Carnaval Sztukmistrzów returns to Lublin. It's the largest event of its kind in Poland.

Nearly 60 acrobats, clowns, and street performers will perform during the Carnaval Sztukmistrzów, which begins in Lublin on Thursday. The event, showcasing the art of the new circus, will run until Sunday.

The director of Carnaval Sztukmistrzów, Iwona Kornet, told PAP that the audience will see three spectacular outdoor shows performed by the Belgian group La Cie des Chaussons Rouges.

- Four artists will perform acrobatics without any safety equipment on a steel rope mounted on a seven-meter structure, using only long poles, so-called balancers, to balance themselves - she announced.

Performances of the play entitled "Épiphytes" will take place on the Błonia meadows near the Castle.

At Litewski Square, viewers will see, among other things, two "Heavy Motors" shows by the SPPi group from France . Kornet explained that the show is characterized by intelligent humor and tells a funny story about a car that doesn't quite work.

Among the ticketed performances, the director highlighted three shows of "Julietta" by Mexican artist Gabriela Muñoz .

- She is the leading representative of contemporary world clowning - she said.

Performances are scheduled at the Stary Theatre. Meanwhile, the French troupe My!Laika will present four performances of "Winter" at the Błonia pod Zamkiem ( Old Castle Meadow). As the director noted, audiences can expect live music, intriguing set design, and incredible circus acts.

"The performances touch on a variety of topics, such as transience, the fear of death, and difficult relationships. The street performances, on the other hand, are playful and entertaining. The circus performers encourage reflection, but also laughter and fun. Carnaval demonstrates that the new circus is developing dynamically and encompasses a full range of different forms of artistic expression," said the director.

In total, Kornet said, nearly 60 artists will perform during closed performances, open-air and street shows, including buskers, illusionists, jugglers and acrobats.

Carnaval Sztukmistrzów is the largest circus arts festival in Poland , which has been attracting artists from all over the world and crowds of tourists to Lublin's Old Town since 2008.

City Hall announced that due to the festival, Królewska Street will be closed to all traffic, including public transport, from 4 p.m. on Friday . The street will remain closed until the end of the event, which is approximately 3 a.m. Sunday to Monday.