Festival CIRCa
National hub for contemporary circus in Auch
2026
About CIRCa
CIRCa — edition 2026
39th edition of the CIRCa Festival, the unmissable event for contemporary circus in France, from October 16 to 23, 2026 in Auch (Gers). Around twenty shows by international professional companies, under big tops, in venues and in public spaces.
CIRCa 2026 — 39th Edition
The 39th edition of the CIRCa Festival takes place from October 16 to 23, 2026, in Auch, the capital of the Gers department. Organized by the Pôle national cirque Auch – Gers – Occitanie, the festival features around twenty shows by French and international companies, held in big tops, theaters, and public spaces, where circus disciplines intersect with the performing arts: approximately 80 performances throughout the festival.
The program includes new works by Cia. Manel Rosés, La Main de l'Homme, Compagnie Bivouac, Below Zero, Collectif XY, and CirkVOST, as well as performances by circus schools under the umbrella of the French (FFEC) and European (FEDEC) federations. From October 20 to 22, CIRCa and ARTCENA are once again partnering for the Circus Project Presentations, inviting 24 French and international companies to showcase their works in progress. Every evening, a concert or DJ set brings the festival bar to life.
Highlights CIRCa 2026
- 39th edition, from October 16 to 23, 2026 in Auch (Gers)
- Around twenty contemporary circus shows, approximately 80 performances
- CIRCa × ARTCENA Circus Project Presentations (24 companies) from October 20 to 22
- Shows from circus schools (FFEC, FEDEC)
Programme CIRCa 2026
Friday, October 16, 2026
- 10:00 AM — Eclipse · Léo Rousselet · Centre Cuzin · 50 min (school show)
- 2:00 PM — Eclipse · Léo Rousselet · Centre Cuzin · 50 min (school show)
- 2:00 PM — SEUIL · Cie Inéluctable · Salle Bernard Turin, CIRC · 1h (school show)
Saturday, October 17, 2026
- 2:30 PM — Eclipse · Léo Rousselet · Centre Cuzin · 50 min
- 4:30 PM — Eclipse · Léo Rousselet · Centre Cuzin · 50 min
- 4:30 PM — SEUIL · Cie Inéluctable · Salle Bernard Turin, CIRC · 1h
- 6:30 PM — Écritures croisées, cirque et cabaret · CNAC · Chapiteau Endoumingue · 2h15 with intermission
- 6:30 PM — Smooth as Fiasco · Collectif Bislacco · Salle du Mouzon · 1h15
- 7:00 PM — Festival Opening · Salle Bernard Turin, CIRC · 1h30
- 9:00 PM — Pain d'chien · Cirque sans noms · Parc de la Boubée · 1h10
- 9:00 PM — In Praise of Shadows · Below Zero · Dôme, CIRC · 1h
- 10:30 PM — DJ set: DJ Pento · Festival Bar
Sunday, October 18, 2026
- 2:30 PM — Eclipse · Léo Rousselet · Centre Cuzin · 50 min
- 2:30 PM — SEUIL · Cie Inéluctable · Salle Bernard Turin, CIRC · 1h
- 2:30 PM — (En)vers nos pères · Cie Allégorie · Salle de spectacle de Pavie · 1h
- 4:30 PM — Gaïa · Compagnie Bivouac · Parc du Couloumé · 45 min
- 6:30 PM — Pain d'chien · Cirque sans noms · Parc de la Boubée · 1h10
- 6:30 PM — Smooth as Fiasco · Collectif Bislacco · Salle du Mouzon · 1h15
- 6:30 PM — (En)vers nos pères · Cie Allégorie · Salle de spectacle de Pavie · 1h
- 9:00 PM — In Praise of Shadows · Below Zero · Dôme, CIRC · 1h
- 9:00 PM — Écritures croisées, cirque et cabaret · CNAC · Chapiteau Endoumingue · 2h15 with intermission
- 10:30 PM — DJ set: Faaws (electro) · Festival Bar
Monday, October 19, 2026
- 10:00 AM — Circ'à penser talk: "Is 'I' my circus? Autofiction, between 'truth' and 'fiction'?" · ARTCENA and Circa · IFMS · 2h
- 11:30 AM — Bla Bla Circa: meet the companies (SEUIL + Gaïa) · Festival Bar · 1h
- 1:30 PM — Members' Plenary · Territoires de Cirque · IFMS · 2h
- 2:30 PM — (En)vers nos pères · Cie Allégorie · Salle de spectacle de Pavie · 1h
- 2:30 PM — In Praise of Shadows · Below Zero · Dôme, CIRC · 1h
- 4:00 PM — Discussion: Reducing the circus's carbon footprint · Territoires de Cirque and Circa · IFMS · 1h30
- 4:30 PM — Commencer à exister · M. Palisse, D. Gauchard, S. Kinsman · Salle du Mouzon · 1h15
