PREVIEW: carnation by NoFit State Circus – Brighton Festival
A revolution is coming to Brighton’s seafront this May, and it arrives under canvas. As part of Brighton Festival, acclaimed contemporary circus company and regular Brighton Festival visitors NoFit State Circus brings the world premiere of carnation to the Big Top at Black Rock for a 24-performance run from Saturday 2 to Monday 25 May.
Promising world-class circus, live music and bold cinematic imagery, carnation is billed as ‘a physical, human, sensual rollercoaster’, a large-scale immersive spectacle exploring rebellion, resistance and hope in turbulent times.
Created and directed by Firenza Guidi, whose striking production SABOTAGE made waves in 2024, the new show blends humour, heart and genuine edge-of-your-seat risk. Drawing inspiration from 20th-century dystopian fiction while speaking directly to contemporary anxieties, carnation looks set to be both thrilling entertainment and sharp social commentary.
For four decades, NoFit State Circus has been at the forefront of reinventing circus for modern audiences, replacing sequins and clowns with ambitious, immersive productions that fuse theatre, movement, music and jaw-dropping physical skill. Their work invites audiences into the action, creating an atmosphere that feels intimate, visceral and gloriously unpredictable.
That immersive quality should make the Big Top at Black Rock an ideal setting for carnation, where audiences can expect to be swept into a vivid world of daring aerial performance, acrobatics, theatrical storytelling and live sound.
With its rallying cry ‘The revolution is coming and I have nothing to wear’ (We’ve all been there!), carnation promises spectacle with wit, sensuality and political bite: a circus for our unsettled times, full of danger, delight and possibility.
Recommended for ages seven and over, the production opens with preview performances on Saturday 2 May at 2pm and 7.30pm, before its official premiere on Sunday 3 May at 3pm. Performances continue throughout May, with afternoon and evening shows across weekends and selected weekdays.
carnation runs from Saturday 2 to Monday 25 May in the Big Top at Black Rock as part of Brighton Festival.
Details
Dates: carnation runs from Saturday 2 to Monday 25 May in the Big Top at Black Rock as part of Brighton Festival. Previews: Sat 2 May, 2pm & 7.30pm. Premiere: Sun 3 May, 3pm. Mon 4, Sat 9, Sat 16, Sat 23 May, 2pm & 7.30pm. Wed 6–Fri 8, Wed 13–Fri 15, Wed 20–Fri 22 May, 7.30pm. Sun 10, Sun 17, Sun 24, Mon 25 May, 3pm.
Venue: Big Top at Black Rock, Madeira Drive, Brighton, BN2 1FY
Tickets: Tickets start from £17.50, with concessions, under-30s pricing and family tickets available.
Accessible: Details here
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While we appreciate the skill of the performers, we felt the creative direction of Carnation was misrepresented. The inclusion of political graffiti, an erotic pole dance, and disturbing ‘satanic’ imagery (the Animal Farm reconstruction) made it unsuitable for the multi-generational group we brought. We found the messaging inconsistent and the tone inappropriate for a festival setting advertised to a broad audience.