Open Air Circus

Open Air Circus: contemporary circus at Parco delle Cascine

Open Air Circus is the open-air section of Cirk Fantastik!, the international contemporary circus festival that brings Florence to life every September. For a few days, Parco delle Cascine, the city's largest urban park, transforms into a true space of wonder, sharing, and discovery, where performance art meets nature. The event is promoted by Aria Network Culturale APS and takes place as part of the Estate Fiorentina, the major summer calendar of the City of Florence.

An inclusive formula featuring shows and workshops

The heart of Open Air Circus is the meeting of high artistic quality and accessibility for all ages. Alongside shows by guest companies, the section offers free creative workshops for children, where little ones create art using natural elements collected in the park, such as leaves, branches, and stones. There is no shortage of characteristic street performances, surprise interventions, and installations that map out a path of discovery among the tree-lined avenues of the Cascine.

National and international companies

The program brings together Italian and foreign artists and companies of the new circus. Notable names from recent editions include Circo Madera, Circo Bottoni, and Bottega Imata, as well as Duo Bao and the artistic collaboration between Nicanor Cancellieri and David Bianchi. The festival champions so-called "creation circus," where acrobatic technique is not an end in itself but becomes a tool for scenic dramaturgy, intertwining with theater, dance, and live music.

Cirk Fantastik!, a Florentine story

Open Air Circus was born in the wake of Cirk Fantastik!, a festival active in Florence since 2010 and structured since 2014 around the Aria Network Culturale association. The event, which presents about sixty productions each year—including both paid and free shows—and attracts tens of thousands of spectators, has become a benchmark for contemporary circus in Tuscany and Italy, supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Tuscany Region, the Metropolitan City of Florence, and the Fondazione CR Firenze.

Why experience Open Air Circus

• Free and ticketed contemporary circus shows immersed in the greenery of Parco delle Cascine.
• Free creative workshops designed for children and families.
• Leading Italian and international companies and artists.
• An accessible and convivial experience in the heart of Florence, Tuscany.