- 4:30 PM — Ballroom · Post uit Hessdalen · IME Mathalin · 30 min
- 5:30 PM — Ballroom · Post uit Hessdalen · IME Mathalin · 30 min
- 6:30 PM — Parmi les vaches · La Côte Folle · Boulodrome · 55 min
- 6:30 PM — Ballroom · Post uit Hessdalen · IME Mathalin · 30 min
- 6:30 PM — (En)vers nos pères · Cie Allégorie · Salle de spectacle de Pavie · 1h
- 6:30 PM — Àkri · Cia. Manel Rosés · Centre Cuzin · 50 min
- 7:30 PM — Ballroom · Post uit Hessdalen · IME Mathalin · 30 min
- 9:00 PM — La vie de ma mère · Cie d'un Ours / Olivier Debelhoir · Salle Bernard Turin, CIRC · 1h
- 9:00 PM — LABO cirque · FFEC · Chapiteau Endoumingue · 1h30
- 10:30 PM — DJ set: LW2 (Afro Electro Music) · Festival Bar
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
- 10:30 AM — Circus creation project presentations · ARTCENA and Circa · Ciné 32, room 2 · 2h
- 11:30 AM — Bla Bla Circa: meet the companies (Commencer à exister + La vie de ma mère) · Festival Bar · 1h
- 2:30 PM — Parmi les vaches · La Côte Folle · Boulodrome · 55 min
- 2:30 PM — Àkri · Cia. Manel Rosés · Centre Cuzin · 50 min
- 2:30 PM — (En)vers nos pères · Cie Allégorie · Salle de spectacle de Pavie · 1h
- 2:30 PM — Ballroom · Post uit Hessdalen · IME Mathalin · 30 min
- 3:30 PM — Ballroom · Post uit Hessdalen · IME Mathalin · 30 min
- 4:30 PM — Ballroom · Post uit Hessdalen · IME Mathalin · 30 min
- 4:30 PM — School show, national showcase A · FFEC · Chapiteau Endoumingue · 1h30
- 4:30 PM — Commencer à exister · M. Palisse, D. Gauchard, S. Kinsman · Salle du Mouzon · 1h15
- 5:30 PM — Ballroom · Post uit Hessdalen · IME Mathalin · 30 min
- 6:30 PM — Pain d'chien · Cirque sans noms · Parc de la Boubée · 1h10
- 6:30 PM — (En)vers nos pères · Cie Allégorie · Salle de spectacle de Pavie · 1h
- 6:30 PM — Battle All Skills, 2 vs 2, circus dance · Chapiteau CIRC · 2h
- 9:00 PM — La vie de ma mère · Cie d'un Ours / Olivier Debelhoir · Salle Bernard Turin, CIRC · 1h
- 9:00 PM — TRAXXx · CirkVOST · Chapiteau Endoumingue · 1h15
- 10:30 PM — Concert: La cercleuse (rap) · Festival Bar
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
- 10:30 AM — Circus creation project presentations · ARTCENA and Circa · Ciné 32, room 2 · 2h
- 11:30 AM — Bla Bla Circa: meet the companies ((En)vers nos pères + Parmi les vaches) · Festival Bar · 1h
- 12:00 PM — Circle 1 · Seneca Intensiv (Berlin, Germany) · FEDEC · Chapiteau Endoumingue · 30 min
- 1:00 PM — Mauvais joueurs · Académie Fratellini · Place de la Cathédrale, outdoor · 25 min
- 2:30 PM — School show, national showcase B · FFEC · Chapiteau Endoumingue · 1h30
- 2:30 PM — Ballroom · Post uit Hessdalen · IME Mathalin · 30 min
- 2:30 PM — La vie de ma mère · Cie d'un Ours / Olivier Debelhoir · Salle Bernard Turin, CIRC · 1h
- 3:30 PM — Ballroom · Post uit Hessdalen · IME Mathalin · 30 min
- 4:30 PM — Ballroom · Post uit Hessdalen · IME Mathalin · 30 min
- 4:30 PM — Pain d'chien · Cirque sans noms · Parc de la Boubée · 1h10
- 4:30 PM — Commencer à exister · M. Palisse, D. Gauchard, S. Kinsman · Salle du Mouzon · 1h15
- 4:30 PM — Open stages (free access) · Chapiteau CIRC
- 5:30 PM — Ballroom · Post uit Hessdalen · IME Mathalin · 30 min
- 6:00 PM — Mauvais joueurs · Académie Fratellini · Place de la Cathédrale, outdoor · 25 min
- 6:00 PM — Circle 2 · Académie Cirko Vertigo (Turin, Italy) · FEDEC · Chapiteau Endoumingue · 30 min
- 6:30 PM — TRAXXx · CirkVOST · Chapiteau Endoumingue · 1h15
- 6:30 PM — Mahamat · La Main de l'Homme · Centre Cuzin · 50 min
- 9:00 PM — Le Pas du Monde · Collectif XY · Dôme, CIRC · 1h
- 9:00 PM — A.N.G.S.T. · La Main de l'Homme · Centre Cuzin · 1h
- 10:30 PM — DJ set: Miry Muraro (melodic techno) · Festival Bar
Thursday, October 22, 2026
- 10:30 AM — Circus creation project presentations · ARTCENA and Circa · Ciné 32, room 2 · 2h
- 11:30 AM — Bla Bla Circa: meet the companies (TRAXXx + Pain d'chien) · Festival Bar · 1h
