During MAD Festival, we organize an international circus convention in and around Park Spoor Noord in Antwerp, where young and old, amateurs and (semi)professionals can practice together, sweat together, and learn together for three days.
With MAD Convention, we offer you a range of workshops in a variety of techniques. Artists who can be admired at the festival in the evening will also share their experience with convention goers during the day.
What to expect?
Complete MADness
With MAD Convention, we are committed to offering a wide range where you can choose from about 24 circus techniques (for beginners and immersers). An overview of what we have in store:
Flying trapeze, unicycle, Cyr wheel, aerial straps, static trapeze, Chinese pole, aerial hoop, bascule, trampoline, silks, floor acrobatics, German wheel, juggling, physical theater, acro-porté collective, acrodance, mini-trampoline, handstand, clowning, etc.
TEETERBOARD MADness
A specialist program with two workshops for specialists in the morning + one workshop of your choice in the afternoon.
Open Stage
Just like last year, we end the day (on Friday and Saturday) with an Open Stage where participating acrobats can show off their freshly trained skills to other convention attendees.
Would you like to show something? Let Arno know at arno@ecdf.be.
Good to know
What?
3-day circus convention with workshops, performances and catering.
For whom?
For young acrobats (from 10 years old), for circus workshops and for (semi) professionals.
For young ECDF members – 10 years and older – we provide a Convention guide. Their parents can drop them off at SPRK at 8:30 in the morning and pick them up again in the evening around 5:00 p.m. and then head to MAD Festival together.
Would you like to make use of this service? Please let us know before April 1, 2026, via info@ecdf.be.
Workshop levels
Workshops for beginners, immersers and specialists
- Workshops for Beginners
You haven’t been doing circus for long and don’t know the technique well. - Workshops for immersers
You have been taking circus classes or physical training for a while now - Workshops for specialists
You mainly want to do Bascule and you’re pretty good at it.
We organize MAD Convention as part of MAD Festival, A collaboration between Arenberg and Ell Circo D’ell Fuego. With the support of the Flemish Government and city of Antwerp.
