CIRKOBALKANA 14
Belgrade
11.9. – 26.9.2026.
CirkoBalkana circus tent, CIGLANA, Slanački Put 26
Last year we had a great time at Ciglana, so we’ve put this year’s edition of the festival there as well. As in every year so far, the programme is made up of performances, educational workshops and music events.
The programme brings together an international and a regional selection, and of course the by now traditional Open stage, full of local artists.
Organisers: Cirkusfera (Belgrade) and Cirkorama (Zagreb)
*you can buy tickets online https://cirkobalkana.org/en/ticket-sale/ or reserve tickets at 𝐫𝐞𝐳𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐣𝐞.𝐜𝐢𝐫𝐤𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐚𝐧𝐚@𝐠𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦
CirkoБalkana · Belgrade
Programme
From 11 to 26 September: contemporary circus performances from the region and from Europe.
Mečka Buržana
Mečka Buržana plays the guitar for you, spits fire, questions earthly existence and avant-garde art!
DJ Dekord MC Don Dada
DEKORD
For a decade and a half, Belgrade DJ and promoter DEKORD has been an unmissable name on the regional underground scene. Specialising in fast, rhythmic genres such as Drum & Bass and Jungle, DEKORD masterfully leads the dance floor through a deep selection and precise mixing. Pushing the limits of the classic DJ set, he takes his shows to another level by working with live vocals, joining raw club energy with the dynamics of a live performance.
DON DADA
Don Dada is an MC with a pronounced Hip-Hop and Grime sensibility. His work is closely tied to drum & bass culture, in particular through the Roll the Drum collective. Flow, improvisation and communication with the audience are what make every one of his appearances unique on our scene.
Bortnique
Evgenij’s project is built on sharp contrasts and an essentially free approach to sound. A hard guitar sound intertwines with primitivist techno, while vocal lines run through autotune merge with IDM, hissing lo-fi electronics, or noise. This is asymmetrical pop music with detailed texture, a personal circus of sorts. And whether it is accessible or not — the listener and the artist find out together, on the spot.
ChTap
From the south of France comes the enthusiasm of all-night parties filled with eclectic selections that make you jump and move for as long as the body allows, or at least until the last bus.
SKRECh MAJSTOR LJUBAN
DJ Z1B
A DJ from the Sava riverbank of New Belgrade, who describes his set as “an analog sonic journey through hip-hop.”
Vroom
In the words of Vladimir Arsenijević, this is „…a band that began its story in the theatre troupe „Torpedo”, and then built it through five studio albums and hundreds of shows across Europe, bringing a sound that is at once theatrically dramatic and fierce in concert. From underground clubs to Exit and the Sterija Theatre Festival, under the creative leadership of Marko Grubić VROOOM has established itself as one of the most exciting acts on our scene…“
Crveni trougao
Crveni Trougao (Filip Janjić) has been involved in music for some ten years, playing bass and doing music production in his free time. He spins house and funky, but it all depends on the atmosphere and the audience. He has released several remixes that you can hear on his YouTube channel. He comes from Leskovac and currently lives in Belgrade.
Pipava lipa
Pipava Lipa is a Belgrade group performing original music, combining alternative rock, instrumental funk-arabic-fusion and psychedelic sounds with unpredictable live energy.
San Gvida sa Hokaida
San Gvida sa Hokaida is a hybrid pop band from Belgrade. They are currently working on their
debut album, characterised by a pop sound with touches of R&B, funk, soul,
jazz, hip-hop, reggae and alternative rock. They aim to find an authentic expression by
swimming through different genres and bringing them together in their music.
Jovana Stojić – vocals and keyboards
Gavrilo Mrđa – guitar and backing vocals
Mateja Blažić – saxophone
Filip Janjić – bass guitar
Vukašin Skorić / Nebojša Durmanović – drums
Photo: Gordan Jović
Džumle
The Džumle band was founded in 2025, out of a love for music that knows no borders. Our sound joins Romani, Balkan, Russian, Romanian and Serbian musical traditions with improvisation and the freedom of live performance. Music that is not only listened to — but felt. Music that warms the soul.
Bani DJ
A gentleman through and through and a resident of the CirkoBalkana tent, he will spin hand-picked records to get us dancing with teary eyes in a real kafana mood.
Petka Vratolomka
A lady through and through and a resident of the CirkoBalkana tent, she is the compulsory music block of every festival and this time brings the endless party we are eagerly waiting for.
Zubi
Zubi came together in a hurry, without much thought about how or in what form they would appear. Reaction to action, drum to silence, voice to bass, step by step, and they started running before they learned to walk.
