Summer Circus in Quebec and Canada
En Piste offers a sneak peek at around fifty Quebec companies that will be performing across the territory during the summer of 2024. In addition to those in Quebec, several activities elsewhere in Canada will feature circus performances during the summer season: indoors, in amphitheaters, under big tops, in urban gardens, on streets, in parks, in forests, by the Saint Lawrence River or the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The circus arts will also come to you in vans, on bicycles, in trucks, carts, school buses, food trucks, RVs, or even fire trucks. Be sure to join in!
Season Starts in June
From June 7 to 20, Théâtre jeunesse Les Gros Becs in Quebec City will feature "À deux roues la vie" by DynamO Théâtre.
In the Montreal area, "NoVa", a recent creation by Les Foutoukours, will play at Théâtre Belcourt on June 21 before heading to the Fringe of Edinburgh. The Festival de Cirque Vaudreuil-Dorion will take place on June 21, 22, and 23. Additionally, several circus artists and companies will perform at the Branle-Bas d'Hochelaga 2024 from June 28 to 30, including Gadbike, Le Patin Libre, and Kikasse.
For the Whole Family, All Summer
From June 7 to the end of August, FLIP Fabrique will tour Quebec with their "Tournée des 400 coups", which also features the yellow school bus from "Vacances". In June and July, Les Sœurs Kif-kif will perform in a dozen cities, starting in Saint-Casimir on June 15. Until September, the Le Gros Orteil company will tour a dozen shows throughout the province. Kikasse will take his astonishing circus truck to a dozen cities, from Chambly to Chambord. With their poetic street arts, Toxique Trottoir will give more than twenty performances of "Arbracadabra" throughout the summer, mainly in the Montreal area. Collectif 4237 will bring their circus squad to several Montreal boroughs, as well as to Val-d'Or on June 23, Stoneham on August 17, and Laval on September 1.
Through its cultural hubs and parks, the City of Montreal will feature various circus companies all summer long, from early June to late August, including Duo Hoops, M. Gazon, L'Aubergine, Kalabanté, Les Débalancés, Acting for Climate Montreal, ÉcH2Osystème, and the neighborhood tour during the MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE festival.
Until August 23, Cirque du Soleil welcomes the public under its big top in the Old Port for "Kurios". Their tribute to Rock et Belles Oreilles, "The Cirque", runs from July 17 to August 17 at the Amphithéâtre Cogeco in Trois-Rivières. The world-renowned company will also be in Gatineau with "Echo" from August 17 to September 22.
Cirque de Paris will give 70 scheduled performances in nine Quebec cities until August 4. Directed by Anoushka Bouglione, this traditional, family-run circus, which features no animals, includes seventh-generation acrobats in its European troupe.
Returning from Vancouver, Cirque Alfonse will be back home with "Barbu" for their festival La Bastringue in Joliette from June 28 to 30. Highlights include the inimitable Jerry Tremblay, Le Gros Orteil, Le Monastère, and Marguerite à bicyclette. This latter company, winner of the Jury Prize and Public Prize from Télé-Québec, at the Grand Prix des arts de Montréal as well as CAM on tour, will present "La crinoline aux chapeaux" in several parks and streets of the metropolitan area until September.
New this year, from June to September, a quartet of acrobats will perform the aerial ballet "Là Haut" at Mont-Blanc in the Laurentians. This unique experience inside a forest observation tower is a collaboration between Vague de Cirque and Sentier des Cimes.
Starting in July
By the river in Saint-Germain-de-Kamouraska, Cirque de la Pointe-Sèche presents "L'Étranger" from July 4 to September 1, in a spectacular natural setting. Further up the St. Lawrence toward the sea is the Festival de Cirque des Îles, from July 18 to 24. The event features Cirque Alfonse's cabaret "Barbu" and Le Gros Orteil's "Les Voisines" under the big top in Cap-aux-Meules. On the festival's open-air site, Fake Blue Collective will present "Rien d'inclus".
Elsewhere in the province, Les Deux de Pique will be in Gatineau from July 11 to 13 with the "Famille GoldenCrust". In Estrie, from July 11 to 14, ShazamFest hosts its neo-vaudeville festival in Ayer’s Cliff, featuring an informal Carmagnole collective throughout the weekend. Don't miss the "Majestic Cabaret" at Théâtre Palace in Saguenay from July 18 to 27, showcasing circus and puppetry virtuosos. "Éclats" by Les 7 doigts de la main returns this time to Mont-Tremblant, from July 24 to September 2.
In the metropolis, Cirque Éloize brings us "Bon Voyage" from July 3 to August 12 at the company's former Gare Dalhousie studios. Cirque Kalabanté will be at Nuits d'Afrique on July 10 and in Rivière-des-Prairies on July 13.
