Gallery 2025 – Grande Finale

The International Circus Festival YOUNG STAGE Basel celebrated its grand finale in 2025 after almost 20 years. The audience thanked the performers with standing ovations. Twenty-two artists from 12 countries thrilled audiences in six performances. The magic, joy and gratitude were felt in every minute.

Founded in 2007, the International YOUNG STAGE Circus Festival was one of the world’s most important platforms and festivals for young circus artists. The festival was unique in its form and world-renowned on the international scene. The intense, thrilling shows annually attracted 6,000 to 8,000 spectators of all ages to the event hall of the Basel Exhibition Centre.

Around 400 artists from all over the world used YOUNG STAGE in Basel as a springboard. Every year, around 600 talented individuals from around 60 countries applied for a place. As an international job and casting platform, the festival brought together graduates of art academies and state circus schools with show producers from all over the world.

Copyright all photos by Pablo Wünsch Blanco

ARTISTS

COMPETITION

Mariana Punchak & Daria Naumeika (Ukraine), HAND TO HAND / PARTNER ACROBATICS
Clara Alex (Canada), AERIAL SILKS
Frank Álvarez (Mexico), AERIAL STRAPS
Jano Schorno (Switzerland), DIABOLO
Matéo Turbelin & Aélia Savary (France), DIABOLO DANCE
Vladyslava Naraieva (Ukraine), HANDSTAND EQUILIBRISTICS
Nicolás Teusa (Colombia), PENDULAR HOOP
Jie Liao (China), SLACK WIRE
«Blauwal Company» | August Rohde Aass, Tobias Niemöller, Lovisa Wengerzink, Simon Malmsten (Sweden, Norway & Germany), TEETERBOARD
«Les Triphasés» | Nina Thibault, Benjamin Jules Godfroy, Janosch Jötten (France & Germany), PARTNER ACROBATICS & TEETERBOARD

GUEST ACTS

«Toy Toy Toy» | Naoto Okada & Shu Takada (Japan), YOYO
Natalie Oleinik & Joachim Ciocca (Switzerland & USA), DUO VERTICAL ROPE
Mikail Karahan (Germany), CYR WHEEL

MAIN PRIZES

GRANDE FINALE Award (Prize sponsor Isaac Dreyfus-Bernheim Stiftung), CHF 5000
Diabolo – Jano Schorno (Switzerland)

Golden Star (Prize sponsor Dreyfus Söhne & Cie. AG, Banquiers), CHF 5000
Pendular Hoop – Nicolás Teusa (Colombia)

Silver Star (Prize sponsor IWB), CHF 3000
Handstand Equilibristics – Vladyslava Naraieva (Ukraine)

Bronze Star (Prize sponsor Salto Entertainment), CHF 2000
Teeterboard – «Blauwal Company» | August Rohde Aass, Tobias Niemöller, Lovisa Wengerzink, Simon Malmsten (Sweden, Norway, Germany)

YOUNG STAR Prize (Prize sponsor Implenia), CHF 2000
Slack Wire – Jie Liao (China)

Prize of the audience (Prize sponsor Radio Basilisk), CHF 2000
Diabolo – Jano Schorno (Switzerland)

Friends Prize (Prize sponsor YOUNG STAGE Friends), CHF 2000
Hand to Hand / Partner Acrobatics – Mariana Punchak & Daria Naumeika (Ukraine)

SPECIAL AWARDS

Cirque du Soleil Award, CA
Hand to Hand / Partner Acrobatics – Mariana Punchak & Daria Naumeika (Ukraine)

Award from Circus Monti, CH
Pendular Hoop – Nicolás Teusa (Colombia)

Award from Wintergarten Varieté, DE
Handstand Equilibristics – Vladyslava Naraieva (Ukraine)

Award from Europa-Park Talent Academy, DE
Diabolo Dance – Matéo Turbelin & Aélia Savary (France)

Prize of the Circus, Varieté, and Performing Artists’ Friends of Switzerland
Aerial Silks – Clara Alex (Canada)

Prize of the Swiss Federation of Circus Schools (FSEC)
Pendular Hoop – Nicolás Teusa (Colombia)

ENGAGEMENT PRIZES

Circus Roncalli, DE
Teeterboard – «Blauwal Company» | August Rohde Aass, Tobias Niemöller, Lovisa Wengerzink, Simon Malmsten (Sweden, Norway, Germany)

Feuerwerk der Turnkunst, DE
Handstand Equilibristics – Vladyslava Naraieva (Ukraine)

Palazzo Colombino, CH
Aerial Straps – Frank Álvarez (Mexico)

Europa-Park, DE
Aerial Straps – Frank Álvarez (Mexico)

GOP-Varieté, DE
Slack Wire – Jie Liao (China)

«Stille Kracht» / Casino Theater Winterthur, CH
Handstand Equilibristics – Vladyslava Naraieva (Ukraine)

Cirque Imagine, FR
Slack Wire – Jie Liao (China)

Krystallpalast Varieté Leipzig, DE
Partner Acrobatics & Teeterboard – «Les Triphasés» | Nina Thibault, Benjamin Jules Godfroy, Janosch Jötten (France & Germany)

«Urbanatix», DE
Pendular Hoop – Nicolás Teusa (Colombia)

«Breakin’ Circus», DDC Entertainment Group, DE
Handstand Equilibristics – Vladyslava Naraieva (Ukraine)

MSC Cruises, CH
Handstand Equilibristics – Vladyslava Naraieva (Ukraine)

EXPERT-JURY

DAVID DIMITRI
Artist, circus pioneer, cultural manager

NADJA SIEGER
Actress, singer, dancer, presenter, dubbing artist, author, director

URS PILZ
Artistic Director @ International Circus Festival, Monte Carlo

BRIGITTE SCHERRER
Senior Casting Advisor @ Cirque du Soleil & Künstlerin

IAN JENKINS
Creative Director von Blue Banana Entertainment @ Europa Park

ISABEL JOLY
Managing Director @ FEDEC (International network for professional circus education)

ANDRÉANNE QUINTAL
Producer & Artistic Director @ Spicy Circus, Kanada, Schweiz

ALUMNI-JURY

AVITAL PÖSCHKO
ROBERT CHOINKA
FENJA BARTELDRES
DAVID MELENDY
MARIO ESPAÑOL

SPONSORS & PARTNERS

Patronat
Isaac Dreyfus-Bernheim Stiftung

Transformation Partner
IWB

Venue Partner
MCH Group

Official Partners
Europa Park
cr Basel
Winkler
Hotel Dorint
Implenia

Media Partners
Telebasel
Die Oberbadische
Radio Basilisk
Basel Live
Basel aktuell
Basler Zeitung

Foundations & Institutions
Swisslos Fonds Basel-Stadt
Swisslos Fonds Basel-Landschaft
CMS
Sulger-Stiftung
Schweizerische Interpretenstiftung
Thomi Hopf Stiftung
Ernst Göhner Stiftung
Geschwister Meier Stiftung
(& many more who don’t like to be mentioned.)

Suppliers
Wassermann Catering
Bisskid Catering
Circus Monti
Druckereri Block
Basel Tourismus
event trend GmbH
Eptinger
Unser Bier
Kostüm Kaiser
Orthoklinik & Dreysprung Physio Dornach
Gasparini

Network Partners
FEDEC
ECA (European Circus Association)

HOST
Max Loong

SHOW OPENING
Lukas Brandl, Actor
Vivianne Chassot, Star-Accordeonist

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Nadja Berger

CHOREOGRAPHY
Nadine Imboden

BAND
Äl Jawala

PHOTOGRAPHER
Pablo Wünsch Blanco