Circo d'inverno

A circus performance presented by the Municipality of Udine to its citizens as part of the Christmas celebrations. This event serves as a symbolic invitation for the entire city population to enter the theater, exchange holiday greetings, and transform the city’s premier theater into a space that is open, welcoming, and meaningful. While traditionally centered around a classical music concert, the 2023 edition was entrusted to a consortium of local cultural organizations—Circo all’inCirca, Puntozero, and SimulArte—who devised a bespoke show inspired by the historic Cirque d’hiver. This winter cabaret featured some of the most renowned circus acts, reminiscent of those once showcased in the heart of the French capital.

The 2026 edition will feature our friends from Madame Rebiné, who will guide us through a cabaret that once again brings some of the most outstanding circus artists from Europe and around the world to Udine.Founded in France by artists from different parts of Italy, Madame Rebiné has chosen to settle and develop its artistic work in our region, which – without false modesty – is increasingly establishing itself as a leading force in Italian contemporary circus. The collaboration between Circo all’inCirca and Madame Rebiné is therefore part of a broader effort to strengthen and develop the sector.But enough talk! What will the three clowns, directed by Davide Perissutti, actually do on stage?Three elderly gentlemen are eagerly awaiting their grandson, who is supposed to pick them up for Christmas lunch. Struggling with a sofa that's far too small for the three of them, three devilish smartphones, and a series of mishaps and misunderstandings, the clowns will take the audience on a cabaret adventure packed with unexpected twists and breathtaking circus acts.Joining them on stage will be Marica Marinoni (who performed at the 2024 edition and won an award at the prestigious Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain) alongside Jef Everaert (Belgium), presenting a Cyr wheel duo with their sights set on winning the next world championship.Pablo Penaillo Soto (Chile) will amaze the audience with an aerial straps performance combining extraordinary precision and strength, soaring several metres above the stage.Finally, Duo de la Montagne, coming directly from Paris, will introduce Udine audiences to the spectacular discipline of Korean plank for the very first time.

The 2025 edition of the cabaret will be hosted by four artists who are currently working on a new Circo all’inCirca production, Gli stessi. This will be an opportunity to get a sneak peek at some of the elements of Circo all’inCirca’s upcoming show, which will premiere next year at Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine.And just in case you're wondering: no spoilers!The spotlight will instead be on six extraordinary female circus artists from Slovenia, Spain, Serbia, Italy and Germany, who will bring five contemporary circus performances to the stage, providing the main acrobatic highlights of the cabaret.

The first Slovenian artist to be cast in a Cirque du Soleil production, Tjaša has redefined the standards of aerial performance both in her home country and beyond.Winner of the prestigious Cirque de Demain award in Paris, the Yao Jinguo Trophy in China, and numerous other international accolades, she combines natural elegance with a rare stage presence.Her aerial spiral act, performed several metres above the ground, is a circular journey between balance and vertigo. The spiral becomes an extension of her body, a choreographic instrument that Tjaša transforms into pure acrobatic poetry.

One of the most exciting emerging voices on the Serbian circus scene, Jelena embodies the energy of a cultural movement that is rapidly gaining momentum.She works closely with Cirkusfera, the only organisation in Belgrade dedicated to developing contemporary circus in the Balkans, and her artistic practice reflects this spirit of exploration and renewal.Her work combines dance, contortion and a delicate sense of theatricality. Every movement seems to emerge from a deep awareness of the body, transforming extraordinary flexibility into storytelling, emotion and a magnetic stage presence.

Trained at FLIC Circus School in Turin and ÉSAC in Brussels – two of Europe's most demanding circus schools – Ella has developed a style that combines extraordinary precision with emotional intensity.One of Germany's most promising young circus artists, she has been a finalist at international circus festivals and competitions, including SolyCirco and Salzburg, and was awarded the 2024 scholarship from the Associazione Amici del Circo.Her aerial straps act builds through a crescendo of strength, suspension and control. Technique becomes fluid, almost invisible, giving way to an expressive language of momentum, lightness and determination.