Impossible Is Not Circus
The MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE festival celebrates its fifteenth anniversary from July 4 to 14, featuring "Smashed2" by the British company Gandini Juggling in TOHU's circular hall, followed by "Duck Pond" by the Australian company Circa, and "Play Dead" by the young Montreal-based collective People Watching. Under TOHU's Big Top, Three Legged Race Productions from the UK, Parallel Exit from the USA, and Les Foutoukours from Quebec will present their shows, while the Studio-Cabaret at Espace St-Denis will offer encore performances of Cirque Alfonse's "Barbu", Briefs Factory's "Dirty Laundry" (Australia), and, for the whole family, Le Gros Orteil's "Le Bibliothécaire".
Faithful festival partners La Chapelle Scènes Contemporaines propose off-the-beaten-path evenings with "L'Autre Cirque," while Le Monastère will amaze with its "Cabaret du Jugement Dernier." Among other activities, Cirque Hors Piste will celebrate with its Carnival of Social Circus at Émilie-Gamelin Park and the Marché International du Cirque Contemporain (MICC) will showcase its many facets, from the GÉANTE at Place Ville-Marie to the CIRQU'EASY family zone in the Latin Quarter, and "Show devant" at the Old Port of Montreal with an original performance by the Intervention Art Truck (CIA).
Where to Go in August and September
In Montreal, the urban cabaret "Carmagnole at Gamelin" will be held on Tuesday, August 13, at Jardins Gamelin. Then it is off to la TOHU for the Week-ends aériens . Don't forget to visit the charming alleys of Rosemont and other Montreal neighborhoods, as the Ruelle Arts Festival (FAR) will take place from August 26 to September 8.
The Laurentians Circus Festival returns to Val-David from August 21 to 25, featuring, among others, FLIP Fabrique's "Vacances". Acting for Climate Montreal will visit Quebec City on August 24 and Blainville on September 22.
At the Chapö International Public Performers Festival in Mascouche on September 15, 16, and 17, you can see the Grand Cirque de Ryu, Nacho Con Salsa, Les Belles Époques, the Grand Alexandre, as well as the joyful "Geek Quest" by Throw 2 Catch, which will also be in Brossard on July 10 and on Mont-Royal Avenue in Montreal on July 13. Circus shows will be featured at the end of September's Mauricie Arts Vivants Festival (MAV), from September 19 to 22.
Elsewhere in Canada
Here's a brief overview of circus performances in various other provinces of Canada, from east to west.
Cirque du Soleil shines in New Brunswick with "Corteo", in Moncton from June 13 to 16. In Ontario, "Echo" will be in Toronto until August 4. The Royal Canadian International Circus will tour from Edmonton to Burlington, from June to September.
On the West Coast, Cirque Alfonse presents "Barbu" at The Cultch from June 12 to 23. CircusWest celebrates its 40th anniversary with "I Love Circus Cabaret", on June 16 in Vancouver. The extravagant "Sweet Tooth Burlesque Revue's Circus Extravaganza" will be presented on June 27 at The Queens in Nanaimo.
Still in the West, the Alberta Circus Arts Festival kicks off on June 20 in Edmonton with the Firefly Theatre & Circus cabaret. It continues with the duo Loco-Motion, the group Liminal, Agathe and Adrien, Les Deux de Pique, Acting for Climate Montreal, and several workshops and training activities are also scheduled. The Deux de Pique's "Famille GoldenCrust" will also be seen in Calgary on June 28 and 29.
In Ontario, the friendly Femmes du Feu will be active in the Toronto area all summer. A favorite event for circus enthusiasts, the Toronto International BuskerFest will take over the streets of the Queen City from August 30 to September 2. Throughout the summer, FLIP Fabrique will present "Vacances" and "La tournée des 400 coups" in Ontario, in Ottawa, Toronto, and Mississauga. Circus artists will also perform at the Ottawa Fringe from June 13 to 23, and the Toronto Fringe Festival from July 3 to 14.
In the Maritimes, the Halifax & Dartmouth Buskers Festival will be held from June 31 to August 5, and the Halifax Fringe Festival is also one to watch. FLIP Fabrique will present "Vacances" during the World Acadian Congress in Pointe-de-l'Église on August 10. Halifax Circus will offer various performances throughout Nova Scotia all summer long, and its Maritime Circus Festival is scheduled for September.
In Newfoundland, the Arts and Culture Center (ACC) in St. John's presents "Off Balance" by Wonderbolt Productions on June 23. The St. John's International CircusFest returns from September 19 to 22 with training activities, panel discussions, and several shows.
From coast to coast, circus enthusiasts and the general public will have their fill of unforgettable moments during the beautiful season. All these amazing circus shows are just waiting for you! Keep an eye on the websites and social media of circus companies and your favorite event schedules. Enjoy the summer circus season!