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One of the most spectacular cultural events in Poland is ahead of us – the Carnaval Sztukmistrzów 2026. This year’s edition will take place on July 23–26, and Lublin will once again become the capital of contemporary circus art. Check the full festival programme to make sure you don’t miss anything.
For four July days, Lublin breathes to a different rhythm. The streets become a stage. Circus blends with theatre. The air trembles with laughter and risk. Bodies defy gravity. Artists appear wherever the predictable comes to an end. This is not about elegantly observing art from a distance. It is about wandering from one moment of wonder to another. Part performance, part dream, part summer romance with the city. And suddenly you realise that the world can be more colourful, more absurd and much more fascinating than you remembered that morning,
the festival coordinators invite everyone to this year’s edition.
The art of contemporary circus can be admired both in urban spaces and on theatre stages. The rich Carnaval programme includes five stage performances, ten outdoor performances, five street shows, three concerts and numerous accompanying events. An important part of the programme consists of productions by Polish artists selected as part of Incydent Polski – a development programme for the Polish contemporary circus community.
Stage performances at the Centre for the Meeting of Cultures
This year’s edition of the Carnaval Sztukmistrzów will open with the stage performance “Blanc” by Sébastien Wojdan / Galapiat Cirque. In this solo performance, the artist reveals himself to the audience and confronts his own fears, such as hypochondria and the constant fear of death. It also explores fears of failure, lack of love, rejection, abandonment, humiliation and facing t