Clown&Clown Festival
The International Festival of Clownerie and Clown Therapy in the City of Smiles
About Clown&Clown
A Village That Becomes the City of Smiles
The Clown&Clown Festival is one of the most recognizable events in the Marche region dedicated to circus arts and laughter. It takes place in Monte San Giusto, a hilltop village in the Province of Macerata, in the heart of Le Marche, which for the occasion renames itself the City of Smiles: the facades, gates, and views of the historic centre are decorated with the theme, while a giant red nose even appears on the bell tower. It is a metamorphosis that involves the entire town and its inhabitants.
Clownerie, Contemporary Circus, and Street Theatre
The event, subtitled International Festival of Clownerie and Clown Therapy, brings street artists, jugglers, acrobats, circus performers, musicians, magicians, and clown doctors to the squares, alongside nationally and internationally renowned guests. The programme alternates between street performances, major evening events, concerts, workshops, conferences, exhibitions, and book presentations, in a packed schedule that animates the village from morning until late at night.
A Festival with a Social Soul
What distinguishes the Clown&Clown Festival is its solidarity dimension: alongside the artistic component, the festival develops clown therapy projects and training courses for schools, nursing homes, socio-health facilities, and third-sector organizations. In recent editions, the event has collaborated with ANFFAS Macerata for the inclusion of people with disabilities, with the Anni Azzurri nursing home in Montecosaro, and with the Paediatrics department of the Macerata hospital through the clown doctor project. It is no coincidence that the festival awards the Il Clown nel Cuore (The Clown in the Heart) prize every year, recognizing those who have brought smiles beyond the stage.
The Takimiri Prize and Clown Factor
The competitive heart of the festival is the Takimiri Prize "a life for the circus", dedicated to the historic Takimiri clown family, combined with the Clown Factor contest for emerging artists in contemporary circus and clownerie. After a selection process, the finalists compete live in front of a jury of experts and the public, culminating in the announcement of the winner.
The Origins
The festival was born in 2005 from an idea by the Mabò Band and is now organized by the Ente Clown&Clown APS. In two decades, it has become a benchmark for clown art in Italy, capable of uniting quality entertainment, training, and social commitment in one great village event.
Clown&Clown — edition 2026
The 22nd edition of the Clown&Clown Festival returns to Monte San Giusto from October 1st to 4th, 2026, transforming the village into the City of Smiles once again.
The competitive structure of the festival is currently confirmed: the Clown Factor 2026 contest features the live performances of the finalists on October 1st and 2nd, with the final of the XVI Takimiri Prize "a life for the circus" on October 3rd, before a jury of experts and the public. Applications for the contest, aimed at emerging artists in contemporary circus and clownerie, are open until June 30th, 2026.
As tradition dictates, alongside the competition, the festival will offer shows of clownerie, contemporary circus, and street theatre, major public events, concerts, workshops, conferences, and clown therapy projects. The detailed programme with artists and schedules will be published on the official website clowneclown.org in the weeks leading up to the event.
Programme Clown&Clown 2026
The complete artistic programme for the 2026 edition (artists, street performances, concerts, and workshops) will be announced by the organization in the weeks preceding the event. The competition stages are already defined:
- October 1-2 — Clown Factor 2026: live performances by the finalists of the contest dedicated to emerging artists in contemporary circus and clownerie.
- October 3 — Final of the XVI Takimiri Prize "a life for the circus" with the announcement of the winner before a jury of experts and the public.
- October 4 — Closing day with performances, public events, and awards ceremony in the City of Smiles.
Applications for Clown Factor are open until June 30th, 2026 via the online form on clowneclown.org or at the email address [email protected].
Highlights Clown&Clown 2026
- XVI Takimiri Prize "a life for the circus" and Clown Factor 2026 contest for emerging artists.
- The village of Monte San Giusto transformed into the City of Smiles.
- Shows of clownerie, contemporary circus, and street theatre, with clown therapy projects.
Prices Clown&Clown 2026
Practical information — Clown&Clown
How to Get There
Monte San Giusto is located in the hinterland of the Province of Macerata. By car, it can be reached from the SS77 della Val di Chienti, exit for Corridonia/Monte San Giusto; by train, the reference station is Civitanova Marche-Montegranaro on the Adriatic line, from which you can continue by bus or car to the village. The nearest airport is Ancona-Falconara.
Tickets
Many of the street performances are free to enter; some evening events, shows at the Pala Cirkus, and workshops are ticketed, with tickets and passes available on-site or online. Prices and methods will be published on the official website clowneclown.org closer to the event.
Tips
It is advisable to wear comfortable shoes for moving around the historic centre and to arrive early on the main days. For those staying overnight, accommodation options extend to the nearby coastal municipalities (Civitanova Marche) and the Macerata hinterland.
Festival-goer photos
No photos yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Noticed an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Every proposal is verified by our team before publication.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community.
Where does it take place — Clown&Clown
Centro storico (Città del Sorriso)