Festival of Fools has been bringing top circus acts to Belfast from around the globe since 2004. A dazzling array of acts from Indian rope trick magician Isamuddin to Tanzanian acrobatic stars the Black Eagles, have joined with local artists for this world-renowned annual festival.
Held every May Day Bank Holiday, Festival of Fools was the brainchild of Will Chamberlain, the former Director of BCCS and is the highlight of the calendar year. It is a separate legal entity to Circusful and is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee. Yet it remains intimately connected to Circusful and is supported by local artists and the core team.
The festival provides inspiration and a public platform for Circusful’s Youth Circus groups who get exposure to the crème de la crème of circus and street theatre and a chance to perform alongside top artists.
Since 2017, Festival of Fools has hosted elements of a three-year Creative Europe programme called Mysteries and Drolls. It involves working in partnership with companies in Italy, Germany, Spain and Poland to explore the role of the ancient and anarchic jester and buffoon in contemporary circus and street theatre.