For over 20 years, the Salzburg Winter Festival has been synonymous with contemporary circus. Each year, different companies perform in the Salzburg Volksgarten, creating an experience full of acrobatics, drama and humour.

In the 1960s, traditional circuses gradually lost their popularity. Audiences became increasingly concerned about the welfare of circus animals and sought other forms of entertainment, such as cinema films.

From traditional circus to contemporary circus

In response to this trend, a new genre of circus emerged in France in the 1970s under the name ‘Cirque Nouveau’: contemporary circus. The idea was to combine the acrobatics typical of the circus with live music, dance and performing arts. In short, the acrobatic performances that the artists perform in front of the audience should follow a narrative thread. This new genre was a resounding success and brought people back to the circus tents.

A plea for human tenacity

Every year, different companies present their new works at the Salzburg Winter Festival, the largest festival for contemporary circus in the German-speaking world. One of this year’s companies is ‘Akoreacro’. The artists come from the birthplace of contemporary circus: France. Their piece ‘Ostinato’ (English: persistent, tenacious) takes us on an entertaining journey through the history of our species.

From the time when people still wore animal skins as clothing and lived in caves to the hustle and bustle of today’s technology-dependent world: the 13 artists acrobatically embody the great weaknesses of humanity and its society. But they also humorously and artfully tell us what becomes possible when we overcome differences and work together. A plea for human tenacity, to which this piece owes its title.

This year, the Salzburg Winter Festival invites us to briefly escape everyday life and allows us to dream in the magic of contemporary circus.
Sebastian Brandstätter

Winterfest Salzburg, Volksgarten, 26 November 2025 to 6 January 2026. Tickets are available here.