Wild Horizon | Circus & Play Festival celebrates boundary-pushing performance in public space for young people and families, expanding access to everyone’s inherent gift: you were born to play. May 2-3, 2026.

What is it?

Almanac Projects is known for its consistent vision and excellence in producing accessible, artist-forward festival platforms. From Fit Fest to Cannonball to last year’s Philadelphia Contemporary Circus Festival (a partnership with FringeArts and Circadium), Almanac continues to bring audience members from across the region together for thrilling experiences.

Now, after community conversations, ideation, and collective visioning with artists and audiences, we are excited to unveil Wild Horizon, a bold vision for high-impact public spectacle that reclaims public space as a fertile ground for wonder, freedom, and play.

2026 is an incubation year for Wild Horizon in partnership with the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation and two visionary organizations — Ninth Planet and Rebel Arts Movement — alongside several more community-integrated circus arts organizations, at Cherry St. Pier, a reclaimed urban ruin.

World-class performances, youth workshops, an interactive installation and peer-led exchange by Philadelphia-based Almanac Projects, Ninth Planet, Rebel Arts Movement and Performa Choreographic, alongside Stephen Noonan (The PaperBoats) and Axl Osborne (Gravity & Other Myths) from Australia, and more.

Join us for a fun weekend of engaging, family-friendly, and curiosity-inspiring live performances. It’s a glimpse of what the future of contemporary circus holds for artists and audiences alike.

All performances will be FREE, with donations encouraged.

Flash Call for Artists

Open through February 20 

Designed as a testing ground for artists to try new ideas and experiment in public, Wild Horizon | Circus & Play Festival aims to introduce artists and audiences of mixed ages and interests to its ethos of maximum play for more people. The 2026 presentation will serve as a generous offering to local audiences and as a valuable period of research and development before Wild Horizon launches full scale in 2027. 

We seek artists in our networks to submit their existing works and bold new ideas to our Flash Call, to help build the festival’s structure during its soft launch at Cherry St. Pier from May 2-3, 2026 — taking place throughout covered outdoor public spaces in an open air setting. 

The Flash Call is open through Friday, February 20, 2026. Be bold. Submissions are encouraged in two categories: 

• The Cabaret/Variety call offers a flexible format for a range of contemporary and traditionally-inspired short-form performances. This could be an act, a fresh experiment, or a hybrid work that blends styles. 5–15 minutes.

• The Site Specific call seeks proposals and ready-made works that can adapt to unique elements in the environment, such as the concrete-paved gangway in the main space, the amphitheater, the entry archway, a street-style visual art corridor, and the shipping containers. 15–25 minutes.

Nimble, ground-based works are preferred. Single point aerial rigging, placed over the performance zone at the amphitheater, has limited availability. Shared pop-up rigging throughout the Pier is a consideration. Submitted works should be open to evolving alongside the 2026 festival as it deepens and expands into being.

Cherry St. Pier is an ADA accessible environment with additional built features that require climbing. Artists of mixed abilities are encouraged to apply. The grounds are a mix of concrete floor spaces with some built platforms and installation space. On-site amenities include for-purchase food and beverage vendors, restrooms, and limited in-ground power outlets. Shared dressing and green room space will be available.

For questions, please reach out to Associate Producer, Adam Kerbel: adam@thealmanac.us

If an artist or collective you know has something remarkable to offer, please send them this call ASAP.

Become the first Catalyst

Your support will open doors.

The opportunity for Wild Horizon | Circus & Play Festival is emerging through an alignment of local producers and stakeholders to fill a gap in a market where independent artists could thrive. 

We want your help to get us off the ground! Your support now, at any amount, will support Wild Horizon in the following ways:

• Lay proper flooring for a majority of performance and workshop participants. 

• Hire a sufficient amount of technical advisers and production staff. 

• Produce effective marketing and outreach with our inaugural core partners Delaware River Waterfront Corporation, Rebel Arts Movement, Ninth Planet, and Cannonball. 

Tax-deductible donations of $500, $1,000, $1,500 and above are appreciated.

Your contribution towards the 2026 launch will allow us to cover basic costs to ensure the enrichment and safety of our inaugural audiences and artists. You will also help us lay a foundation as we seek local and national partners who are motivated to seed the horizon for a fully-realized festival in 2027 and cultivate a landscape that imagines circus and play for more people. 

Donate to Wild Horizon through our fiscal sponsor below.