Winners of the
"Magical Arena 2026" Cup

The Grand Finale of the second All-Ukrainian Circus Art Festival "Magical Arena 2026" was not only a celebration of talent but also an event that once again proved: supporting children's circus groups yields tangible results. That is why a special part of the award ceremony was dedicated to presenting the Arena Cup — a unique distinction for circus studios that demonstrated an outstanding level of training, a diversity of genres, and systematic work with their students.

Unlike individual awards, the Arena Cup honors the collectives themselves — those that create the conditions for future artists to thrive and invest years of labor into every single performance of their students.

Traditionally, the "Magical Wings" Charitable Foundation established the festival's base prize pool, which amounted to 50,000 UAH.

However, this year the organizers received additional backing from partners and friends of the festival. An extra 20,000 UAH was contributed by the secret jury (read more in a separate article), and another 10,000 UAH was provided by members of the supportive circus community who decided to bolster the development of youth circus studios.

Consequently, the total prize pool for "Magical Arena 2026" reached 80,000 UAH.

Studios can allocate these funds toward purchasing new props, training equipment, costumes, or developing new artistic disciplines within their collectives.

For the team from Zlatopil, participating in "Magical Arena" was their official debut. Despite this, the studio immediately made a name for itself with the high caliber of its training and the vibrant performances of its artists. The Bronze Cup was a well-deserved recognition of a successful start at the All-Ukrainian festival and serves as great motivation for future growth.

Another true revelation of the festival was the "Hratsiia" school, which also joined "Magical Arena" for the first time. The collective deeply impressed the jury with its sheer scale, a large number of participants, and diverse group choreographies. The Silver Cup confirmed the excellent standards of the educators' work and the school's vast potential.

The recipient of the festival's main team accolade was the "Edelweiss" circus studio.

Last year, this collective won the Silver Arena Cup and directed the financial support they received at that time into their own growth. Thanks to this investment, the artists performed with new professional props this year. Furthermore, the studio substantially expanded its artistic program, adding two new circus genres to the three they presented last year.

This very example perfectly highlights the core philosophy behind the Arena Cup: financial support does not mark the end of a victory story; rather, it becomes a catalyst and an investment in the future development of youth collectives.

"For us, it is important not just to highlight the best, but to help studios become stronger. New props, new genres, new opportunities for children — this is exactly what the Arena Cup exists for."

Each year, the "Magical Arena" festival proves that supporting youth circus studios yields long-term benefits. The prize pool helps collectives upgrade their equipment base, open up new artistic directions, and create even more opportunities for their students.

It is through such initiatives that young artists gain the chance not only to refine their craftsmanship but also to proudly represent Ukraine on the international circus stage.

Congratulations to the winners of the "Magical Arena 2026" Cup! We wish the studios continued growth, new creative achievements, and even more victories at both Ukrainian and international festivals!