An acrobat, hand balancer and juggler, Federica brings a unique approach to foot juggling, exploring the discipline through an object as simple as it is surprising: the corrugated tube.Trained at the CNAC in Paris, she has developed an artistic language that blends science, play and imagination.In her performances, objects come to life: they spin, vibrate and float, creating a constantly moving microcosm that interacts with the body through ever-changing balances.Her work evokes cosmic worlds and miniature dimensions, suspended between technical precision and a sense of wonder.

From the Catalan circus scene come Laia and Ona, a duo who have already performed with Company EIA, one of the most acclaimed circus companies in Spain.Their discipline, Icarian games, demands an almost telepathic connection: one artist launches and supports her partner with her feet, while the other flies, spins and lands.On stage, this dynamic becomes a dialogue built on absolute trust, mutual awareness and precision. Laia and Ona transform strength into gentle movement, technique into fluidity, and collaboration into a radiant expression of harmony.Their act is a celebration of human connection, coordination and the beauty of placing one's trust in another.

Adding to the immersive atmosphere will be live music by renowned composer and multi-instrumentalist Simon Thierrée, a prominent figure on the European scene who has created soundtracks for numerous contemporary circus productions.His compositions, created especially for the show, will come to life on stage through piano and violin, in a continuous dialogue with the performers.

An artist from Friuli with an international career spanning performance, directing, teaching and artistic direction. His work is characterised by an approach that blends circus, physical theatre and an in-depth exploration of the performer's body. He will be guiding the artists on stage for this year's edition of Circo d'Inverno.

The 2024 edition of Circo d’Inverno welcomes five European female circus artists to Udine, bringing together emerging talents and established professionals from the international contemporary circus scene.The evening will culminate with a performance by Marica Marinoni, the Italian artist who won First Prize at the prestigious Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain in Paris earlier this year. She will present the very act that earned her this major international recognition, now on stage at Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine.Among the emerging performers is an artist from Friuli who began her circus training at Circo all’inCirca and now lives and works in Lille, France. Her participation reflects a deliberate choice by the artistic direction: to highlight how Friuli Venezia Giulia is increasingly becoming a place where the circus talents of tomorrow can discover, develop and pursue their artistic ambitions.

Meet the artists on stage

Federica Pini Sandrelli - swinging trapeze

Born in Milan in 1997, Federica discovered circus at the age of six and has never looked back. She trained as a trapeze artist at FLIC Circus School in Turin before continuing her studies at the Centre National des Arts du Cirque (CNAC) in Châlons-en-Champagne, France.Fascinated by the relationship between the human body and empty space, she explores the art of suspension through aerial acrobatics, seeking to inhabit the space above the ground and challenge gravity itself. Her performance is an intimate dialogue between gravity and suspension, a celebration of the Void as an unresolved space where falling and rising, strength and vulnerability become the protagonists of a poetic encounter between acrobatic virtuosity and simplicity.

Paola Pilosio - hand balancing and contortion

Paola's circus journey began in 2017 at Circo all’inCirca, where she first fell in love with aerial acrobatics before discovering the upside-down world of hand balancing.In 2021, she decided to turn her passion into a profession and enrolled at the Centre Régional des Arts du Cirque in Lomme, France. She graduated in 2024 with Fais-toi belle (Make Yourself Beautiful), the act she will present at Circo d’Inverno.Almost everything is ready for the elegant evening ahead. Just a few finishing touches remain: a little makeup, a touch of perfume and a beautiful pair of high heels.What could possibly go wrong?

Marylou Aupic - acrobatic bycicle

Marylou was born somewhere and rides her bicycle to get… nowhere.She enjoys provoking the unconscious with a mixture of light-heartedness and irreverence. In 2024, she graduated as a professional circus artist from the École Supérieure des Arts du Cirque (ESAC) in Brussels, where she developed the acrobatic bicycle act she will present in Udine.Her performance is an unpredictable mix of madness, absurd humour, floor acrobatics and extraordinary bicycle skills, involving the performer, her stage costume and a mysterious head of red hair.

