The BIAC 2027, the International Circus Arts Biennale, runs from 21 January to 21 February 2027 in Marseille and across the region. Tickets go on sale on 24 November, and the full programme is not out yet. From L’Estaque, allow 17 minutes by car to La Criée theatre and 15 minutes to Le Zef.
At a glance: the BIAC 2027
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Dates | 21 January to 21 February 2027 |
| Ticket sales | Open on 24 November |
| Where | Marseille and the wider Sud region, with a tent village at the Prado at the last edition |
| Already dated | Three shows in February, at La Criée and Le Zef |
| Price | €12 to €19 full price, children €6 |
| From the villa | La Criée 17 minutes by car, Le Zef 15 minutes |
What is the BIAC?
The BIAC is the contemporary circus biennale of Marseille and the Sud region. It takes place in odd-numbered years, in January and February, and Archaos, the national circus centre, has run it since 2015. The previous edition, from 9 January to 9 February 2025, offered 66 shows and 230 performances, including 15 new creations. A lighter version, Entre2 BIAC, takes place in even-numbered years: the 2026 one ran from 15 January to 15 February 2026.
Dates, tickets and programme
The organiser’s website announces the BIAC from 21 January to 21 February 2027, with ticket sales opening on 24 November. The full programme is not published yet. The tourist office listings still say “dates to be confirmed”, so follow the organiser’s dates.
To book, use the biennale’s own ticket office. In 2025 you could also buy through the usual network: Fnac, Auchan, Leclerc, Carrefour and Cultura.
The shows already dated in February
Three circus shows already have times and prices on the tourist office agenda.
La Criée, Marseille’s national theatre, at 30 quai de Rive Neuve, hosts two of them. Comme un vertige (“Like vertigo”), a new piece between circus and philosophy about ecological denial, runs from 10 to 13 February 2027: at 7pm on Wednesday and at 8pm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Hyperboles, in which nine women circus artists mix skateboarding and circus, runs from 12 to 14 February 2027: at 8pm on Friday and Saturday and at 4pm on Sunday. For both, full price is €17 to €19, the child ticket is €6 and student tickets start at €9.
Neither listing says whether these shows are part of the BIAC. Check the biennale’s programme from 24 November.
At Le Zef, the Marseille national stage, on the Merlan site on avenue Raimu, Le bonheur clandestin (“Clandestine happiness”), a contortion duo by the company AR, is presented as part of the BIAC. It runs on 11 and 12 February 2027: at 8pm on the 11th and at 8:30pm on the 12th. Adults pay €12 to €18, children €6, and the reduced price runs from €3 to €8.
For the other shows, wait for the programme on 24 November: it will set the venues, the days and the prices.
The tent village at the Prado
At the 2025 edition, the BIAC put up four tents on the Prado beaches, from 16 January to 8 February, for six shows and 42 performances. For 2027, the organiser says the BIAC is coming back to the Prado. The dates and programme of the village are not known yet.
This is what the tourist office said about getting there in 2025, to be confirmed for 2027:
- buses 19 or 83, La Plage stop, and the night buses 583 and 519;
- by bike, the LeVelo station at Promenade Pompidou / David;
- by car, paid car parks around the beaches;
- on site, a food area, and shows that are accessible to people with reduced mobility.
What the 2025 edition suggests
These pointers come from 2025 and remain to be confirmed for 2027. The biennale opened at the Friche la Belle de Mai, with free shows open to everyone on 11 and 12 January 2025. It played at several venues in Marseille, including La Criée and La Vieille Charité. It ended on Sunday 9 February 2025 with the festival “Au bout la mer!”, with free events in the city centre all day. From the villa, the Friche la Belle de Mai is 17 minutes away by car.
Getting there from L’Estaque in winter
- By car: La Criée is 17 minutes by car from the villa, Le Zef is 15 minutes and the Prado is 24 minutes. These times are calculated on the map, with no traffic jams.
- By train: The Côte Bleue line links L’Estaque to Marseille-Saint-Charles station.
- By boat: the L’Estaque to Old Port shuttle boat has finished its 2026 season and comes back in spring 2027, too late for the BIAC.
To get home late after a show, the car is the simplest. The night buses 583 and 519 served the Prado in 2025.
What else to do in January and February
The BIAC falls in the middle of winter. Our guide to Marseille in winter covers the weather, the mistral and what to do on fine days. For a stroll before a show, read the guide to the Old Port of Marseille.
FAQ
When is the BIAC 2027? From 21 January to 21 February 2027, in Marseille and across the Sud region, according to the organiser’s website.
When do tickets for the BIAC 2027 go on sale? On 24 November. In 2025 you could also buy through the usual network: Fnac, Auchan, Leclerc, Carrefour and Cultura.
Where does the BIAC take place in Marseille? At several venues. The organiser says it is coming back to the Prado, where the tent village stood in 2025. La Criée hosts two circus shows in February, and Le Zef presents Le bonheur clandestin as part of the BIAC.
How much does a show cost? At La Criée, full price is €17 to €19 and the child ticket is €6. At Le Zef, adults pay €12 to €18 and children €6.
How do you get from L’Estaque to La Criée? By car, allow 17 minutes from the villa. The shuttle boat is off until spring 2027, and the Côte Bleue train links L’Estaque to Marseille-Saint-Charles station.
Can you go with children? Yes: the tourist office lists Comme un vertige and Hyperboles among shows for families with children, and the child ticket is €6 at La Criée.
Stay at Villa Byblos
From the terrace of Villa Byblos, on the hills of L’Estaque, the sea view stretches 180°. The house has 4 bedrooms and sleeps up to 8 guests. La Criée is 17 minutes by car, and Le Zef 15 minutes.
Discover the villa · See rates and availability · Read the Marseille in winter guide
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