HÀ NỘI — The Vietnam Circus Federation (VCF) enjoyed a strong first half of 2026, staging more than 200 performances for over 96,000 audience members and winning awards at several international festivals.

These included performances in remote areas as part of its public service mission, touring shows across provinces and cities, and regular performances at the Central Circus Theatre.

VCF has staged more than 200 performances since the beginning of this year. — Photo courtesy of VCF

The figures were announced at the federation's conference reviewing its performance in the first half of 2026 and outlining key tasks for the remainder of the year.

They underscore the VCF’s position as the country's leading circus company, highlighting its success in fulfilling its political and professional mandates while maintaining a steady performance schedule, fostering artistic creativity and promoting Vietnamese circus arts to audiences at home and abroad.

Alongside its performance activities, the VCF stepped up the creation of new artistic works.

As part of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's commissioned programme for 2026, the federation produced two new shows – Sơn Tinh – Thủy Tinh and Vietnam Cooking Show, choreographed eight new acts and upgraded two existing acts: stilt springboard acrobatics and a women's group foot-juggling performance.

VCF continues to position itself as the national leading circus company. — Photo courtesy of VCF

The federation also stepped up preparations for a series of events marking its 70th anniversary (1956–2026), intensified promotional efforts to raise the profile of Vietnamese circus arts and launched the I Love Vietnamese Circus Arts painting contest and the second Vietnamese Circus Arts photography competition.

The initiatives are aimed at fostering greater public appreciation of circus arts, particularly among the younger generation.

On the international stage, VCF artists continued to obtain impressive achievements. In the first half of 2026, they won a silver medal, a bronze medal and a Special Prize at the Golden Elephant International Circus Festival in Spain, as well as another silver medal at the International Circus Festival in Russia.

The accolades underscore the skill and creativity of Vietnamese circus artists while helping raise the international profile of the country's circus arts.

VCF Director, artist Tống Toàn Thắng, said the federation had largely fulfilled its assigned targets and tasks in the first half of 2026.

Compared with the same period last year, the number of performances rose by 45.96 per cent to 145.96 per cent of the 2025 level, reflecting the federation's success in expanding the scale and frequency of its performances.

Revenue, however, fell 6.56 per cent year-on-year to 93.44 per cent of the level recorded in the same period of 2025. The decline is primarily attributed to challenges in mobilising non-state funding, growing competition from private performing arts organisations and fluctuations in the live entertainment market.

E-tickets

As part of efforts to modernise ticketing services and improve the audience experience, the VCF has partnered with the Vietnam Multimedia Corporation (VTC) to transform xiecvietnam.vn into a dedicated online ticketing platform for performances at the Central Circus Theatre.

E-tickets to VCF's shows can be purchased at the website xiecvietnam.vn.  — Screenshot photo

The website enables audiences to browse performance schedules, select their preferred shows and purchase tickets online, eliminating the need to visit the box office or use multiple ticketing channels.

The platform offers a range of user-friendly features, allowing audiences to select seats from an interactive seating plan, purchase tickets online, make electronic payments, receive e-tickets in the form of QR codes, check in using the QR code upon arrival at the theatre, and manage their booking history through a personal account.

The integrated system streamlines ticket purchases, reduces reliance on paper tickets, minimises errors in ticket verification and enhances operational efficiency.

It also represents a step towards modernising ticket management by placing data and digital technology at the heart of daily operations, in line with the Politburo's Resolution 57 on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation.

"Many people see digital transformation as simply moving activities online. However, in the performing arts, the core values remain the quality of the productions, the talent of the artists and the emotions each performance evokes in the audience,” Thắng said.

“Technology does not change those values; rather, it serves as a bridge that enables the arts to reach audiences more effectively.

"An online ticketing platform not only shortens the time it takes to purchase tickets but also provides audiences with a seamless experience, from browsing programme information to taking their seats in the auditorium.

"This convenience is expected to encourage more people to attend live performances, particularly at a time when consumers increasingly favour digital services.

"From a management perspective, digitising the ticketing process also creates opportunities to harness data to better understand audience demand, programme preferences, ticket-purchasing patterns and repeat attendance.

"These insights will help arts organisations gradually improve their services and develop more effective communication and audience engagement strategies in the future."

Conquering international stage

The VCF has revealed that the act Đu Son (Aerial Music Key) will compete at the Almaty International Circus Festival 2026 in Kazakhstan, scheduled for late July.

The act Đu Son (Aerial Music Key) will compete at the Almaty International Circus Festival 2026. — Photo courtesy of VCF

The festival is one of Central Asia's most prestigious circus events. Taking place from July 22 to 26, this year's festival will bring together performers from around 20 countries and territories.

According to Thắng, the festival is a valuable opportunity for Vietnamese artists to demonstrate their skill and professionalism before a judging panel comprising renowned circus experts, directors, producers and arts administrators from across the world.

It will also provide an important platform for circus companies to expand their professional networks, secure international performance invitations, establish new partnerships and promote their acts to the global market, he added.

Competing at this year's festival, Đu Son will be performed in a new version by two female artists Hồng Thúy and Phạm Hướng, with a quicker tempo and a continuous flow of technically demanding routines that build sustained tension and keep audiences captivated from start to finish.

A highlight of the performance is the addition of two new technical elements, most notably the finale, in which the two artists hang, lift one another and spin through the air at high speed using only their hair.

The exceptionally rare technique in contemporary circus demands flawless synchronisation, immense strength, outstanding balance and unwavering composure on stage.

“Đu Son's strength lies in its universal performance language. Without relying on dialogue, the act captivates audiences through technical mastery, music, emotion and physical expression, making it accessible to people from different cultural backgrounds,” Thắng added.

“This also reflects the direction Vietnamese circus arts are taking as they are becoming more integrated into the international arena, with performances that transcend language barriers and connect with audiences around the world.”

The Đu Son act previously won the Gold Crown at the International Circus Festival in Russia in 2022. — VNS