Laughter has been echoing loudly beneath the red and gold canvas of the Fontvieille Big Top.
There, artists have been gathering for the 48ᵉ Festival International du Cirque de Monte-Carlo, a place where spectacle and soul waltz hand in hand. This edition also marked the 13th year of the New Generation competition, for young circus talents.
Prince Albert II, accompanied by Princess Stéphanie, Camille Gottlieb, and Louis and Marie Ducruet, presided over this flagship event of the Monegasque season.
Under their watchful gaze, the climax of this legendary festival unfolded in a gala shimmering with sequins, courage, and breath-stealing feats.
The Night of the Clowns and Stars
Imagine the hush as the master of ceremonies announces the coveted Clown d’Or, the circus equivalent of cinematic Oscars, and a constellation of extraordinary performers ascend to take centre ring. This is the festival’s highest honour for excellence in circus artistry, awarded this year to Angelina Richter, whose commanding equestrian act embodied the power, poetry, and precision that define Monte-Carlo’s greatest triumphs.
Golden Dreams Granted
Top honours were shared in a triumphant trio. Flying Fuentes Gasca, defied gravity with breathtaking aerial artistry. Angelina Richter, who with equestrian artistry blended elegance with raw power. And Troupe de Suining, a breathtaking trio of young acrobats whose contortions and energy earned them both Clown d’Or and Junior d’Or.
These champions enchanted every eye in the tent, each act a story spun from courage and grace.
Silver and Bronze
Beyond the gold, the night sparkled with silver and bronze luminaries. Silver Clowns went to dynamic ensembles like Troupe Kolfe, the duo Ilya & Regina with Zara, Troupe Dalian, Troupe Navas, and Ambra & Ives for their remarkable versatility.
Bronze Clowns honoured acts such as Angels of Mongolian Contortion, Troupe Nomuna, Hakuna Matata, Hermanos Reyes, and Joao Godinho, each weaving laughter and gasps in equal measure.
Special accolades and audience prizes lit up the festival’s vibrant constellation of talent, from the Junior Silver for Stefan Dvorak to the crowd-favourite charm of Duo Peperoni and Soery Dell’Acqua.
Yet More Prizes
COUPE EN MEMOIRE DE LA PRINCESSE ANTOINETTE ( for the youngest artist ) : Zara.
Prix du public, festival : Ilya & Regina
Prix du public, New generation : Duo Peperoni.
Prix du jury Junior International Monaco Asset Management : Troupe Dalian.
A Festival That Breathes Legacy
This glittering gathering isn’t just competition, it’s history in motion. Founded in 1974 by Prince Rainier III, carried forward by Princess Stéphanie, and now cherished around the globe, the Monte-Carlo Circus Festival is the beating heart of circus art, a place where tradition and innovation embrace beneath the big top. Princess Stéphanie continues to uphold the legacy of Prince Rainier III. For several decades, she has been personally committed to promoting circus arts in Monaco.
Young and old, veterans and newcomers alike, share the spotlight here, but all share the joy of storytelling through skill, whimsy, daring acrobatics, and timeless laughter. It’s a dance of colour, sound, wonder, and wonder-again.
As the festival continues its final performances through 26 January, audiences will have one last chance to drink from the well of astonishment, under a sky where every twirl, leap, and smile is a tribute to the magical world of the circus.
