The Valencia International Circus Festival Contorsions will celebrate its ninth edition from June 18 to 21, 2026, with a program that is open to the public and free of charge —subject to capacity—spread across various venues throughout the city. The festival, sponsored by the Valencia City Council and organized by Yapadú Produccions, will run for four days.
The festival will feature aerial acrobatics, juggling, balancing acts, clowning, and physical theater at four venues: the Teatre El Musical (TEM), La Mutant, Tinglado 2 in La Marina, and Plaza de la Virgen. The participating companies come from the Valencian Community, Catalonia, Galicia, and France.
It will kick off at Plaza de la Virgen
The opening ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, June 18, at 7:30 p.m. in Plaza de la Virgen, with a performance by the Catalan company Eunoia Kolektiva. Their show , *Tenet*, is a contemporary outdoor circus piece in which eight acrobats and a musician explore the perception of reality through movement, balance, and perspective.
Parallel Activities and Cultural Outreach
Among the complementary activities, a free family workshop—no prior registration required —will be held on Saturday, June 20, at 5:00 p.m. at Tinglado 2 in La Marina, focusing on circus disciplines such as juggling, acrobatics, and balancing acts.
For the second consecutive year, the festival is hosting the cultural outreach project “Mirades Contorsionades, ” aimed at people with little prior exposure to contemporary circus. Participants—adults, with or without experience in the performing arts—will attend four shows, one per day, and take part in pre- and post-performance discussions to gain a deeper understanding of the companies’ creative processes. Registration will open in early June.
Llavoretes: A Showcase for Emerging Valencian Talent
The festival continues to feature the “Llavoretes” section, dedicated to emerging artists and companies from the Valencian Community. Three projects will be selected and presented to the public on Sunday, June 21, in performances ranging from 15 to 30 minutes each. The initiative aims to raise awareness of these works before their official premiere and foster dialogue between creators and the audience.
Contorsions also continues its partnership with the Creat circus arts school, whose students will premiere their final graduation project as part of the festival.
In its eight previous editions, the festival has drawn more than 50,000 spectators, featuring over 50 companies, 70 shows, and 300 participating artists.
