Ticket Sales for Paid Performances Now Open!

Get ready for one of the most spectacular cultural events in Poland — Carnaval Sztukmistrzów 2025! This year’s edition takes place from 24–27 July, once again transforming Lublin into the capital of contemporary circus arts. Alongside numerous free events, the festival will feature exceptional ticketed shows and special performances.

Tickets are now available at carnavallublin.eu and stage24.pl.

“We’re thrilled to once again invite audiences into the world of top-tier contemporary circus. We’re confident that the performances selected for this year’s Carnaval Sztukmistrzów will spark wonder and surprise in viewers. These remarkable shows will take place across multiple venues — including the Old Theatre, a circus tent on the Błonia meadows by Lublin Castle, and the Cultural Centre,”
says Iwona Kornet, Festival Director.

This year, Carnaval’s visitors can look forward to the following paid events:

Gabriela Muñoz | Julieta
MEX / 60 min / 12+ / non-verbal
#clowning #physical theatre

“Julieta” is the story of one woman — one-of-a-kind, absolutely unrepeatable — who’s made it through life with a suitcase of emotions, a bag full of quirks, and a backpack bursting with experiences!

This is a wild, wordless ride of a show — packed with facial expressions, bold gestures, and twists you won’t see coming. A one-woman physical theatre piece that playfully and gracefully explores the clash between youth and old age.

lieta, bursting with wit and an infectious zest for life, welcomes us into her tiny flat — her own personal universe. In her everyday rituals, we witness the many chapters of a life, unfolding, transforming, and sometimes distorting like a funhouse mirror that’s seen it all, and sighs before it squeaks. As her world morphs into a mirrored maze of memories, Julieta doesn’t panic. She keeps dancing.

Inspired by the life of Gabriela Muñoz’s great-aunt, Julieta isn’t just a performance — it’s a full-throttle ode to life. Unfiltered. Unpaused. With a stomp and a smile!

Show times

25 July 2025, 18.30 | The Old Theatre – Jezuicka 18

26 July 2025, 17.30 | The Old Theatre – Jezuicka 18

27 July 2025, 18.00 | The Old Theatre – Jezuicka 18

My!Laika | Winter
FRA / 75 min / 8+ / English
#acrobatics #juggling #aerial #equilibristics #live music

Step into a surreal, crumbling museum where songs, circus, and strange characters guide you through a poetic meditation on time, loss, and the melting point of ice cream.

A thousand stories drift and intertwine in the piano room. In this phantasmagoria of abandonment, time unravels erratically among dust-covered collapses. Centuries can pass in a moment — and here we are, amidst the ruins of an old museum, where strange figures wander through overlapping tales.

It’s an avalanche of images, slow and relentless, flowing toward the cold conclusion of an inner winter.

Ontological musings on death, climate, and the texture of a Calippo ice cream carry both audience and performers on a surreal journey — one that unfolds through layered characters, unexpected songs, and delicate circus feats.

Showtimes

July 24, 2025 – 21.00 | Błonia near the Castle
July 25, 2025 – 21.00 | Błonia near the Castle
July 26, 2025 – 21.00 | Błonia near the Castle
July 27, 2025 – 21.00 | Błonia near the Castle

Art For Rainy Days | How A Spiral Works
LTU/LVA/GBR / 50 min / 10+ / non-verbal
#aerial #acrobatic rope #hairhanging 

Aerial dance meets emotional storytelling in this hypnotic duet about tenderness and resilience.

When chaos reigns, what does it mean to care for ourselves — to truly connect with others? How does compassion manifest in the eye of the storm, or when pain becomes part of who we are?

In an intimate duet of dancer, aerialist, and single rope, a visceral relationship unfolds, woven from trust, resistance, and release. Their bodies intertwine in a spiraling choreography of suspension and surrender—a physical and emotional helix of profound connection.

“How a Spiral Works”  blends hair hanging, aerial acrobatics, contemporary dance, and haunting reinterpretations of Baltic folk songs. It is a poetic act of care and defiance –  visually arresting, emotionally stirring and deeply human.