Liza Van Brakel - juggling - replaced by Davide Visintini

Davide is an associate artist of Circo all’inCirca and has been collaborating with the organisation since before entering FLIC Circus School in Turin. In fact, he began his circus training at Circo all’inCirca in 2013.After discovering partner acrobatics, he began specialising in both juggling and acrobatic performance.Today, he collaborates with several Italian circus organisations alongside his work with Circo all’inCirca in Udine. He is a member of Brocante and coordinates Circo all’inCirca's group of artists.For Circo d’Inverno 2024, Davide replaces Liza Van Brakel, who was forced to withdraw following a last-minute injury.He will present his latest artistic research, developed at La Central del Circ in Barcelona: a several-metre-long wooden plank that must be kept balanced at all costs, while the performer's body seems to lose all control.

Marica Marinoni - Cyr wheel

Originally from Milan, Marica lives and develops her circus career in France. She also shares a special connection with Udine, where she made her professional debut at Terminal Festival in 2018.That year, she was graduating from the prestigious Centre National des Arts du Cirque in Châlons-en-Champagne, and Terminal included her graduation project in its programme.Since then, she has built a successful international career, culminating in 2024 with First Prize at the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain in Paris, one of the world's most prestigious circus competitions, which brings together outstanding artists from across five continents.At Circo d’Inverno, she will present the very act that earned her this remarkable recognition in January 2024.

Giorgio Bertolotti - clown

Guiding us through this journey will be Giorgio Bertolotti, a circus artist, equilibrist, entertainer and clown.In recent years, Giorgio has been developing a new comic character: a performance that attempts to bring "nobody" onto the stage, giving visibility to people who live on the margins of our cities.Some call them tramps, others homeless. But Giorgio's artistic exploration focuses above all on the way society looks at these individuals: a hurried, distracted gaze, too busy to recognise the person behind the fleeting encounter on the street.

Fabio Rodaro - illustrator

Fabio Rodaro previously collaborated on the illustrations for Terminal Festival 2019 and returns to interpret the world of circus through a series of original images projected onto the backdrop throughout the evening.Poster design and programme layout are by Valentina Bomben, an artist from Circo all’inCirca.

Gregorio Busatto - musicista

A versatile drummer with wide-ranging musical interests, Gregorio has accompanied the site-specific creations of Brocante, the international contemporary circus gathering held in Val Colvera, for several years.It was through this experience that he developed his particular sensitivity to contemporary circus and the relationship between music and movement.For Circo d’Inverno, he will accompany the performers live, improvising and interacting with the artists on stage throughout the evening.

Davide Perissutti - regia e direzione artistica serata

A clown, artistic director of Circo all’inCirca and curator of Terminal Festival, Davide has an eclectic background spanning philosophy, theology, comic writing and non-verbal dramaturgy.For Circo d’Inverno 2024, he has curated the staging, selected the performers and worked closely with them to create a cabaret that brings some of the finest acts on the international circus scene to Udine.At the same time, the programme gives space to emerging artists whose passion for circus first developed in Udine, thanks in part to the work of Circo all’inCirca.

The Municipality of Udine invites the entire city to enjoy a free evening of live music and contemporary circus. On Saturday, 23 December, at 6:00 PM, twenty-two musicians and seven acrobats will take to the stage of the Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine.

Founded in Sesto al Reghena in 1998, the Abbey Town Jazz Orchestra brings together musicians from Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto. With 25 years of continuous activity, the orchestra has developed numerous original projects and prestigious collaborations. Since 2007, it has been the house band of the Summer Jamboree festival in Senigallia.The orchestra has accompanied Renzo Arbore, Greg, Max Paiella, Ronnie Jones, Johnny Farina, Clem Sacco, Gino Santercole and many other leading figures from the Italian and international swing scene.It has also developed projects with Tony Hadley, Maceo Parker, Frankie hi-nrg mc, Tre Allegri Ragazzi Morti, Matthew Lee and Ray Gelato.

Seven artists from Circo all’inCirca will accompany the orchestra’s live music with a combination of traditional and contemporary circus performances.On stage: Simone Di Biagio (juggling and dance), Davide Visintini (partner acrobatics and juggling), Laia Picas (aerial rope), Paolo Tonezer (balancing ladder), Valentina Boben (aerial hoop), Camilla Francetti (Chinese pole) and Sarah Ferretti (aerial hoop).The artists are coordinated by Silvia Di Landro and Davide Perissutti.