5.12.2024-26.1.2025
Winter Circus Fantasia
Amazing performances in fairy-tale settings – the enchanting winter circus adventure you have been longing to see!
Amazing performances in fairy-tale settings – the enchanting winter circus adventure you have been longing to see!
Take a plunge into a world full of fluffy fun and magic. Winter Circus Fantasia takes you to a mysterious reality with amazing performances by extremely skilled circus artists and dancers, including hula hoop, juggling and tightwire acts and acrobatics. The immersive atmosphere is completed by the live circus orchestra Cotton Candy Patrol. Artists from Finland and around the world!
This year, the Winter Circus celebrates its 30th anniversary. It has become an annual tradition that unites generations in many families. Each year’s show is a brand new experience – enjoy this year’s circus!
Direction: Sanna Silvennoinen
Composition and musical dramaturgy: Maija Ruuskanen
Choreography, director’s assistant: Jussi Väänänen
Set design: Tinja Salmi
Costume design: Mirkka Nyrhinen
Lighting design: Juho Rahijärvi
Sound design: Tatu Vanhatalo
Circus orchestra Hattarapartio: Helena Haaparanta, Joonas Kinnunen, Susanna Syrjäläinen
Ticket prices
Shows on weekdays Mon-Thu by price category A / B / C
Adult 38 € | 33 € | 26 €
Child (0–17 yrs) 25 € | 22 € | 18 €
Family package (2 adults and 2 children) 116 € | 100 € | 80 €
Pensioner 35 € | 30 € | 24 €
Discount ticket (student, unemployed, civil servant, conscript) 25 € | 22 € | 18
Theatre professional (max 2 tickets/card) 25 € | 22 € | 18 €
Shows Fri-Sun and public holidays by price category A / B / C
Adult 45 € | 39 € | 31 €
Child (0–17 yrs) 32 € | 28 € | 22 €
Family package (2 adults and 2 children) 132 € | 116 € | 92 €
Pensioner 41 € | 36 € | 29 €
Discount ticket (student, unemployed, civil servant, conscript) 32 € | 28 € | 22 €
Theatre professional (max 2 tickets/card) 32 € | 28 € | 22 €
Morning shows at 10 AM (duration approx. 1 h)
15 €
Delivery costs will not be added to the ticket price. The price is based on the time of the show and the location of the seats. Tickets can be purchased at the Hurjaruuth online shop or at the information point in the Glass Courtyard of the Cable Factory (Kaapeliaukio 3) during its opening hours.
Group tickets for school children are only available from Hurjaruuth Customer Service (Tue-Fri 12 am – 4 pm) 09 565 7250, liput(at)hurjaruuth.fi.
Tickets for assistants are free of charge. Tickets for wheelchair assistants are available online. Other assistance tickets are available from the Hurjaruuth customer service or the information desk in the Glass Courtyard.
More information on ticket sales.
Map of the stage
The stage is divided into three price categories. The different price categories are marked in different colors.
Category A: red
Category B: blue
Category C: green
Services
Coatroom: The Dance House Helsinki coatroom is located in the basement which is accessible through the Dance House lobby. An accessible coat stall is located in the Dance House lobby. NB! Our theatre is not responsible for any items or clothes left in the coatroom.
Refreshments: Intermission refreshments are available through Dance House Helsinki’s restaurant Traba. Bookings and more information here (in Finnish) or tanssin.talo@restel.fi, phone 041 731 6911.
Toilet facilities: Combined accessible toilet and childcare room as well as unisex toilets are located in the lobby.
Strollers: If possible, we recommend arriving to Winter Circus without strollers. If necessary, the personnel will guide you on where to store the strollers.
More on accessibility: The ground floor of Dance House Helsinki is accessible with no thresholds. There is wheelchair seating available in the front row of the Erkko Hall. The entire front row is accessible without stairs or thresholds. Please note that otherwise Erkko Hall’s auditorium is steep and contains stairs. Assistant seating free of charge. There is an induction loop available for those using a hearing aid.
Read more about Dance House Helsinki and accessibility.
Location and accessibility
Dance House Helsinki is located within the Cable Factory (Kaapeliaukio 3, Helsinki), a well-known cultural centre. Read more about how to get there.
Date
5.12.2024-26.1.2025
Duration
Approx. 2 h, incl. intermission; morning shows at 10 AM 1 h, no intermission
Tickets
26-45 € / 18-32 €
Venue
Erkko Hall, Dance House Helsinki
Suggested age
For all ages (3+)
Other
The show may include strong theatrical light and smoke effects. Viewers with sound sensitivity are advised to wear hearing protectors. The Erkko Hall’s auditorium is steep and contains stairs.
Please note that elements of danger are characteristic of circus performances. Therefore, it may be necessary to make some unannounced changes to the overall structure of the show for safety reasons.
Winter Circus, the warm-spirited show for the whole family, has been delighting viewers since 1994. It is an annual Christmas season tradition for many families, but it also reaches new audiences every year.
Many spectators remember these winter circus shows with nostalgic feelings: Vega, Tähti/Star, Taika/Magic, Kuusi/Spruce, Sirius, Nauru/Laughter, Lumi/Snow, Aika/Time, Poro/Reindeer, Valo/Light, Tuike/Sparkle, Sika/Pig, Nenä/Nose, Afrikka/Africa, Kosmos/Cosmos, Uni/Dream, Matkalla/Journey, Muisti/Memory, Play, Rakkaus/Love’, BAU, Vauhti/Speed, Ilo/Joy, Super…
Winter Circus has been both critically acclaimed and popular among audiences, and many have found a particular favourite among the numerous shows. The Winter Circus has received the Sirkuksen Lumo award, and in 2012, the leading Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat named Winter Circus Africa among “the tops of the year”, meaning it was one of the most memorable and touching art experiences of the year.
The masterminds behind the Winter Circus tradition are director/choreographer Arja Pettersson, who was Director General of Hurjaruuth until 2019, and her long-term work partner, costume designer Kirsi Manninen. Petterson has directed 18 out of the 27 Winter Circus shows, thus establishing the foothold of modern circus in Finland. Manninen created the look for such iconic characters as the Pig, the Elves with French fries for beards, the Rats, and many more. She worked in Winter Circus productions until 2014.
Winter Circus shows have also had visiting directors: Liisa Risu, Sanna Silvennoinen, Davide Giovanzana, Hannu Raatikainen and Maksim Komaro. The performances have featured hundreds of professional circus, dance, theatre and music artists from Finland and abroad.
Winter Circus has been a springboard for several Finnish circus artists, and renowned international artists have also been seen in the Winter Circus arena. Music for the shows has been played by several wonderful bands, such as Trio Bordurka, Cleaning Women, Nieminen ja Litmanen, Valtteri Pöyhönen, Petteri Rajanti, Peloton, Kuukumina, and Ninja Beat.
Many families come to see Winter Circus in groups of several generations: grandparents, parents and children. The show also attracts young people and groups of adults for workplace recreational events and Christmas parties, for example. Thanks to the non-verbal storyline, Winter Circus is accessible for everyone, including viewers who don’t know Finnish. Physical accessibility has also been taken into account, and there is room for spectators in wheelchairs.
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