Montréal: a year-round circus hub
Leisure activities Culture, arts and heritage
Montréal is the circus hub of North America. The city is home to the National Circus School and many circus companies such as the Cirque du Soleil. Spectators enjoy taking in the circus arts year-round in Montréal.
National Circus School
Established in 1981, the Ecole nationale de cirque (National Circus School) enrolls more than 150 students from across Canada and around the world each year. The school trains creators, performing artists and educators, and offers preparatory training, its Circus and High School Studies program and postsecondary programs leading to a college diploma. A pioneer of the new circus in Canada and North America, the National Circus School has contributed to the emergence of many circus companies, the most renowned of which are Cirque du Soleil, Cirque Éloize and The 7 Fingers, all based in Montréal.
The city is also home to the École de cirque de Verdun.
Cité des arts du cirque
In 1999, major circus players in Montréal – Cirque du Soleil, the National Circus School and the En Piste circus arts national network – joined forces to build the Cité des arts du cirque with TOHU as its public venue. The Cité hosts the facilities of TOHU, Cirque du Soleil, the National Circus School and En Piste.
La TOHU
Since its inception in 2004, and located at the centre of the Cité des arts du cirque, TOHU is a unique hall in North America, with its 360-degree circular hall seating 1,200 spectators. TOHU is also home to a permanent exhibition chronicling the circus arts in Québec, from their inception in Montréal in 1796 to international stardom. TOHU promotes the global growth of Québec circus with its annual MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE festival.
MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE
Created in 2010, MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE is the first North American international festival dedicated to circus arts. Each July over 10 days, the festival presents circus shows and events in venues and parks, on streets and sidewalks throughout the city.
Famous Montréal circus companies
Here is a sampling of some well-known Montréal circus companies:
Founded in 1984, the Cirque du Soleil has multiple shows on tour around the globe, plus several productions in Las Vegas. The Cirque also presents a show under the Big Top in the Old Port of Montréal each spring and summer.
Since its inception in 1993, Cirque Éloize ranks among the world’s leading contemporary circuses, and its shows play in cities around the globe. Its head office and creative studio are in the historic Gare Dalhousie, the Old Montréal former railway station.
Founded in 2002, The 7 Fingers – also known by its French name “Les 7 doigts de la main”, which is sometimes shortened to “Les 7 Doigts” (The 7 Fingers) – has shows on tour around the world.
Montréal is the circus hub of North America.
No horsing around
Created in 2003 by Normand Latourelle – a pioneer of Cirque du Soleil from 1985 to 1990 – Cavalia reimagines the equestrian and theatrical arts with shows that feature horses as well as riders, acrobats, dancers and musicians. Cavalia’s Odysseo show is performed in the world’s largest touring tent called the Big White Top.
Le Monastère - Cabaret de Cirque
The non-profit Le Monastère hosts original circus cabaret evenings in their unique downtown performance space, a glorious 19th-century church adapted to present contemporary circus. Le Monastère showcases world-class circus artists performing original creations. In collaboration with MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE, Le Monastère presents the Cabaret du Jugement Dernier annually in July. Le Monastère also creates private shows tailored to the needs of corporate clients.
Montréal Circus Academy
The Montréal Circus Academy is the city’s leading recreational circus school, offering classes in flying trapeze, static trapeze, pole fitness, exotic pole dance, aerial hamac, silks, hoop, straps, handstands, flexibility, and more. Suitable for all levels and ages, the Academy welcomes beginners and professional acrobats alike.
Upcoming shows
In their state-of-the-art circular performance hall, La TOHU presents Paperplane, a theatrical, musical and circus journey about the circle of life, created by Québec’s Théatre Advienne que pourra. Runs April 10 to 21.
The eighth edition of the Festival des clowns de Montréal (Montréal Clown Festival) showcases high-calibre clown performances at various venues from April 4 to 12. Highlights include Old God starring Alec Jones-Trujillo from Las Vegas, at La Sotterenea (located in the basement of La Sala Rossa). Click here for the full program.
Inspired by hand-to-hand combat, Chita Project’s La chose en soi will be performed at the Maison de la culture Claude-Léveillée on April 10, and at the Maison de la culture Notre-Dame de Grâce on April 24.
At the Maison de la culture Janine-Sutto, you can see Altération by Kira Arts | Aly Keita, on April 16.
Le Monastère presents Le Jardin, a relaxing outdoor oasis in the heart of the city, with free evening shows (June 1 to September 30). Le Monastère also presents the cream of local contemporary circus artists in their Cabaret du Jugement Dernier, a circus competition showcasing acrobatics, juggling and aerial acrobatics (July 4 to 12).
Cirque du Soleil presents the return of LUZIA under the Big Top in the Old Port from May 15 to June 29, 2025. Tickets are now on sale.
Richard Burnett
Richard “Bugs” Burnett is a Canadian freelance writer, editor, journalist, blogger and columnist for alt-weeklies, mainstream and LGBTQ+ publications. Bugs also knows Montréal like a drag queen knows a cosmetics counter.