From November 22 to December 31, 2025, Circus Conelli will once again pitch its red tent on the Bauschänzli in Zurich. This will be the 43rd season of Switzerland's first Christmas circus. A total of 81 performances are planned - from the premiere on November 24 to the New Year's Eve gala on December 31.
Circus Conelli was founded in 1982 by Conny and Gerda Gasser and is a firm fixture of Zurich's Advent season. The circus ring on the Bauschänzli is deliberately kept small to allow the audience to get close to the artists.
In the 2025 season, the program will once again feature a mixture of international artists, music and clown acts as well as traditional circus direction. The Gasser family discovers many of the dedicated talents every year at festivals abroad and brings them to Switzerland for the first time.
A special moment of the year is the 25th anniversary of clown Roli Noirjean, who has been part of the Conelli family without interruption since 2000. Roli, who grew up in the Basel region, discovered his enthusiasm for the circus ring as a child and joined Conelli after an apprenticeship at Circus Nock. For two decades, he was the partner of the famous Swiss clown Gaston Häni, from whom he learned a great deal about the art of clowning. Today, Roli is considered a permanent fixture in the ensemble and is known for his combination of humor, music and quiet melancholy - qualities that are rarely shown openly in the circus. In 2025, the Gasser family honored him with a special tribute and an anniversary photo in front of the circus ring.
For Roli, who recently became the godfather of little Cory Gasser, the son of Junior Director Jeremy Gasser, Conelli has long been more than just a workplace: "This is where we live our circus dream - on and off stage."