The 14th February will witness the return of the magic that charmed audiences during the Opening Ceremony. For 5 weekends in a row at the Parco del Castello Tramontano in Matera, Circus+ will host performances that have never been seen in the South of Italy.

Over 10 circus companies and artists from Italy but also from Morocco, France, Turkey, Belgium, Germany, Japan and Kenya will bring the best of contemporary circus performances created in Europe to Matera.

Two circus tents, shows, get-togethers with artists, moments of discovery specifically catering to small children and all the magic of the Nouveau Cirque in its most innovative international expressions. It will be a journey to discover the universe of circus art divided into five parts, from traditional circus acts to the most visionary frontiers, following the thread of the five themes contained in the Matera 2019 bid-book. Each date focuses on a specific relationship between the theme, the artists’ poetic expression and the audience.

This is the magic of a circus that comes closer and closer to the world of the theatre and  dance, blending its own repertory with the repertory of the performing arts. The traditional forms are revisited, reaching surprising experimental accomplishments.  

The Matera 2019 Passport will enable holders to attend the many contemporary circus performances where top artists like Flavia Mastrella and Antonio Rezza, Phia Menard of the Compagnie Non Nova, Jörg Müller, Ziya Azazi and many more will take turns on stage.

Each day will be divided into two different programmes – one at the Grand Chapiteau where booking is required and the other at the Petit Chapiteau where entrance is free up to a maximum seating capacity of 250.

The Grand Chapiteau will host performances by theatre companies from 9pm to 10.30pm  from Thursday to Saturday and on Sundays from 7pm to 8.30pm.

The shows are all suitable for a range of spectators including small children, but the performances of "L’Après-midi d’un faune" on Wednesday 20th and Saturday 23rd at 5pm are especially meant for children, young people and families.

In order to attend all the performances at the Grand Chapiteau, you need to show your Matera 2019 Passport as well as your booking which will be considered valid until 15 minutes prior to the performance. No one will be admitted to the Chapiteau after the show has begun.

Performances may be booked online on the official Matera 2019 calendar of events and at the Info Point at 125 via Lucana in Matera. Every Thursday, it will be possible to book the shows of the following week.

To get a taste of contemporary circus art with the mini performances and live music gigs at the Petit Chapiteau, no bookings are required. "Palco Aperto – Circo in Pillola" ("Open Stage – Circus Capsules") is a space that will entertain all spectators on Thursdays and Fridays from 7pm to midnight, on Saturdays from 8pm to midnight and on Sundays from 5pm to 11pm. In addition, on Saturdays from 6pm to 8pm, spectators can watch the “CineCirco – Circo in pellicola” (“CineCircus – Circus Shows”) where films devoted to circus art will be shown.

Admission to Petit Chapiteau requires no booking, but the Passport Matera 2019 must be shown at the entrance.

In order to facilitate the purchase of the Matera 2019 Passport and bookings, during the Circus+ days, the Info Point on via Lucana will stay open one hour longer in the evening, until 9pm. It will be closed only from 1.30 to 2.30pm.  To cancel a booking, you may send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or come to the Info Point personally.

Check the official Matera 2019 calendar of events to discover all the Circus+ performances (see the special section).

Circus+ is realized in collaboration with Circostrada European Network and Circus Next European Label and supported by Embassy of France in Italy and Institut Français.