‍Over 80 circus and contortion events span six continents in March 2026, here’s your guide to the best of them.

March 2026 is shaping up to be an exciting month for contortion on the global stage. From the glittering residencies of Las Vegas to the nightly acrobatic spectacles in Shanghai and Beijing, from Mongolian cultural ensembles in Ulaanbaatar to cutting-edge contemporary circus at the Adelaide Fringe, there has never been a better time to witness the art of extreme flexibility performed live.

This month is anchored by three major international circus festivals — in Girona, Stresa, and Henderson, Nevada, alongside a dense concentration of programming across Australasia.

Whether you’re a dedicated practitioner looking for inspiration, a casual fan who loves a jaw-dropping backbend, or simply circus-curious, this guide will help you find contortion performances near you.

Three International Festivals Set the Tone

The month opens with the finale of the 14th Festival Internacional del Circ Elefant d’Or in Girona, Spain. Running through March 2, the festival brings over 70 artists from 15 countries, with contortion explicitly featured as a core discipline. The Ukrainian duo AnVi are debuting a world-premiere act combining contortion and hand-to-hand work.

Across the Mediterranean, the 3rd International Circus Festival of Stresa on Italy’s Lake Maggiore wraps up on March 1, where artists from around the world compete for the prestigious Unicorno d’Oro. At the end of the month, the VIVA Fest / World Circus Arts Championships in Henderson, Nevada (March 27–29) bills itself as America’s largest circus competition, with judges drawn from Cirque du Soleil and America’s Got Talent.

North America: The Densest Concentration of Shows

Las Vegas remains the undisputed global hub for nightly contortion viewing. At least six shows run every evening: Cirque du Soleil’s resident productions “O,” Mystère, and KÀ all historically feature contortion acts, while Rouge at The Strat explicitly advertises contortionism as a core discipline. Absinthe at Caesars Palace runs seven nights a week, and the Atomic Saloon Show at The Venetian adds further variety. On Fremont Street, contortionist Nikita Gergert performs a street show that’s become a fixture of the downtown scene.

On tour, Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA plays near Miami throughout March, where the Contortion Sisters are also performing weekly at the Setai Hotel’s Jaya restaurant alongside other gigs around the city. The Peking Acrobats — now on their 35th North American tour — bring contortion and precision tumbling to venues from Shreveport, Louisiana to the Bronx, New York. Jordan McKnight is on the road with Ringling Brothers, bringing contortion to cities across the continent. The Amazing Acrobats of Shanghai open their Branson, Missouri season on March 6, and Cirque Kalabanté’s “Afrique en Cirque” tours from Alabama to California.

Europe: From London’s Big Tops to Berlin’s Avant-Garde

London hosts two standout contortion events. Come Alive! The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular runs all month at The Empress Museum big top in Earl’s Court, featuring Bella Diosa’s contortion and aerial acts alongside Cirque du Soleil alumnus Roman Karpovich. Ryan Yeomans is performing across the London cabaret circuit throughout March. Meanwhile, Cirque du Soleil’s OVO wraps its Royal Albert Hall run on March 1 with its famous contortionist spider act.

Germany is especially rich this month. Philipp Tigris performs at GOP Bremen until March 22, where he’ll be joined later in the month by Aleksandr Batuev. K. Juma is performing with Flic Flac in Duisburg, and Sudi Salumu appears at the Reithaus Royale Dinnershow in Ludwigsburg until March 15. Tatiana (Celosia Contortion) performs at Kinky Galore events across the country.

Circus Krone runs its Winterspielzeit in Munich, Circus Roncalli launches its 50th-anniversary tour from March 12, and the Chamäleon Theatre in Berlin premieres “BELLO!” on March 3. Cirque du Soleil’s Alegría plays Munich through March 8 before moving to Düsseldorf, and Kurios — with its dedicated contortion act — tours Spain through spring. In Austria, Maxim Voronin performs at Magic World Vienna from March 2–16.

In France, Cirque Arlette Gruss performs in Lille through March 15 and Jatta Borg returns to performing this month with a handstand collective and a roller skates show featuring contortion. In the UK, Blackpool Tower Circus runs all month, Gandeys Circus brings its “K-Pop Dragon Circus” to Warrington and the Isle of Man, and Zippos Circus opens in Stevenage from March 25.

