À propos
What if the circus were to become once again a place of respite, healing and resistance?
UP Festival takes Brussels by storm with unruly, passionate circus forms that are firmly rooted in the present. Whether under the big top, in theatres, in public spaces or on the fringes of conventional settings, Belgian and international artists blend technical mastery with a compelling message.
Since its inception in 1998, when it was known as ‘Pistes de Lancement’, the festival organised by Espace Catastrophe has consistently championed a demanding form of creative circus that is in tune with the times and resolutely open to engaging with all audiences...
Having become a biennial event in 2010, this major contemporary circus festival adopted the name UP FESTIVAL in 2014 and reaffirmed its ambition: to support the most daring forms of contemporary circus whilst broadening its opportunities for dialogue with the city.
Now based in Molenbeek, on the former Delhaize site taken over by UP – Circus & Performing Arts, The festival features unique performance venues: big tops, lorries, fairground attractions, theatre stages and interventions in public spaces. UP FESTIVAL transforms Brussels into an open-air playground and space for reflection, where circus is reimagined in close connection with bodies, places and social realities.
Recognised in 2018 by the ‘Visit Brussels Awards’ as Best International Event, UP FESTIVAL continues in 2026 its commitment to a free, unruly and profoundly contemporary circus. A festival that views the city as a stage, the audience as an active partner, and the circus as a major art form for thinking about, feeling and inhabiting the world in a different way.
Focus Pro
23–26 March
Over four days, the UP Festival’s Focus Pros programme offers a series of professional networking opportunities at the heart of the festival. Round-table discussions, pitch sessions, showcases, informal get-togethers and artistic meetings make up a programme designed to encourage the exchange of ideas, works and people, both within Belgium and internationally.
With the support of Wallonie-Bruxelles Théâtre Danse.