"Running Away From The Circus"
Think bright lights, late nights, smoke, mirrors, music, madness and the strangest people on Earth.
For the first time ever, the festival housed an actual on-site circus with The Standon Calling Big Top showcasing live circus acts by day and a fantastic array of bands and DJs by night.
Everywhere you ventured you’d stumble upon pockets of performance, themed sideshows and secret areas. You could take aerial trapeze lessons, walk through Standon's wall of mirrors or lie on a bed of nails with a twist.
During the day you could enjoy a drink in our on-site pub, The Strongman’s Arms where the fire eater lined up the flaming shots and you were as likely to sip a martini with a sword swallower, as you were to sink a beer while you chatted up a bearded lady. Over the weekend the pub hosted sessions educating you in the Science of Building a Human Pyramid and the Art of Whipping, helped you Conquer Your Fear of Clowns, indulged in some Art Macabre Life Drawing and took you on a Circus Smell Safari.
Late at night you could venture into the Forest of Freaks where the circus folk live. Here the dark underbelly of the circus was revealed as the lunatics that entertained you during the day let their collective hair down, indulged in their dreams and offered a variety of nocturnal entertainment you’ll find nowhere else in the world. You no longer have to imagine what lion tamers, knife throwers, trapeze artists and escapologists do when they’re off duty. You could experience it.
But perhaps most importantly you could actually become part of our circus. Before the festival we ran circus workships teaching people how juggle fire, clown, the art of illusion, slack-rope walking and even play the violin on stilts. At the festival the Standon People's Circus then showcased these newfound skills in front of their friends, family and other festival-goers.
To get back to out theme page, click here.
For tickets, click here!