They have played INMusic Festival in Zagreb, Changeover Festival in Belgrade and the Street Musicians Festival in Novi Sad, shared the stage with the band Hex Girlfriend and given numerous club and underground shows across Serbia. Every relevant music magazine in Serbia put their debut album on its list of the best albums of 2025, positioning Zubi as a band that turns the limits of a low budget into a clear aesthetic stance and an intense live experience.
DJ okica
Once again we get the chance to hear the hits that have passed the test of time and bring back memories of autumn parties that end with long walks home. Welcome to the good side of nostalgia.
The programme is subject to change. For announcements, follow CirkoБalkana on Instagram.
CirkoБalkana · Belgrade
Workshops
Four workshops during September: aerial ring, cloudswing, knife throwing and juggling with movement. Applications go to danka@cirkusfera.org.
Acro dance workshop
Do you love acrobatics and dance? Then you are in the right place, because at the upcoming workshop within Cirkobalkana we are bringing together exactly that – acrobatics and dance. We will integrate acrobatic elements into movement and work on figures such as the Macaco and the Tínsica, as well as on other elements of flow acrobatics. Not a professional? Can’t bend your body into impossible shapes, or maybe you haven’t done a roll on the grass in years? Then now is exactly the right time for it! Don’t worry about your level of acrobatics or dance. Above all, we want to find the movements that suit you and your body. So join us and let’s get moving together! The workshop is led by Fenja from Berlin. After graduating from a contemporary circus school in Madrid, she works as a performer and circus trainer in Berlin.
- All levels
- Ages 12+
- 2 hours
Maša Borović Aerial ring workshop — tips, tricks and hacks
Maša Borović specialised in the aerial ring at the Carampa circus school in Madrid. The workshop is intended for all levels and for participants over 12 years of age.
The aim of the workshop: to make friends with the apparatus, to understand the technique, to use as little strength as possible, to stop saying that working on the ring hurts, to learn sequences and phrases, to try out dynamic tricks, to learn how to fall onto the mats, to realise that mats are the best, to spin as much as our stomachs allow, to give in to improvisation, to come to love the complicated relationship between the ring and the body.
- All levels
- Ages 12+
- 2 hours
Cecilia Alice Manfrini Cloudswing — flying technique and personal exploration
- 17h
- 18h
- 19h
Cirkusfera is organising a workshop dedicated to cloudswing, an aerial circus discipline that brings together technique, swing and the sensation of flying. The workshop is led by Cecilia Alice Manfrini, an artist and teacher with many years of experience working with cloudswing.
Participants work on preparing the body, on the basics of swing technique and on developing existing skills, but they also explore the sensation of flying, the creation of sequences and the search for their own movement language. The programme is adapted to different levels of experience and previous knowledge of cloudswing is not necessary. Still, because the discipline is physically demanding, good physical condition, stamina and motivation to work are recommended.
- No prior experience needed
- Good fitness recommended
- One-on-one work
Knife throwing
The workshop is open to performers, circus artists, dancers and everyone else interested in exploring knife throwing as a technical, expressive and relational practice.
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The work is divided into three main areas:
- horizontal throws (classic),
- vertical throws (throws towards the ground),
- work in pairs.
It begins with the technical basics, focusing on the fundamental principles of knife throwing, after which the work gradually develops towards a personal exploration of the use and manipulation of the knife. The process particularly includes exploring the movement connected to throwing, as well as a subtler and more sensitive exploration of the relationship with the object.
An important part of the workshop is devoted to work in pairs, exploring the ways in which two bodies can interact through knife throwing, while developing listening, precision and spatial awareness. This part of the work is available only to participants who have already gained a basic level of safety and control in simple half-spin throws.
- 3 days · 4h a day
- Work in pairs for more advanced participants
Juggling and movement
An intensive three-day workshop intended for participants who have a basic knowledge of juggling (with at least three objects). Through a gradual approach, participants develop an organic and conscious juggling practice, in which movement arises in dialogue with the objects and spreads through space. The workshop combines technical exercises, guided exploration and improvisation, with the aim of creating short personal juggling sequences.
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Each day is divided into several phases: it begins with a warm-up, followed by technical exploration and work on the relationship between body and object, with guided and free improvisations. The day ends with work on composition and creation.
A significant part of the workshop is devoted to body awareness. Participants explore the naturalness of movement while juggling, paying attention to the points of contact with the floor and to the transfer of weight. The work includes mobility of the pelvis, as well as connecting the centre of the belly with the crown of the head.
On the technical side, the workshop deals with creating new variations using one or two objects. With three objects, synchronous and asynchronous rhythms are explored, as well as rhythm-based work, with the aim of expanding or condensing juggling patterns.