- 12:00 PM — Circle 3 · Turku University of Applied Sciences (Turku, Finland) · FEDEC · Chapiteau Endoumingue · 30 min
- 2:30 PM — School show, national showcase C · FFEC · Chapiteau Endoumingue · 1h30
- 2:30 PM — A.N.G.S.T. · La Main de l'Homme · Centre Cuzin · 1h
- 4:30 PM — Pain d'chien · Cirque sans noms · Parc de la Boubée · 1h10
- 4:30 PM — Le Pas du Monde · Collectif XY · Dôme, CIRC · 1h
- 4:30 PM — Open stages (free access) · Chapiteau CIRC
- 6:00 PM — Circle 4 · Carampa Circus School (Madrid, Spain), CREAT Circus School (Valencia, Spain), National Circus School of Châtellerault (France) · FEDEC · Chapiteau Endoumingue · 30 min
- 6:30 PM — TRAXXx · CirkVOST · Chapiteau Endoumingue · 1h15
- 6:30 PM — Mahamat · La Main de l'Homme · Centre Cuzin · 50 min
- 9:00 PM — Une pédagogie du conflit · Naïf production · Salle du Mouzon · 1h
- 9:00 PM — Sawdust Symphony · M. Zandl, D. Eisele, K. Huneck · Salle Bernard Turin, CIRC · 1h
- 10:30 PM — Concert: AyAy (trance rock) · Festival Bar
Friday, October 23, 2026
- 11:30 AM — Bla Bla Circa: meet the companies (Mahamat + A.N.G.S.T. + Le Pas du Monde) · Festival Bar · 1h
- 12:00 PM — Circle 5 · AFUK (Copenhagen, Denmark) · FEDEC · Chapiteau Endoumingue · 30 min
- 2:30 PM — School show, national showcase D · FFEC · Chapiteau Endoumingue · 1h30
- 2:30 PM — Une pédagogie du conflit · Naïf production · Salle du Mouzon · 1h
- 4:30 PM — TRAXXx · CirkVOST · Chapiteau Endoumingue · 1h15
- 4:30 PM — Mahamat · La Main de l'Homme · Centre Cuzin · 50 min
- 4:30 PM — Open stages (free access) · Chapiteau CIRC
- 6:00 PM — Circle 6 · Bordeaux Circus School (France) · FEDEC · Chapiteau Endoumingue · 30 min
- 6:30 PM — Sawdust Symphony · M. Zandl, D. Eisele, K. Huneck · Salle Bernard Turin, CIRC · 1h
- 6:30 PM — A.N.G.S.T. · La Main de l'Homme · Centre Cuzin · 1h
- 7:30 PM — Mauvais joueurs · Académie Fratellini · Allée des Arts, CIRC · 25 min
- 9:00 PM — Le Pas du Monde · Collectif XY · Dôme, CIRC · 1h
- 10:30 PM — Concert: Mîrkut (Kurdish groove) · Festival Bar
Program published by CIRCa (press kit from July 1st, 2026, source: circa.auch.fr).
Prices CIRCa 2026
Practical information — CIRCa
Access
Auch is accessible via the N21 from Toulouse (approx. 1h15). Auch bus station is served by regular lines from Toulouse. Parking available near the site.
Prices
Show prices: from €8 to €22. Reduced price for under 18s and students. Festival pass available.
Ticketing
Book online on the festival website or at the on-site ticket office during the festival. Some public space shows are free.
CIRCa: Contemporary Circus in Majesty
CIRCa, National Circus Hub Auch – Gers – Occitanie, was born in 1988 from a meeting between circus schools and the desire to create an event dedicated to circus creation. Since then, the festival has established itself as one of the major contemporary circus events in Europe.
A Demanding and Diverse Program
Every year at the end of October, CIRCa presents about twenty shows by professional companies from around the world. Under tents, in theaters, and in public spaces, the festival showcases the full diversity of contemporary circus: acrobatics, juggling, trapeze, clowning, aerial dance, Chinese pole. Circus dialogues with music, dance, theater, and visual arts.
A Place for Professional Meetings
CIRCa is also a key time for performing arts professionals. The festival hosts programmers, venue directors, and producers who come to scout companies and shows that will then tour throughout France and internationally.
L'Allée des Arts
The main festival site, L'Allée des Arts in Auch, hosts the tents and convivial spaces. Spectators move between the different venues in a festive and warm atmosphere, characteristic of Gascon culture.
Where does it take place — CIRCa
CIRCa in brief
Other festivals near Auch
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