vertigo Festival für zeitgenössischen Zirkus, Westbahnhof Leipzig, 12. - 14. Juni 2026

Festive opening of the VERTIGO Festival. Following this, the French company Zalataï will present the piece Bal(les).

“Bal(les)” is a poetic interplay between an acrobat and a juggler who draw closer to one another through and with their respective disciplines. With subtle humour, great precision and a keen eye for detail, a touching duet unfolds about encounter, trust and the fragile balance between closeness and distance.

Charlotte de la Bretèque and Alexander Koblikov founded Compagnie Zalataï in 2021, based in Angers, France.

Admission is free!
Donations are welcome at the end of the performance.

Since this is an outdoor event, please remember to bring sun or rain protection depending on the forecast. Feel free to bring your own chairs or blankets.

“Bal(les)” is a poetic interplay between an acrobat and a juggler who draw closer to one another through and with their respective disciplines. With subtle humour, great precision and a keen eye for detail, a touching duet unfolds about encounter, trust and the fragile balance between closeness and distance.

Charlotte de la Bretèque and Alexander Koblikov founded Compagnie Zalataï in 2021, based in Angers, France.

Admission is free!
Donations are welcome at the end of the performance.

Since this is an outdoor event, please remember to bring sun or rain protection depending on the forecast. Feel free to bring your own chairs or blankets.

In ha ha ha hi! a mediocre comedian attempts to tell a joke with a life-changing impact. However, he lacks the words or the right microphone setting for a real breakthrough. As he grapples with his shortcomings, he embraces absurdity, employing every tool at his disposal to create moments of comic folly.

The solo performance ha ha ha hi! blends dance, circus, physical comedy and object manipulation. It celebrates the art of joking, cheerful silliness, raw humor, comic chaos and the beauty of happy futility. It invites the audience into a world where minimalism meets eccentricity and playfull foolishness becomes profound.

With his newest solo performance Felix Baumann continues his work on the theme of "BODY, COMIC & MATERIAL" and devotes himself to humor as a choreographic, aesthetic and political tool of cultural practice.

The research that led to this project was funded by the Performing Arts Fund with support from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. The production was supported by LOFFT – DAS THEATER Leipzig, English Theatre Berlin | IPAC, Kulturraum GmbH Berlin, Chamäleon Berlin, Katapult Berlin, and Tollhaus Karlsruhe.

Admission is free!
Donations are welcome at the end of the performance.

Since this is an outdoor event, please remember to bring sun or rain protection depending on the forecast. Feel free to bring your own chairs or blankets.

German premiere!

"Tangled Up" is an hilarious, energetic show in which two circus artists bring their discipline to new heights and imagery. They fall (sometimes upwards) into irreverence and incredible acrobatics, yet also with poetic and mesmerising moments.

There will be a discussion following the performance.

Daniel (Spain) and Seraphim (Germany) developed a unique movement vocabulary as Company ALUD, drawing from partner acrobatics, dance and theatre.

Admission is free!
Donations are welcome at the end of the performance.

Since this is an outdoor event, please remember to bring sun or rain protection depending on the forecast. Feel free to bring your own chairs or blankets.

What would a festival be without an open stage?
VERTIGO is celebrating its premiere, and you have the chance to be part of it and perform on stage!

The Open Stage is a collaboration with Artisten Kombinat Leipzig and will be hosted by Andrea Baccomo, founder of the iconic open stage 7:77.

The participating artists will be listed here shortly.

Free admission! Donations accepted at the end of the performance.
No reservations accepted.

Since this is an outdoor event, please remember to bring sun or rain protection depending on the forecast. Feel free to bring your own chairs or blankets.