt

Leider haben sich für die Audiodeskription der Veranstaltung „STICKMAN“ von Darragh McLoughlin im Rahmen des CircusDanceFestival 2026 keine Besucher*innen angemeldet. Daher kann die Audiodeskription inklusive Tastführung nicht stattfinden.

Die Vorstellung selbst findet wie geplant statt.

There has been a change of venue for the City Pop-up on Sunday 17 May at 15 p.m. The performance will not take place at Ratsplatz as planned, but in the nearby Böcking Park.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Dear festival guests,

A warm welcome to the CircusDanceFestival in Cologne!

This spring, the festival once again presents contemporary circus, dance and performance – complemented by photography, music, pop-up performances, and a wide range of exchange formats and workshops.

Under the motto ‘Come closer’, this year’s festival is dedicated to the theme of encounter. The focus is particularly on the connections between the artists and their audience.

‘Come closer’ can also be understood as an invitation for the entire duration of the festival. Interdisciplinary festivals in particular bring people together to experience art collectively. What was once a side-by-side existence becomes a shared experience. What was often a daily passing each other by becomes a conscious reaching out to one another.

My warmest thanks go to everyone involved in making this festival possible again this year. I wish visitors inspiring artistic experiences and enriching shared moments.

Dear guests of the CircusDanceFestival 2026,

For over ten years, the CircusDanceFestival has stood for the fascinating fusion of sport and art. Under this year’s theme, “Come Closer”, physical excellence blends with aesthetic expression to create a unique performance that engages the audience. The artists demonstrate how discipline, training and creativity, when combined, open up new and surprising perspectives.

This is one of the reasons why the festival exerts such an impressive influence far beyond the region. This international cultural event has set itself the goal of bringing together people, ideas and forms of expression from a wide variety of countries, thereby making diversity a tangible experience. Here, space is created for encounters, exchange and inspiration – and thus an indispensable contribution to the cultural offering of the city of Cologne.

My warmest thanks go to the organisers, who make this extraordinary cultural event possible through their great dedication.

I wish you stimulating and unforgettable festival days!

Torsten Burmester
Mayor of the city of Cologne