The Biennale Internationale des Arts du Cirque (BIAC) organised by Archaos, Pôle National Cirque in Marseille takes place every two years and is a massive celebration of contemporary circus. Spanning the whole Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region in the south of France and lasting a whole month, this Festival is a must on any circus lover’s must-visit list! The third edition has just ended and this year the Festival welcomed 114,300 members of the public to 62 cultural venues in Marseille and the surrounding towns that took part in hosting the Festival’s 66 shows. It’s as though the world of contemporary circus was brought to one place for us to revel in and discover all that this art form has to offer!

This year 650 circus and cultural professionals came together from all over the world to participate in the professional forum which lasted for a week at the end of January. The program consisted of round tables, guided visits of exhibitions, documentary films and of course visits to numerous different shows, all organised into itineraries that professionals could choose between according to their areas of interest. A rich exchange of ideas and opinions, this forum provides a meeting place and a platform for ...