Vietnamese circus artists gather for a photo after the festival. Việt Nam's three acts won one silver, one bronze and one special award. — Photo bvhttdl.gov.vn

HÀ NỘI — Three performances by the Việt Nam Circus Federation (VNCF) have won top prizes at the Festival Internacional del Circ Elefant d'Or 2026, a world-renowned circus festival held in Girona, Spain.

This year, the four-day festival, known in English as the Golden Elephant International Circus Festival, brought together 75 circus artists and performers from 18 countries to present 24 outstanding selected acts.

The festival ended on Monday.

According to VNCF Director Tống Toàn Thắng, the award system includes three gold, three silver and three bronze prizes, as well as several special awards.

Việt Nam's three acts – Duo Love, Đu Nón (Conical Hat Swing) and Đế Kiếm Trên Đu (Sword Balancing on Swing) – won one silver, one bronze and one special award, respectively.

Duo Love was performed by Meritorious Artists Thanh Tuấn and Thu Hương. Đu Nón was presented by Meritorious Artist Lô Thúy along with artists Phạm Hướng, Hồng Thúy and Lưu Hường, while Đế kiếm Trên Đu was performed by Meritorious Artist Thu Hương and artist Thanh Bình.

The act Duo Love previously won a gold prize at the Almaty International Circus Festival 2025 in Kazakhstan and a silver prize at the Without Borders International Festival of Circus Arts in Russia.

Returning to the Golden Elephant International Circus Festival this year, the act was staged with many creative innovations to better suit the nature of the competition. Meritorious Artist Thu Hương performed the hair-hanging technique, suspending Meritorious Artist Thanh Tuấn below, creating a highly difficult, dramatic performance that made a strong impression on the judges and audience.

Another impressive act, Đu Nón is a conical hat dance featuring the iconic Vietnamese conical hat, a symbol of Việt Nam's culture. As the female performers appeared, holding the hats and performing graceful movements before unexpectedly transitioning to high-flying acrobatic stunts, the audience was truly surprised by the combination of traditional elements and modern circus art.

Thắng said the results not only confirmed the talent and creativity of Vietnamese artists, but also reflected the federation’s sustained efforts to integrate internationally and approach world-class circus standards.

He noted that participating in and winning major prizes at the festival enhanced the standing and prestige of Vietnamese circus acts on the international stage, while opening up new opportunities for cooperation, exchanges and long-term performance contracts in the European market.

Immediately after the festival, the federation received several partnership invitations from international circus troupes. Duo Love has been offered a one-year performance contract with Circus Roncalli, one of Europe’s most renowned companies in the field. The two remaining acts have also been invited to take part in an international circus festival in Kazakhstan in September. VNS