The tents are up, the performers are ready and Karnidale, the home of the WA Circus Festival, is sporting some brand new facilities ahead of this weekend’s annual circus celebration.
According to festival director and Lunar Circus head honcho Matt ‘Fatso’ Yates, this year’s festival will be one to remember, with a line up of world class performers from across the globe.
“Along with an incredible line up of circus and cabaret performers, we have 14 bands this year so there is a variety of acts that people can come and see, and we have the bar with Bootleg Brewery specially brewed ‘Lunar Lager’ on offer,” Yates said.
The purpose-built circus venue comes alive each summer with the Lunar Circus Summer School leading into the festival weekend, which brings crowds of families from around the country to camp and enjoy the programme of events.
This year, the festival has enjoyed a re-brand, a hat tip to the circus ‘family’.
“The rebranding is a long standing reference to the students at training being called ‘Carni’s’,” explained Yates.
“Carni’s are carnival performers basically and the kids that started training over a decade ago and are now international performers.
“The festival has been coined ‘Karnidale’ for a long time now, it’s a bit of an in-house joke that we are trying to brand to the public.
“Traditional circus is known as red nose clowns and animals, Karnidale is different and we are trying to differentiate from this.
“We are a showcase of some of the best international contemporary performers who have likely studied circus arts at University levels, or have performed at the worlds finest venues.
“It is not your traditional circus for sure.”
Acts this year include Melbourne based high wire artist Ashley Brophy, who has achieved several world records on the tightwire and highwire and has toured extensively overseas through Europe, the United Kingdom, Asia, South Africa and in Scandinavia.
The gold medal winner at the 2017 Australian Circus Festival is from a large family of performers, and is expected to stun the Karnidale crowds with his thrilling attempts.
“He will be performing some crazy tricks on the high wire which will involve walking on stilts on a highwire 5 metres off the ground,” said Yates.
“We also have Yuck Circus with us this year; Perth girls that have mostly started their circus journey at this festival and who recently won awards at the Melbourne-based Gasworks Festival.
The ever-popular International Spectacular sees seven acts, flown in from around the world, take to the stage in a variety of techniques and disciplines.
Festival goers can catch acts such as Leo the Human Gumby, The Great Mr Spin, Riley MacDonald, Peruvian hoop artist Fiorella Quinones, Australian aerial contortionist Dan Power and Italian circus performers Francesco and Alessandro of Circo Paco.
The popular Pitts Family Circus will return, while Italian performer Agro the Clown is in town as part of his first Australian tour.
Once the kids are tucked in bed, the night-time entertainment takes a turn for the risqué with the late-night cabaret and sideshow not for the faint of heart.
Live music continues into the evening while food trucks, pizza ovens and the Reg Bolton Bar fire up for a night of dancing and celebration following the night time performances.
A 120-strong team of volunteers and staff keep things running smoothly across the weekend.
“Those volunteers and staff are essential to the making of the festival, from electricians to pizza chefs, arts installations creators to lawyers and accountants,” said Matt Yates.
The venue this year boasts upgraded bathroom and kitchen facilities, along with an additional performance tent and refurbishments to existing venues.
“It’s all looking really tidy and fresh,” Yates said, noting the element of surprise as people discover the functional, character-filled Karnidale HQ.
“A constant theme on our reviews is that people don’t really know what it is all about until they get here and then they are blown away that we exist and are so amazing!”
The WA Circus Festival at Karnidale is on this Friday January 18 to Sunday January 20. For tickets, information and the full programme visit www.lunarcircus.com/the-festival