The Bucharest Metropolitan Circus received the BigTopLabel certification, an independent European quality designation for circus institutions. The award was presented at the European Parliament in Brussels on November 5.
The evaluation covered artistic performances, audience experience, professional practices, infrastructure, safety, communication, working conditions and, where applicable, animal welfare.
Only two certifications are awarded each year. The Bucharest institution and Denmark’s Cirkus Arena were selected in 2026, joining 18 European circuses certified by the end of 2025.
“Circus, like any art, is a form of profound understanding of human nature and is therefore vital to civilization,” Bucharest Metropolitan Circus general director George Costin said.
“Circus is an art of the present just as much as it is an art of tradition. Traditions are inherited, but they must also be cared for,” he added. “We want to contribute ideas and projects that promote circus arts as an essential part of Europe’s cultural heritage.”
The BigTopLabel certification is based on site inspections and an assessment by a committee of international circus professionals and experts. Institutions receive scores from one to five and must obtain an overall average of at least four while avoiding any disqualifying issues.
The certification remains valid for five years.
Romanian MEP and European Parliament vice president Victor Negrescu highlighted the institution’s role in Bucharest’s cultural life during the award ceremony.
“Known to generations as Globus, it has held a special place in Bucharest’s cultural life, opening the world of imagination, discipline, and creativity of the performing arts to generations of children,” Negrescu said.
“I first visited your circus when I was seven, and I still remember how impressed I was,” he added.
The institution was founded in 1954 as Romania’s State Circus. It has operated since 1961 in its current building on Aleea Circului, designed by architect Nicolae Porumbescu and listed as a historic monument in 2010.
It adopted the name Bucharest Metropolitan Circus in 2017. Its artists have received several international distinctions over the decades, including awards at circus festivals in Madrid, Monte Carlo, and Salamanca.
The BigTopLabel initiative was launched at the European Parliament in 2016, with the first inspections and certifications conducted two years later. It cooperates with the European Circus Association and the Fédération Mondiale du Cirque while maintaining an independent evaluation process.
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