vertigo Festival for Contemporary Circus, Leipzig

Foto: Compagnie Zalataï

vertigo Festival für zeitgenössischen Zirkus, Westbahnhof Leipzig, 12. - 14. Juni 2026

Festival für zeitgenössischen Zirkus

12 - 14 June 2026

@ Westbahnhof, Leipzig

Explore Program

From 12 to 14 June 2026, Leipzig takes flight. VERTIGO celebrates its premiere – bringing contemporary circus to the city. International artists show you what artistry in the New Circus can be today: playful, acrobatic, poetic.

VERTIGO stands for a new format that makes the diversity and interdisciplinarity of contemporary circus visible. Alongside breathtaking performances, workshops for all ages, live music and culinary highlights await you.

Come along. Be surprised.

Program

Friday

12 June 2026
00:00
Opening with Bal(les) Compagnie Zalataï (FR)
Acrobatics and juggling Outdoor Grounds
00:00
Opening with Bal(les) Compagnie Zalataï (FR) Acrobatics and juggling
Outdoor Grounds

Saturday

13 June 2026
00:00
Stück aus der lokalen Szene tbc.
tbc. Outdoor Grounds
00:00
Stück aus der lokalen Szene tbc. tbc.
Outdoor Grounds
00:00
Concert tba. (Leipzig)
Experimental Westbahnhof Leipzig
00:00
Concert tba. (Leipzig) Experimental
Westbahnhof Leipzig
00:00
MiMa von Zirkomania Leipzig
Workshop Outdoor Grounds
00:00
MiMa von Zirkomania Leipzig Workshop
Outdoor Grounds
00:00
Party DJs tba
World Techno Westbahnhof Leipzig
00:00
Party DJs tba World Techno
Westbahnhof Leipzig
00:00
Tangled Up Company ALUD (BE)
Circus & Dance Outdoor Grounds
00:00
Tangled Up Company ALUD (BE) Circus & Dance
Outdoor Grounds

Sunday

14 June 2026
00:00
Acroyoga & Festival Finale tba
Workshop Outdoor Grounds
00:00
Acroyoga & Festival Finale tba Workshop
Outdoor Grounds
00:00
BUZZ Roundtable Bundesverband Zeitgenössischer Zirkus
Westbahnhof Leipzig
00:00
BUZZ Roundtable Bundesverband Zeitgenössischer Zirkus
Westbahnhof Leipzig
00:00
Juggling workshop Zirkomania Leipzig
Workshop Outdoor Grounds
00:00
Juggling workshop Zirkomania Leipzig Workshop
Outdoor Grounds
00:00
Open Stage in Kooperation mit dem Artisten Kombinat Leipzig
Outdoor Grounds
00:00
Open Stage in Kooperation mit dem Artisten Kombinat Leipzig
Outdoor Grounds

About us

Circo Lipsia e.V. is a young association with a clear vision: to permanently establish a festival for contemporary circus in Leipzig. After years of ideas and networking, the association was founded in 2025 by Clémentine Harpagès and Friederike Otte. Both are connected in the international circus scene and bring their artistic and organisational experience to the project.

With VERTIGO, we create a platform for a young, interdisciplinary form of performing arts with international reach. Our aim is to make the New Circus visible as an independent art form – innovative, poetic and socially relevant.

We collaborate with the Societaetstheater Dresden, which hosts the circus theatre festival Creatures of Gravity from 18 to 28 June 2026. Through this collaboration we aim to strengthen the Central German festival landscape and sustainably promote contemporary circus.

We also see ourselves as a platform for local practitioners: for networking, exchange and greater visibility within a vibrant scene.

Become a member & donate

Donation account

Sparkasse Leipzig

DE08 8605 5592 1090 3969 50

BIC WELADE8LXXX

Circo Lipsia e.V.

info@vertigo-zirkusfestival.de

Support Us

VERTIGO needs your support. As a new contemporary circus festival in Leipzig, we rely on crowdfunding – with a special advantage: through the 99funken platform of Sparkasse Leipzig, every donation is matched as soon as the funding threshold is reached.

Sparkasse Leipzig matches every contribution – meaning: with €1,700 in donations we effectively reach €3,600.

Funding threshold

1,700 €

Funding goal

4,000 €

Support us on 99Funken

Redirecting to 99funken.de - platform of Sparkasse Leipzig

Get Involved

Want to peek behind the scenes and become part of a young, dedicated festival team?

We welcome help with decoration, the bar, set-up and take-down – or whatever area excites you most. Together we’ll make this first festival something special.

Interested? Get in touch:

info@vertigo-zirkusfestival.de

Contemporary Circus

Contemporary circus expands the boundaries of traditional circus and develops it as an independent art form. Artistry meets theatre, dance, music and new media – disciplines merge into layered, multi-dimensional works.

Contemporary circus, also known as New Circus, has its roots in France. It explores new aesthetic possibilities and creates visual worlds that reach audiences directly – visually, emotionally and intuitively. Sometimes poetic and quiet, sometimes powerful, political or humorous.

Its physical, non-verbal language overcomes language barriers and opens up a shared space of experience. The result is an art form that is particularly accessible, inclusive and moving.

Contact

The Team

  • Clémentine Harpagès Festival Director
  • Friederike Otte Co-Director
  • Benjamin Henkel Technical Director
    technik@vertigo-zirkusfestival.de
  • Martin Schröder-Zabel PR & Social Media

Getting Here

Venue

Westbahnhof am Bürgerbahnhof Plagwitz

Engertstr. 38, 04229 Leipzig

Open on OpenStreetMap →

Public Transport

  • S-Bahn: Plagwitz S-Bahn station
  • Bus: Zollschuppenstraße or Siemensstraße
  • Tram: S-Bf. Plagwitz or Adler

Accessibility

Outdoor area: low-barrier access

Indoor area: not fully accessible

Supported by

Funded by

Sponsors

Sparkasse Leipzig

Partners

Zirkus Cirkus