The work then expands into spatial awareness: participants experiment with the ways in which juggling can generate movement, using different trajectories, directions and levels, and developing a more conscious relationship between body, object and space.
Finally, a significant part of the workshop is devoted to creation. With guidance, participants develop a short personal juggling sequence, using the breath as support in the process of composing. The process is accompanied by moments of guided and free improvisation and exploration. This intensive format allows a deep immersion into the creative process, encourages the development of a personal artistic language and opens up new expressive possibilities in juggling.
- 3 days · 4h a day
- Minimum three objects
Applications and all questions: danka@cirkusfera.org. The number of places is limited, the programme is subject to change.
CirkoБalkana · Belgrade
Side programme
What happens around the tent: competitions, games and gatherings open to everyone.
Cirkolimpijada
As part of the 14th edition of the CirkoБalkana festival, we invite you to the 2nd Cirkolimpijada, held this time in Belgrade, on Saturday 19 September, at the Ciglana site — in and around the tent.
The Cirkolimpijada is conceived as a playful Olympic circus competition across six disciplines. It is up to you to sign up for one or more disciplines you would like to take part in — on your own or in a team.
Registration deadline 18.9.2026.
Disciplines and rules
You can sign up for as many disciplines as you like.
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100 metres of juggling
Individual
Competitors run a 100-metre course while juggling three props without stopping (balls, clubs or rings). If someone drops a prop, they pick it up and carry on. Whoever reaches the finish line first wins.
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Slalom with a club on your finger
Individual
The competitor goes through a marked slalom course while balancing a club on one finger. The club has to stay balanced the whole time; if it falls, it is picked up, placed back on the finger and the run continues. Whoever completes the whole course fastest wins.
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Silks climb
Individual
The competitor climbs the silks up to a marked height. The goal is to reach the top and press the bell in as short a time as possible. Competitors go one at a time, and the time is measured from the start of the climb to the bell. The fastest time wins.
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Limbo juggling
Individual
Competitors pass under a bar while juggling three balls without stopping. The juggling has to take place below the bar. After each round the bar is lowered. The game lasts until only one competitor is left — the winner.
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Zombies
Individual, with elimination
Everyone juggles inside a marked area. Whoever drops their props becomes a „zombie“ and moves at a slow pace towards the civilians (the remaining jugglers). When a zombie touches a civilian, that person becomes a zombie too. Whoever is left alive last wins the round; the first person with two wins takes the game.
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Clubleyball / ballyball
Team of two
A circus version of volleyball. Each player has two clubs or balls, and the „ball“ is a club/ball of a different colour. It is played by volleyball rules, with a maximum of two passes within the team before it is sent over the net. Games go to 11 points, the semi-finals and the final to 21.
Winners of the individual disciplines can look forward to generous prizes sponsored by PLAY juggling.
Let the games begin!
The programme is subject to change. For announcements, follow CirkoБalkana on Instagram.
CirkoБalkana · Belgrade
Projects
What gets built between two festivals: education, exchange and collaborations that last for years.
Education Secondary school and university students
Pelcer cirkusa
Pelcer cirkusa is a programme about dramaturgy, directing and production models in the art of contemporary circus, created for secondary school and university students.
While theoretical and academic circles can barely juggle their attempts to define and categorise the art of contemporary circus, during this programme we will try to master the balance between walking the wire and those related theatre crafts that can help us create freely within contemporary circus practice.
The participants come from the education programmes Fabrika savremenog cirkusa, run by Cirkusfera, and Mladi pozorišni eksperti, run by Tri groša. Over their years of work, these two programmes have introduced generations of young creators to different styles of performing arts, as well as to different approaches to creative and research processes.
Pelcer cirkusa is a practical and theoretical programme created and led by dramaturg and contemporary circus artist Danka Sekulović and director Ana Pinter, whose joint work in contemporary circus spans more than ten years.
Collaboration Turbul · Nîmes, France
A celebration of good practice
We have built many successful collaborations over the past years, and one of the most successful — running since 2012 — is the one with the Turbul circus school from Nîmes in France.
We all remember the joint show Oldness, and then the arrival of the flying trapeze; some also remember the circus pedagogy workshops, and a chosen few had the chance to spend a year interning at Turbul, learning first-hand how circus knowledge is passed on.
This year our 14th edition of the festival is opened by guest teachers and artists from the Turbul collective. With that, the five-day workshops come to a close — workshops in which they introduced Cirkusfera’s students to two circus disciplines: partner acrobatics and teeterboard.
More about the education programmes: cirkusfera.org.