Compete at the 11th Hückelhoven Circus Festival !

Zirkus Pepperoni Hückelhoven invites amateur circus groups from all over Germany and abroad to join their competition in the big top. Be part of it!

About the festival competition :

The Hückelhoven Zirkus Festival is a competition which will be held in the Casselly’s big top in Hückelhoven (DEU), from 8th to 10th October 2025. Participants should arrive one day in advance, on October 7th.

An expert jury decides which acts will be presented in the final gala show. Your show/act will be presented once in the competition and – if chosen – in the final gala show.

Between shows and rehearsals the participants have the chance to improve their skills in workshops and make friends with other circus maniacs.

Conditions of participation:

Free accommodation is offered in our gyms. You will need a camping mat and a sleeping bag. Alternative accommodation (at your own cost) can be provided if available.

A local catering service provides the meals. Due to the current situation we can only estimate costs per person (about 50-60 euros for 3,5 days).

As we are a non-profit organisation, we cannot cover any travel expenses.

The ring has a diameter of about 8m and a wooden floor (unicycle acts are possible). We do not have a dance floor.

It is possible to rig Chinese Poles and we have a motor winch for aerial acts. A mat for aerial acts is compulsory! Mats are provided, of course.

Participation criteria:

If you are a member of either a school circus club or a circus project and still attending school (or finish school in 2025), the festival is for you! The number of participants/acts/shows allowed in the festival depends on the duration of the shows/acts that apply.

Older performers will be accepted if they are essential for a show, but please note that these acts will be excluded from the competition. All in all, there should not be more than three older performers per complete show. We are sorry, but professional artists cannot compete, as our festival is for amateurs only.

Registration & selection process:

You can download our entry form (document below) and register with either a complete show or a single act. Please, fill in this form and send a video (DVD, link etc.) of the acts/show you would like to present, as we will need to make a choice in case of too many applications.

Please, send a link to your application videos and your entry form to 11.zirkusfestival@zirkusfestival-hueckelhoven.de by 31 March 2025. All participants will be informed about a possible participation around the end of May.