Chinesischer Nationalcircus ZENsation - schedule, program & buy tickets

With “ZENsation,” the Chinese National Circus presents the most spectacular, emotional, and award-winning acts from nearly four decades of internationally successful tours.

Chinese acrobats have always embodied the unity of body, mind, and spirit. Over the past four decades, there has hardly been a circus festival of global significance that hasn’t awarded at least one of the top three spots to acrobats from China. With its current program, “ZENsation—China’s Grand Masters of Balance,” the Chinese National Circus aims to pay tribute to all those award-winning acts of the past with a “Best of Show” celebration.

The most beautiful, spectacular, and moving acrobatic acts of the past decades—reimagined by young talents from China’s finest circus schools. A collage of highlights from China’s 2,000-year history of circus, brought together in a new, emotionally charged show format.

No other form of artistic expression, aside from acrobatics, is better suited to embodying a core Chinese philosophical principle—such as the unity of body, mind, and soul—while simultaneously conveying it to an audience with precision.

It is precisely this art of acrobatics—Zájì, as it is called in Chinese—that has been celebrated and refined there with almost scientific meticulousness for over 2,000 years. It is therefore hardly surprising that China boasts the most technically skilled acrobats in the world—a fact that more than 15 million European spectators have witnessed firsthand over the past 35 years in the shows of the Chinese National Circus. The Chinese National Circus cultural label, first launched in 1989 by the Viennese multimedia artist André Heller, is a European initiative dedicated to bringing the extraordinary Chinese culture to a broad audience through its unique and spectacular acrobatics.

Raoul Schoregge, artistic director of the Chinese National Circus for the past 20 years, thus presents a masterpiece of acrobatics. Well staged, without too many frills—back to basics, back to the roots of the pure art of balance—poetic, philosophical, and physically brilliant. Sometimes it takes an outside impetus. The question was when we could once again celebrate together the poetic magic of Chinese acrobatics, the vibrant colors of the costumes, the mystical silence of concentration, and the mental strength of so many human wonders. And to be honest, the creative team itself sensed that the time was right. After years of pandemic-related restraint and global political upheaval, it wasn’t a given that the topic of China could be explored openly and on a grand scale. But art has never drawn boundaries. Art has overcome them. 

Under the title “ZENsation – China’s Grand Masters of Balance,” the best of 2,000 years of the Chinese National Circus will take the stage in 2027 at the finest theaters, halls, and arenas across our continent.

More emotional, poetic, and impressive than ever before! It is a fresh start, but also a homecoming. A new beginning that honors tradition while looking toward the future. 

Subject to change.