When the fairy lights come on, the orchestra strikes up and the scent of popcorn and sawdust fills the tent, a single circle is all it takes to turn adults back into children. In autumn and advent, several circuses will be pitching their tents in Austria once again. Time to look back and chart a course forward.

A Circle, a Horse, an Idea

The origins of modern circus lie in London in 1768. There, former cavalry sergeant Philip Astley discovered that he maintained better balance riding on the back of a galloping horse if the animal moved in a circle. He opened a riding school near Westminster Bridge and marked out a round arena. Initially, he only showed riding skills. From 1770 onwards, a clown, musicians and other performers were added, and the mixture of riding, acrobatics and comedy was born.

The ring diameter also goes back to Astley. His first ring was around 19 metres wide. Later, a size of 13 metres became standard, which is still used in circus tents today. Astley even performed his tricks before the French King Louis XV. The riding ground thus became a business model that spread throughout Europe.

Roncalli: From Viennese Dream to Jubilee

Perhaps the most beautiful Austrian circus story begins in 1975. That's when Bernhard Paul, a graphic designer and art director at the magazine "profil", quit his well-paid job in Vienna and became a circus director. The native of Lilienfeld founded Circus Roncalli together with André Heller. The premiere took place on 18 May 1976 on the Bonn Hofgartenwiese, after just three months of preparation. According to dpa, Paul still remembers every detail of that day, even the smell of sawdust.

The start was bumpy. Shortly after the premiere, Paul and Heller argued over the concept, and Heller left the project. Then, according to reports, Swiss cabaret artist Emil Steinberger stepped in as a financial backer. From 1980 onwards, Paul ran the circus alone. His recipe was novel at the time: golden flourishes on the wagons, tailor-made costumes, a custom lighting concept and orchestral music. Added to this were poetry, nostalgia and a touch of absurdist theatre. Today Roncalli is animal-free and celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026.

The Jubilee Tour in Austria

The jubilee tour's Austrian leg began in Vienna, where Paul called City Hall Square his "home station". It then moved on to Innsbruck. The circus performs there until 8 November at the Olympiaworld outdoor venue (Olympiastraße 10). In its luggage is a 40-kilogramme bell cast at the Innsbruck Grassmayr bell foundry. It rings out before performances and has been travelling with the circus since April 2026. Lili Paul-Roncalli, the founder's youngest daughter, is also accompanying the entire Austrian tour.

Linz follows next. There, Circus-Theater Roncalli will be a guest from 13 November to 6 December 2026 at the Urfahraner market grounds. A total of 35 performances are scheduled, with the premiere on Friday, 13 November. On Saturdays, the show starts at 15:00 and 19:30. Tickets are available from 39 euros. According to venue information from Innsbruck, a performance lasts around two and a half hours including a 20-minute interval. The Innsbruck programme features performers including Housch Ma Housch, Professor Wacko, Kevinski, the duo Vitalys and the trio Rêve. You should check roncalli.de in advance to see if the Linz programme is the same.

Other Stops Until Christmas

Roncalli is not the only one on the road. Here's an overview of what we could confirm:

  • Circus Alex Kaiser, Vienna 21: The tent stands from 10 October to 15 November 2026 at Leopoldauer Straße / Katsushikastraße. Performances are Monday and Thursday at 17:00, Friday and Saturday at 15:00 and 19:00, and Sunday at 15:00. There are no shows on Tuesday and Wednesday.
  • Circus Aros, Eisenstadt: After its run in Mattersburg (until 1 November), the circus stops nearby Haidäckerpark from 6 to 15 November.
  • Cirque du Soleil "OVO", Graz: The arena show was most recently in Salzburg. A date of 29 October is listed for Graz in ticket portals.
  • Winterfest Salzburg: The festival for contemporary circus runs from 25 November 2026 to 6 January 2027 in Volksgarten. On offer are 75 performances across 35 performance days, plus guest performances at ARGEkultur. On 28 December, the Mildenburg Survival Orchestra performs in the Circus foyer.
  • Vorarlberg Christmas Circus, Hard: Event calendars list the start date as 12 December.

The Salzburg Christmas Circus is also a fixture of advent. The most recently published dates are from the previous season: it ran from 19 December 2025 to 6 January 2026 in Walserfeld. The dates for 2026 still need to be confirmed.

Animal-Free is New, Wonder Remains

Much is changing among the classics too. Circus Louis Knie, which the family continues to run in Austria, presented a completely animal-free programme for the first time in its history last summer in Vienna under the motto "100 % Human Performance". Performances included a slapstick troupe, straps, hula-hooping and roller-skate acrobatics. According to the tour schedule, the season ended in Bad Gastein (8 to 18 October). So the tent won't be expected in Austria during advent. The circus has thus come a long way from horses in circles, but not from wonder.

Practical Information

  • Roncalli Linz: 13 November to 6 December 2026, Urfahraner market grounds, tickets from 39 euros, bookable via roncalli.de or oeticket.
  • Roncalli Innsbruck: until 8 November, Olympiaworld, Olympiastraße 10.
  • Alex Kaiser Vienna 21: until 15 November, Leopoldauer Straße / Katsushikastraße.
  • Circus Aros Eisenstadt: 6 to 15 November, near Haidäckerpark.
  • Winterfest Salzburg: 25 November to 6 January, Volksgarten.

Tip: Arrive early, as weekend performances tend to be well attended. The tent and its surroundings are part of the experience.

Sources: www.roncalli.de, gerati.de, lasstreffen.at, www.roncalli.de, koeln.t-online.de, www.aachener-zeitung.de, de.wikipedia.org, www.britannica.com