About
This year, the Carnaval Sztukmistrzów (July 23-26, 2026, Lublin) is launching its comedy stage for the first time – a new space dedicated to contemporary clowning, located at Radość club in the Perła Brewery. The programme features not only performances and concerts by artists from Poland and abroad, but also clowning workshops.
Contemporary clowning moves away from the stereotypical image of the circus clown. Instead, it is a theatrical form that combines humour, movement and improvisation with compelling stories about human emotions, relationships and the absurdities of everyday life. Its greatest strength lies in the authenticity of the performers and their direct connection with the audience. As contemporary clowning is still rarely presented on major stages in Poland, the Carnaval Sztukmistrzów has created a space dedicated entirely to this art form.
Comedy stage
The comedy stage will open with “The Requiem of Sophie Withman”, a wordless burlesque performance by Normandy-born performer and clown Clémence Caillouel. The artist has created the character of Sophie Withman – a woman in love with fame, romance and stories with tragic endings. The performance follows this colourful heroine as she decides to write her own tragedy and brings it to life on stage, night after night.
A magnificent, baroque spectacle. Expressionist and surreal, captivating and unsettling
– wrote the French portal SNES-FSU.
Piotr Sikora, an award-winning Polish performer recognised at international comedy festivals, returns to the Carnaval Sztukmistrzów with a brand-new production. Set 214 years after Napoleon’s disastrous retreat from Russia, “Blizzard” tells the story of a lone soldier still making his way through a snowstorm, caught between reality and imagination as he searches for the road home. Almost entirely without dialogue, the performance explores loneliness, survival and the absurd determination of the human spirit.
The comedy stage will also feature the Wrocław-based company Fools on the Hill Orchestra with their musical theatre performance “What Is Love”. Four eccentric musicians reinterpret love songs by bands such as The Beatles, ABBA and Queen with humour and in the spirit of contemporary clowning. Filled with comic mishaps, the concert gradually transforms into a story about human relationships and the search for love.
In addition to the performances, Piotr Sikora and Clémence Caillouel will lead free, open clowning workshops (advance registration is required).
Performances schedule
Clémence Caillouel | “The Requiem of Sophie Withman” (FRA) | July 23, 20:30 | July 24, 19:00
Piotr Sikora | “Blizzard” (POL) | July 25, 17:00 | July 26, 21:00
Fools on the Hill Orchestra | “What Is Love?” (POL) | July 26, 18:00
Venue: Radość club, Perła Brewery – blaszak
Admission: 20 zł per person
The performances will take place on the indoor stage in the Radość club, Perła Brewery. Tickets will be available for purchase at the festival shop (the Workshops of Culture, Grodzka 7) and at the venue one hour before each performance.
About the Carnaval Sztukmistrzów
Carnaval Sztukmistrzów is the largest festival in Poland showcasing contemporary circus arts. For years the event has attracted crowds of residents and tourists to the city. They are drawn not only by world-class circus performances, but also by the magical atmosphere of the festival. The program includes clowning, acrobatics, juggling, and illusion shows presented as engaging circus performances, as well as attractions for children and concerts. It is the most performatively diverse festival in the country. In addition, the Carnaval is accompanied by the Urban Highline Festival—the oldest and largest highline festival in the world held in an urban space. Most of the festival program is free of charge and takes place in streets, squares, and public spaces. Some events are ticketed and can be seen in theatres and performance halls.
Details
Carnaval Sztukmistrzów
July 23–26, 2026
Lublin
Admission free. Selected events are ticketed.
More information about the festival can be found on the website carnavallublin.eu.
Organizers of Carnaval Sztukmistrzów: the Workshops of Culture in Lublin, the City of Lublin
Honorary Patronage of the event is held by Krzysztof Żuk – Mayor of Lublin
Media patrons: TVP Kultura, Radio Nowy Świat, Wyborcza.pl, TVP3 Lublin, Radio Lublin, Kultura Enter, Onet
Partners: Firmament, Institut Français, Centre for Culture in Lublin, Circus Dance Festival, Pro Helvetia – Swiss Arts Council
Sponsors: Perła – Browary Lubelskie S.A., Bogdanka S.A.