When Vietnamese Circus "Returns to Life"

On March 16th, the Vietnam Circus Federation surprised many by simultaneously announcing dozens of heavily invested performance programs and a planned trip to nearly a dozen prestigious international circus festivals around the world in 2026.

Having achieved great success on numerous international stages, Vietnamese circus has been invited to participate in the Monte Carlo Circus Festival.

People's Artist Tong Toan Thang, Director of the Vietnam Circus Federation, said that the Federation has just received an invitation to participate in the Monte Carlo World Circus Festival. This is one of the most prestigious and long-standing festivals in the world. Performing at this festival is a dream for the artists. The act planned for the festival is "Hat Swing" - a work that has brought the Federation many awards both domestically and internationally.

Sharing their joy with the artists of the Vietnam Circus Federation, many artists such as People's Artist Tam Chinh – former Director of the Vietnam Circus Federation; People's Artist Xuan Bac, Director of the Department of Performing Arts, all believe this is an opportunity and an honor for Vietnamese circus artists. People's Artist Xuan Bac said that the Monte Carlo World Circus Festival is one of the world's leading circus festivals. Previously, People's Artist Xuan Bac himself only saw them on television and videos. Those who perform at Monte Carlo are the world's leading talented artists, and the performances at this festival are also top-notch. Being immersed in the special atmosphere of the festival is a rare opportunity.

The act "Hat Swinging" has been invited to the Monte Carlo International Circus Festival.

According to People's Artist Tong Toan Thang, the Monte Carlo World Circus Festival is scheduled to take place in Monaco in 2027. Prior to that, throughout 2026, the Federation will send troupes of artists to participate in many prestigious festivals, including: the Girona International Circus Festival in Spain; The Princess Circus, IDOL World Circus Festival, Yakurt International Circus Festival in the Russian Federation; and the Ngo Kieu Circus Festival in China…

In 2025, the Vietnam Circus Federation achieved many successes in international circus festivals in Russia, Kazakhstan, and China, winning numerous awards and medals. The Federation identifies participation in international festivals as a top priority. Strengthening external relations, investing in the development of high-quality circus performances, promoting Vietnamese circus art, enhancing cultural exchange, and expanding international cooperation will contribute to raising the status of Vietnamese circus art internationally and promoting sustainable development in the coming period.

People's Artist Xuan Bac, Director of the Department of Performing Arts, and People's Artist Tong Toan Thang, Director of the Vietnam Circus Federation, presented awards to the artists who won prizes at the "Golden Elephant" International Circus Festival.

We staged and revamped nearly 30 programs, and performed almost 300 shows.

Also on March 16th, the Vietnam Circus Federation simultaneously announced dozens of performance programs throughout 2026. Accordingly, the Federation plans to organize approximately 280-300 performances at the Central Circus Theater. A highlight is the special artistic circus program commemorating the 70th anniversary of the Federation's founding – the Gala “Shining Stars of Vietnamese Circus”. Performances with socio- political themes include: “Celebrating the Party – Celebrating Spring”, “The People Are Our Faith”, “Horses on the Border”, “Vietnamese Spirit”, “A Ray of Peaceful Sunshine”, and “Hanoi – Where We Return”.

"Du Love" - ​​a highly award-winning international circus act - will continue to be performed for audiences both domestically and internationally.

Thematic art programs include "Youthful Aspirations" celebrating the founding day of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union on March 26th, "Mother 2" celebrating Vietnamese Women's Day on October 20th, "Green Dreams" celebrating Vietnamese Teachers' Day on November 20th, and "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" at the end of 2026. Specifically for children, there is the performance "Mountain God & Water Monster," and a series of programs celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival. There are also exchange, cooperation, and social programs such as the Three Regions Circus & Magic Gala, the World Circus Gala, etc.

According to People's Artist Tong Toan Thang, in 2026, the unit aims to stage and revamp approximately 20-25 programs and performances, focusing on works with artistic depth, harmoniously combining traditional circus with contemporary artistic elements, and gradually improving the quality of content and audience experience.

At the IONAH Performing Arts Center, the unit plans to organize approximately 30-50 performances per year, featuring entertaining and experiential artistic products catering to a diverse audience of adults, especially domestic and international tourists. This includes a series of regular performances with ticket sales both in-store and online, linked to tourism development, such as the plays "Tran Nhan Tong" and "The Words of Bamboo"; and entertainment shows combining circus acts with singing, dancing, music, and lighting technology. Through the operational model at the IONAH Performing Arts Center, the Vietnam Circus Federation aims to diversify its performance offerings, increase revenue, expand its audience, and create a space for experimenting with new artistic models, aligning with the development trends of the cultural industry.

The Vietnam Circus Federation exchanged information about the series of programs to be performed in 2026.

It is known that the Vietnam Circus Federation was once one of the public art units that faced many difficulties and struggled for many years. After many efforts, as the Director of the Department of Performing Arts, People's Artist Xuan Bac, noted, the Federation has now become one of the bright spots in the performing arts. People's Artist Tong Toan Thang and the Vietnam Circus Federation have taken very concrete and correct steps, from meeting with and inviting loyal customers, investors, and those interested in art in general, including circus art, to jointly invest in performances and development. This is a necessary proactive approach because the time when state-owned art units sat waiting to be called to perform is over. And the time when performing arts and state-owned art units were implicitly considered as units that only spent money to serve politics and the media is also over.

According to the Director of the Department of Performing Arts, culture is now placed on par with economics and politics. Culture is clearly defined as an intrinsic strength, a core foundation, and a guiding light for the nation. The role of culture, including performing arts, is extremely important in the development of the country. The Politburo has issued Resolution 80 on the development of Vietnamese culture. To implement this Resolution, the role of private entities and businesses in supporting and sponsoring the development of arts is crucial. Calling for the collaboration of businesses with art units, the People's Artist believes that this collaboration is not only necessary for circus arts but also for spoken drama, puppetry, Tuong, Cheo, Cai Luong, symphony, and many other art forms.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/Chuyen-dong-van-hoa/khi-xiec-viet-tro-minh-i799755/