China and Southeast Asia: Nightly Spectacles

China’s network of permanent acrobatic theatres guarantees contortion performances every single night of March. In Beijing, Chaoyang Theatre runs “The Flying Acrobatic Show” with confirmed contortion acts, while the Red Theatre offers daily performances. Shanghai alone has at least five permanent venues, headlined by ERA2: Spirit of Shanghai at Shanghai Circus World and the Shanghai Centre Theatre hosting the Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe nightly.

In Southeast Asia, the month’s most prominent single contortion event is Cirque du Soleil’s KOOZA in Singapore, which features a dedicated contortion act as a headline number. Phare, the Cambodian Circus performs nightly in Siem Reap with confirmed contortion content, while Vietnam’s À Ổ Show and Teh Dar offer bamboo-based contemporary circus.

Mongolia and Russia: Deep Traditions

Mongolia’s contortion heritage runs deep. In Ulaanbaatar, the Tumen Ekh National Song & Dance Ensemble features a female contortionist performing back bends, handstands, and mouth-grip pole acts. Twenty-nine Mongolian contortionists have performed with Cirque du Soleil since 1994, and the Mongolian Contortion Center in San Francisco, run by master teacher Serchmaa Byamba, offers ongoing training.

Russia’s three premier circuses all run major March productions. The Great Moscow State Circus performs throughout the month, the Nikulin Moscow Circus premieres an entirely new show on March 6, and the Bolshoi St. Petersburg State Circus hosts a lavish “Royal Circus” production through March 29.

Southern Hemisphere: Festival Season Peaks

The Adelaide Fringe Festival — the Southern Hemisphere’s largest arts festival — runs through March 22 and serves as the region’s circus epicentre. Key shows include Gravity & Other Myths’ “Ten Thousand Hours,” Cirquework’s “GASHA,” and Head First Acrobats’ “Elixir Revived.”

Both major New Zealand festivals feature Australian circus companies. The Auckland Arts Festival (March 5–22) presents Circa’s “Duck Pond” and Gravity & Other Myths at The Civic. Australian touring circuses including Stardust Circus, Silvers Circus, and Hudsons Circus round out the regional picture.

South America, At Sea, and Beyond

In Lima, Perú, Roni is performing independently and with El Salto Circo, bringing contortion to the South American stage. On the high seas, Thiago Miranda performs contortion acts aboard the AIDAstella cruise ship travelling Africa and the Mediterranean, while Arisa Meguro and Yuka Hata are both performing on separate cruise lines — a reminder that some of the world’s best contortion happens on the ocean.

Training and Workshops

March also offers contortion-specific training opportunities. The Circus Center in San Francisco runs a contortion intensive taught by Serchmaa Byamba, NECCA launches its spring session on March 16 in Vermont, and Circus Harmony in St. Louis operates with Mongolian Honored Artist Rosa Yagaantsetseg on staff. For virtual access, K-STAR Training Online runs live Mongolian contortion classes every Sunday, Ariana Contortion offers virtual studio classes, and CONTORTURE® provides online video courses.

The Big Picture

March 2026 reveals contortion as a truly global art form embedded across diverse performance traditions — from Mongolia’s national cultural heritage to China’s industrial-scale acrobatic infrastructure, Russia’s state circus system, and the Western contemporary circus circuit. Perhaps the most significant finding across all regions is that contortion rarely exists as a standalone event; it is overwhelmingly embedded within broader circus productions. That makes it all the more rewarding when you know exactly where to look.

The densest concentrations for contortion viewing this March are Las Vegas (at least six shows nightly), Shanghai and Beijing (ten or more permanent venues), Singapore (KOOZA), and London (Come Alive!). Wherever you are in the world, the art of extreme flexibility is closer than you think.

Performers to Follow This March

These contortion performers have confirmed they’re performing in March 2026. Follow them on Instagram to see their work and find upcoming shows.

• Tatiana — @celosia_contortion
• Yuka Hata — @_yuko.hata
• Arisa Meguro — @arisacontortion
• Jordan McKnight — @jordancontortion
• Aleksandr Batuev — @alexander_batuev
• Philipp Tigris — @philipp.tigris
• Nikita Gergert — @nikdotrick
• K. Juma — @hussein_yoga
• Contortion Sisters — @contortionsisters
• Ryan Yeomans — @ryanyeomans
• Roni — @roniradical
• Maxim Voronin — @magiccircusmax
• Thiago Miranda — @thiagocontorsion
• Sudi Salumu — @sudi_salumu
• Toria Summerville — @flexy_t
• Jatta Borg — @jattaborg

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