Controversy Clouds the International Circus Festival of Las Vegas
The very first International Las Vegas Circus Festival was held from the 1st to the 10th November, 2024. This event was the brain child of Founder and Director, Renato Fernandes, a 6th generation circus performer and 3rd generation flying trapeze artist.
While Europe boasts a long history of prestigious competition-style circus festivals—some running for over four decades and showcasing exceptional talent year after year —North America has struggled to carve out its own equivalent.
There was much anticipation in the industry to see if the Las Vegas Circus Festival could add its name to the international circus festival circuit. After all, Las Vegas is one of the largest hubs for entertainment in the world, it has strong resident circus shows with companies like Cirque du Soleil, Speigelworld and the Wynn’s self produced show, Awakening, and the circus community in Las Vegas is strong.
The festival set out with an ambitious vision. On their website headlined “A Competition You Have Never Seen Before” the organizers claimed to “create an electrifying spectacle that celebrates the artistry, diversity, and innovation of the global circus community.” The event promised audiences a mesmerizing experience, highlighting immersive performances and opportunities for collaborative cultural exchange, while heavily leveraging on Las Vegas’ world-renowned hub for entertainment status. The organizers promised to “establish Las Vegas as the premier destination for celebrating the timeless magic of the circus”.
Following the festival, the organisers shared its success via social media stating:
“As we close the curtain on the 1st International Circus Festival of Las Vegas, my heart is full of gratitude and pride. It has been an incredible journey, and I am deeply moved by the outpouring of support and passion from everyone who played a part in bringing this dream to life. “
Renato Fernades went on to state an acknowledgement of lessons learned and improvements to be made. He emphasized that their vision remains steadfast: to create a platform where performers can truly shine and the community can celebrate their shared love for the circus arts. With much work ahead, they are excited to apply these insights to enhance the next edition of the festival. Renato Fernandes looks forward to making the second edition even bigger and better.
However, behind the scenes of the festival, the coordination and execution of the event has come under question by a number of its participants. Individuals involved in the project contacted StageLync to report on the festival’s coordination. The participants who came forward, highlighted issues such as inadequate performance conditions, lack of proper facilities, unmet logistical promises, including catering and safety measures. Those who came forward to StageLync request anonymity but have provided the following statements. Here is what they had to say:
“The conditions in which we were asked to perform were unreasonable. With no proper warm-up or dressing room area we were subjected to an incredibly dirty parking lot with no heaters and no privacy.” – Anonymous 1
“We were told there would be catering on site for lunch and dinner. I never got to see any catering at all. When food arrived supposedly if you were around the truck, you would receive food, but there wasn’t food for everybody so it was not announced in the festival group chat.” – Anonymous 2
“$1000 worth of cash prizes were donated directly to the festival. We were lucky enough to be awarded a cash prize. Despite the festival being concluded several weeks ago, no money has been disseminated by the festival and no contact has been made by the festival regarding our money.” – Anonymous 3
“There were issues regarding the behaviour and lack of professional conduct by the organisers towards the participants as well as a safety issue involving a winch that was not installed properly and needed to be fixed, which prevented adequate rehearsal time for those who needed to use it. ” – Anonymous 4
“During the final company dress run, Renato Fernandes and a Jury Member came into the ring to read out a series of Facebook posts accusing Patrick Rossell of sexual misconduct and alleging that someone from the festival had gone to the police over his behaviour. They proceeded to say, in both English and Spanish, that these accusations were bad for the reputation of the festival, and that if any woman had gone to the police they needed to speak up publicly now, or they would be removed from the festival.” – Anonomous 5
Multiple sources confirmed to StageLync that this meeting took place on the day of the final company dress rehearsal.
“This was the breaking point of unprofessionalism,” one source remarked.
Despite its potential and vision, it seems the Las Vegas Circus Festival’s first iteration faced significant challenges. StageLync reached out to Founder and Director, Renato Fernandes to comment on these statements. As to date of the publication of this article, there has been no response.
While the festival succeeded in drawing attention and gathering talent from the international circus community, its debut was marred by organizational challenges and participant concerns. From logistical shortcomings to allegations of misconduct, the event highlighted the need for a more robust infrastructure, transparent communication, and higher professional standards to achieve its ambitious goals.
A circus festival held in Las Vegas does have potential to become a marquee event in the circus world and StageLync does hope the circus community is not marred by this event and will continue to support such initiatives.
Should Renato Fernandes choose to hold another Las Vegas Festival, StageLync hopes that there will be a commitment to addressing these reported issues and ensuring that the community is well looked after in the next iteration. Meanwhile, the global circus community continues to “wait and see” if in fact, a circus festival can become a lasting legacy in North America.
Disclosure:StageLync wishes to disclose that the Las Vegas Circus Festival previously entered into an advertising agreement with our platform. Following the event, the festival informed us they were unable to fulfill their financial obligations due to what they described as “a tough financial time right now, as you may know, having to cancel some shows left us in a difficult position.” It is our understanding that we are not the only entity affected by the festival’s financial challenges. We want to assure our readers that our decision to report on this matter is driven solely by our commitment to transparent and balanced journalism, as well as our responsibility to give voice to the community’s concerns.
All images are by Drew Janine
Back to Home
Editor's Note: At StageLync, an international platform for the performing arts, we celebrate the diversity of our writers' backgrounds. We recognize and support their choice to use either American or British English in their articles, respecting their individual preferences and origins. This policy allows us to embrace a wide range of linguistic expressions, enriching our content and reflecting the global nature of our community.
🎧 Join us on the StageLync Podcast for inspiring stories from the world of performing arts! Tune in to hear from the creative minds who bring magic to life, both onstage and behind the scenes. 🎙️ 👉 Listen now!
