Halloween at the Circus: A Ukrainian Folk Tale Takes the Ring.
Inside Halloween at the Circus, where a Ukrainian pumpkin custom meets the jack-o’-lantern in an
Inside Halloween at the Circus, where a Ukrainian pumpkin custom meets the jack-o’-lantern in an
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A Ukrainian courtship custom meets the jack-o’-lantern in an animal-free family circus, staged as a single theatrical story in Kyiv in 2026.
In Ukrainian folklore, a pumpkin can quietly end a courtship. In the old custom, when a suitor and his matchmakers visited a woman’s home, often after dark, a woman who wished to refuse the proposal did not need to say a word; she simply handed him a pumpkin, and he understood. The gesture was dreaded enough that, by some accounts, men would propose only after dark, so they would not be seen carrying one home. The tradition has largely faded, but the phrase endures: to this day, “to give someone a pumpkin” means to turn them down. Across much of the world, meanwhile, the pumpkin becomes something else each autumn: carved into a grinning lantern, lit against the dark, a small emblem of the harvest and of Halloween. The National Circus of Ukraine brings those two meanings together in Halloween at the Circus, a family production running in Kyiv from 24 October, through 1 November 2026, where a single pumpkin becomes the key to a surprising change of heart.
The story follows a self-assured young man who believes money can solve any problem. At a mysterious witches’ gathering, his assumptions count for little. Romance he did not expect, elaborate tests, and encounters with otherworldly figures push him to reconsider how he sees himself and the people around him.
“The image of the pumpkin became a particularly interesting dramatic device for us. In our tradition, a young woman could ‘give a pumpkin’ to an unwanted suitor, while in Halloween symbolism it has an entirely different meaning. Bringing these ideas together gave us room for humour, romance, unexpected turns in the story and fantastical transformations.”
— Veronika Humarova, Chief Stage Director of the National Circus of Ukraine
Rather than a succession of self-contained acts, the production is conceived as a single theatrical narrative, with physical daring, movement, choreography, and music all serving the characters and their story. The programme is wide: the Lapendula rotating-wheel act, Cyr wheel, trapeze and chains, alongside contortion, live singing, a fortune-telling scene, and a “Houdini Box” illusion. Performances by the National Circus of Ukraine’s ballet company are woven through the action, connecting the disciplines within one imagined world.
The show features no performing animals. Its visual language is built on the skill of the artists, the expressive power of movement, and the relationship between performers and audiences.
The production places established performers alongside emerging ones. Young artists in the cast include participants in the Golden Gate Cup circus arts festival and competition, as well as students from circus studios in Kyiv and Poltava. For them, it is a chance to work in a professional production on the country’s leading circus stage; for audiences, a chance to discover performers who may shape the future of Ukrainian circus.
Their presence draws a line between circus education, festivals, and professional performance. It also points to something larger: that a tradition stays alive only when it is handed forward, and that making room for younger artists is part of the story behind the show as well as the story on stage.
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The production arrives as Ukrainian cultural institutions continue their work amid Russia’s full-scale war. At the National Circus of Ukraine, performances continue despite disruptions to electricity, with a generator available during power cuts and shelter procedures in place for air-raid alerts.
“We want children to come to the circus not only to see wonders, but also to feel happy, and for parents to share those emotions with them. Even in the hardest times, we want art to remain a space for joy, support and faith in beauty.”
— Vladyslav Korniienko, Director General of the National Circus of Ukraine
This article is written in collaboration with The National Circus of Ukraine. Skene is proud to support and amplify the voices of artists continuing tradition and making work around the world, even in the harshest of conditions.
Performances and visitor information
Performance days: 29, 30 and 31 October; 1 November
Start times: 12:00 and 16:00 (Kyiv local time)
Venue: National Circus of Ukraine, 2 Halytska Square, Kyiv, Ukraine
Programme and booking: https://www.circus.kyiv.ua/ua/Halloween_in_Circus_2026/
This production does not use animals.
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