The Swiss National Circus Knie presents a program for the 2025 season that combines tradition with state-of-the-art technology. Under the motto "a mixture of fantasy, poetry and magic", the show promises a combination of artistry, dressage and comedy interludes. There will also be a special light installation.
Mike Müller and Viktor Giacobbo will be performing together again after 2019. However, only at weekends in Zurich, Bern and Lucerne. Mike will be performing new sketches in all evening shows in German-speaking Switzerland. Viktor's comeback will be limited to selected performances. The comedy trio will be joined by Mexican clown Chistirrin.
The technical highlight of the new show is 120 motorized LED balls with a diameter of 35 centimetres under the circus dome. It is the world's first mobile installation of its kind. The interplay of technology and artistry creates fascinating productions, the creators promise.
The Kinetic Balls are more than just a light installation. They interact directly with the artists. In the trapeze act by the Uzbek duo Disar, they form floating landing points and react to the movements of the Japanese unicycle artists.
The artistic teams come from fourteen nations, including several world champion title holders. The Filipino Urban Crew combines breakdancing with acrobatic lifting figures, while the South American duo Acero demonstrates feats of strength on a seven-metre-high pole.
The Uzbek duo Disar's pigtail and tooth hang on the straps is considered the most technically demanding act - a combination of speed and precision.
Frenchman Vincent Vignaud provides optical illusions, aiming to "challenge the audience's perception" with his manipulation techniques.
The Knie family's classic dressage acts provide a contrast: 13-year-old Chanel and her 23-year-old brother Ivan perform Andalusian and Lipizzaner horses together with six-year-old Maycol Jr.
A major logistical operation is taking place behind the scenes: 35 trucks transport the equipment between 24 venues. The sensitive Kinetic Balls, which have to be individually packed in foam, pose a particular challenge.
The premiere on March 7 in Rapperswil-Jona marks the start of a seven-month tour through fourteen German-speaking Swiss cities. After stops in St. Gallen, Winterthur and Basel, there will be a summer break. From September, the tour will travel through French-speaking Switzerland with stops in Geneva and Lausanne before returning to central Switzerland via Valais - and to Agno in Ticino in December. Glarus and Solothurn will be joining the tour for the first time.