Long gone is the old-fashioned idea of a clown with a red nose and a bucket of water, "new circus" is a sublime mixing of performance art, physical skill and emotional storytelling. Not to say that they don't also make it funny sometimes!
Circusbende Festival
Circusbende was first started in Amsterdam in 2018, and since then it has grown into a beloved summer attraction, with over 15.000 visitors. It's also beloved by performers, who come from all across the world to work together, explore their creativity and try out new acts and concepts. Expect the weird, and most definitely wonderful.
Performance art, musical theatre, acrobatics, comedy - you can find all of this in performances at Circusbende, as well as much, much more! Most of the acts are family-friendly, or even aimed at children, but some have age restrictions that are clear when you buy a ticket.
On top of the performances, the festival sites will host an eclectic combination of workshops, musicians, interactive installations, kinetic art, as well as popcorn and vegan food stalls.
The site is free to enter and enjoy, while some performances are ticketed and some are by donation. For donation-based shows, a recommended donation amount will be given, but rest assured, this is only a recommendation and the organisers want to shows to be accessible to all - give only what you can afford to.
The festival takes place over two long-weekends. The first weekend is from August 15-18, and is in Het Groene Veld, in Amsterdam Noord. The second weekend takes place from August 29 - September 1 in Erasmuspark in Amsterdam Oost. As the event in Het Groene Veld is most isolated from nearby residents, the party goes on late that weekend!
Het Groene Veld, G.J. Scheurleerweg 212, 1027 BA
Thursday, August 15: 6pm-11pm
Friday, August 16: 4pm-4am
Saturday, August 17: 11am-4am
Sunday, August 18: 11am-11pm
Erasmuspark, Jan van Galenstraat
Thursday, August 29: 6pm-10.30pm
Friday, August 30: 4pm-10.30pm
Saturday, August 31: 11am-10.30pm
Sunday, September 1: 11am-10.30pm
Circus Parade
Each weekend has a series of workshops for children, that bring hearing, hearing-impaired and deaf children together to learn new circus skills together and hopefully a new shared language. These workshops are aimed at 8-12 year-olds and take place from 10am-2.30pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, and then on Sunday there is a parade where the children get to perform the new show they have created.
You must register your child in advance on the Circusbende website if they wish to take part.
Attending Circusbende
You can explore the whole programme on the Circusbende website. Some tickets can be bought in advance, but for those shows that are donation-based, no advance reservation is possible so be early if you want to be sure of getting a spot.
Both locations are accessible by public transport, and while some performances are outside, there are also shows inside tents if the Dutch weather doesn't play ball.