News

We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to all the artists who applied for our 360° shorts Format and Film Program! The application deadline ended on December 15th, and it was a great success.

We received over 300 applications for the 360° shorts Open Call and nearly 200 applications for the Circus & Film Open Call, showcasing an impressive variety of creative submissions.

We are now entering the selection process with the festival team. We will be accompanied by two external experts with an international perspective. For 360° shorts, this is Kitt Johnson, choreographer and artistic director of the New Circus Festival in Copenhagen, and for Circus & Film, Ágota Harmati, artistic director of the Moovy dance film festival.

CircusDanceFestival is seeking original short pieces from the circus and dance field for a 360° audience on an outdoor stage. You have until 15th December 2024 to submit your best solo or duo work, in the air or on the floor, lasting up to fifteen minutes.

Applications are welcome from both established and emerging artists, a late-career changer or a cross-disciplinary artist. Your work can be funny, smart, contemplative, queer, poetic, critical... like to your taste. However, you should consider the context of an open-air setting and that we search for works that are performed 360°!

All the information and the application form can be found here.

The CircusDanceFestival is looking for film contributions for the open-air cinema program.
In cooperation with the Cologne Moovy Film Festival, selected films will be presented as part of the open-air cinema at the CircusDanceFestival on June 7 and 8, 2025.

You can find all further information in our Open Call.

We are looking for support for our production team. Would you like to take a look behind the scenes of the festival and be involved in the planning and organization of our festival?

Then you've come to the right place!

All further information can be found here ( all informations in german).

Aftermovie | CircusDanceFestival 2024

Here it is finally: our Aftermovie 2024.

Five wonderful days of performance, discussion, dance, film, music, family time and full of contemporary circus.

In our CDFthek you can find recordings of this year's discussions and many more exciting films and interviews, as well as all VOICES magazine issues including the new VOICES V: re-clowning - the political in the clown.

Have fun browsing and remembering!

For the Preservation and Strengthening of the Festival Landscape in Cologne, the Current Budget Discussions, and the Concept of the Depot

Festivals are an integral and indispensable part of Cologne’s arts and cultural scene, shaping the identity of the city as a European cultural metropolis, known for its diversity, openness, exchange, and international cooperation. The festivals in Cologne are characterized by a mix of local and international flair, diversity, and a wide range of artistic forms and formats.

Cologne’s festivals create cultural and meeting spaces for social discourse and human connection. They become part of the city’s community and public life, providing access to art and culture for a wide variety of audiences. The festivals program aesthetically and politically relevant performances from Germany and numerous other countries, bringing important impulses to Cologne. Through their high visibility in international co-productions, the Cologne festivals extend well beyond the city’s borders, shaping the unique Cologne arts and cultural landscape and carrying the reputation of Cologne as an international cultural metropolis to the world.

After the Festival

Full of new impressions and moments, we leave for the summer break. Many thanks to everyone who made this wonderful festival possible once again.

Here you can browse through the 2024 programme again.
For a few visual impressions, take a look at our archive.
The CDFthek is also happy to provide you with exciting input on the topics of contemporary circus and dance, e.g. with films, talks or articles.

See you next time!

Once a year, the Cologne Cultural Council awards the Cologne Culture Prize. On May 14th, the award ceremony took place for the 14th time, where Cologne's creative artists are honoured for their commitment and work. This year, the prize in the category "Young Initiative" went to the CircusDanceFestival. We are happy and grateful for this honour and the attention given to contemporary circus in Cologne's cultural landscape. One day before the opening of this year's festival, this was a great start to the festival days and a great appreciation of our work. Thank you very much!

A big thank you goes to the entire festival team, our cooperation partners, the sponsors, the Cologne Cultural Council, the artists who bring the festival to life and everyone who is committed to and enthusiastic about contemporary circus.

We congratulate all the winners and nominees of the evening for their great work and are proud to be part of this diverse scene.