On 4 September 2025, Cirque on Edge was a guest at the Norden Festival in Schleswig and was able to present an impressive performance right by the water. Amidst the special festival atmosphere, a moment of great closeness arose between the ensemble and the audience: the people of Schleswig watched the show with rapt attention and palpable enthusiasm – every spark of the performance was absorbed and reciprocated.
We were particularly touched by an email we received after the festival from a mother who had attended the performance with her six-year-old daughter. She described how attentively her child had followed the performance – the moments of connection and cooperation, but also the visible obstacles and risks on the bridge. In the evening, this led to an intense conversation between mother and daughter: the child asked whether the people on the bridge had been very stressed and how her mother had felt about the experience. This led to an open exchange about overcoming difficulties and how people can find common ground despite uncertainties. The fact that the performance had opened up this space for conversation and reflection was a particularly moving moment for us – and the reason why this message stayed with us long after the festival.
This year’s Norden Festival attracted record numbers of visitors. Cirque on Edge’s wooden bridge blended atmospherically into the festival’s light installations and became part of an impressive illumination on the water. After the performance, the evening ended on a relaxed note for the collective: in the festival’s mobile sauna and with a subsequent dip in the water, everyone let go, reflected and celebrated together. A festival experience that will long be remembered for its atmosphere, audience and special moments.
©Fotos hejnorden GmbH