Created by British director Jason Dupree, Latvian choreographer Alise Madara Bokaldere, and Lithuanian aerialist Izabele Kuzelyte, this debut collaboration resonates powerfully within the contemporary performance landscape.

Presented at Carnaval Sztukmistrzów as part of Baltic Circus on the Road, a project coordinated by Rīgas Cirks (Latvia) and supported by the Baltic Culture Fund.

Showtimes

26 July 2025, 19.00 | Centre for Culture in Lublin
27 July 2025, 16.00 | Centre for Culture in Lublin

Teatronas | Itch
LTU / 50 min / 12+ / English
#juggling#acrobatics #aerial #physical theatre

The modern scramble of haste, isolation, conflict, and the relentless pursuit of success often conceals a profound fear of death. This underlying terror is the core inspiration for Itch, a powerful stage production that fuses contemporary circus and theatre. Drawing from psychotherapist Irvin D. Yalom’s Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death—a book that examines mortality through literature, philosophy, and his patients’ lives—Itch offers a raw exploration of this fundamental human anxiety.

Catch Itch at Carnaval Sztukmistrzów, presented as part of Baltic Circus on the Road, a project coordinated by Rīgas Cirks (Latvia) and supported by the Baltic Culture Fund.

Showtimes
24 July 2025, 19.00 | Centre for Culture – performance hall
25 July 2025, 17.00 | Centre for Culture – performance hall

Kolektyw Kejos | No Yes You
POL / 50 min / 10+ / Polish
#clowning #physical theatre #dance #live music

No Yes You is a circus-theatre performance rooted in contemporary clowning, where each character is shaped by the personal traits, quirks, dreams and life experiences of the actors.

Three performers set out to deliver a flawless, highbrow show… but the universe has other plans. One mistake snowballs into another, and suddenly we’re deep in a delicious storm of mishaps, misunderstandings, and misfired tricks. What should be a polished spectacle becomes a gloriously imperfect mess — and that’s when the magic really begins.

Part improv, part choreography, part sheer chaos, No Yes You is always evolving — shaped by audience reactions and fuelled by unpredictability. It’s a whirlwind of clowning, physical comedy, surprsing choreography and live music.

Behind the flops and fumbles lies something sneakily profound: a glimpse into big emotions,  tensions, and the tricky business of being human. As roles crack and real feelings peek through, we’re reminded that falling apart — with flair — can be its own kind of triumph.

No Yes You celebrates failure with flair and invites you to do the same.

Showtimes

 July 24, 2025 – 17.00 | Centre for Culture – the Black Room
July 25, 2025 – 20.00 | Centre for Culture – the Black Room
July 26, 2025 –  16.00 | Centre for Culture – the Black Room

About tickets

Early Bird Savings (Until June 30th): You can snag promotional prices for shows at the Centre for Culture and under the big top in Błonia until June 30th.

• Reduced: 40 PLN
• Regular: 50 PLN

Old Theatre Seating & Pricing (Pre-sale): Performances at the Old Theatre have four pricing tiers, with pre-sale prices currently available:

• Full Visibility: 65 PLN (reduced) / 80 PLN (regular)
• Limited Visibility: 50 PLN (reduced) / 60 PLN (regular)
• Very Limited Visibility: 40 PLN (reduced) / 50 PLN (regular)
• Standing Room (Full View): 30 PLN (reduced) / 40 PLN (regular)

Who Qualifies for Reduced Tickets? Reduced tickets are available for students, schoolchildren, seniors (65+), pensioners, and people with disabilities. Remember to bring a valid ID confirming your eligibility, as you might be asked to show it at the entrance.

Price Increase Alert! Starting July 1st, most ticket categories will see a 10 PLN price increase. The only exception is the Old Theatre, where “Limited Visibility” regular tickets will increase by 20 PLN, and reduced “Limited Visibility” tickets will increase by 15 PLN.

Don’t Wait – Book Now! Tickets are limited, so we highly recommend booking your seats soon to avoid disappointment!

Purchase your tickets online at:

• carnavallublin.eu
• stage24.pl

Details

Carnaval Sztukmistrzów
24-27 July 2025
Old Town and Błonia near the Castle
Admission free. Selected events require tickets