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  • AcroInsiders: Start the Year Off the Acro Mat โ€” Jan Related Fest Edition ๐ŸŽช

AcroInsiders: Start the Year Off the Acro Mat โ€” Jan Related Fest Edition ๐ŸŽช

Beyond acro lies circus, flow, music, and movement โ€” hereโ€™s where itโ€™s happening this winter.

Hello, Bases & Flyers!

Quick housekeeping note before we dive in: the Acro Insiders calendar has been cleaned up and fully updated, so if you havenโ€™t checked it in a bit, nowโ€™s a good time to take another look. Everything should be current and de-duplicated.

As we roll into the new year, I just want to wish everyone a happy New Year, wherever and however youโ€™re celebrating. Hereโ€™s to starting the year moving, traveling, and flying together!

This weekโ€™s edition is our Related Festivals roundup: circus, pole, handstands, flow arts, music-forward movement gatherings, and the spaces our acro community tends to orbit when weโ€™re not on an acro floor.

So expect in todayโ€™s issue:

  • ๐Ÿ—“๏ธ All Events Coming Up Soon (Dec 30 โ€“ Jan 13)

  • โœˆ๏ธ Plan Ahead: Related Movement Festivals through February

  • ๐ŸŒ Beyond Acro: Cultural Festivals to Catch in February

  • ๐Ÿงณ My Favorite Travel Tools

โ€” Cat Xu @acroinsiders

๐Ÿ•’ COMING UP SOON: December 30 - January 13

(For the spontaneous among us โ€” these all start in the next two weeks.)

Symbol Guide

๐Ÿง˜ = Retreat | ๐ŸŽช = Festival | ๐Ÿ‹๏ธ = Intensive | ๐Ÿ’ซ = Event
๐ŸŽ“ = Teacher Training | โญ = Popular | ๐Ÿ˜ฟ = Sold Out

โœˆ๏ธ PLAN AHEAD: Related Movement Fests/Events Through February

Aerial, Circus & Flow Arts

๐Ÿ“ Aerial Summer Camp | Camp Cooriemungle, VIC, Australia | Jan 2โ€“7
Aerial-focused camp with multiple apparatus classes, including lyra, tissu, rope, straps, with access to professional rigging and experienced instructors.

๐Ÿ“ Spin Circus Festival | Camp Cooriemungle, VIC, Australia | Jan 8โ€“12
A long-running circus & flow arts festival with full days of workshops (acrobatic, aerial, juggling, fire, movement skills), nightly performances, community shows, and inclusive training for all levels.

๐Ÿ“ Flow Fest Fort Lauderdale | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA | Jan 18
A one-day public flow arts festival with performances, open jams, and opportunities to connect with the broader flow community.

๐Ÿ“ Cheeselandia Hoop Affair | Madison, USA | Feb 20โ€“21
A hoop-centric weekend with workshops and skill shares while meeting a concentrated pocket of hoopers and prop artists.

Handstands Training

๐Ÿ“ Handstand Revolution Winter Intensive | Brunnenhaus, Germany | Jan 8โ€“11
A weekend immersion dedicated to handstands and mobility work in a nature-focused setting, with structured workshops and open practice.

๐Ÿ“ Winter Handstand Extravaganza Convention | Sicily, Italy | Jan 28โ€“Feb 1
An international handstand convention with workshops, skills labs, and community sessions, bringing practitioners together to train and connect.

Flow, Music & Conscious Gatherings

๐Ÿ“ Interfusion Festival | Arlington, Virginia, USA | Jan 15โ€“19
A large movement-and-music gathering that blends classes, live sets, DJ stages, and holistic workshops for multidisciplinary movers.

๐Ÿ“ Time Machine Festival | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Jan 24
A themed dance and music event with immersive production, costuming, and extended dance sets.

๐Ÿ“ Cantando la Vida โ€“ Singing Alive | Finca Amrta, Costa Rica | Jan 31โ€“Feb 2
A three-day song village rooted in shared singing as ceremony. The gathering centers on creating a sacred container to practice peace, healing, and connection through a wide range of vocal traditions.

๐Ÿ“ Unity Space Festival | Lake Atitlรกn, Guatemala | Feb 10โ€“15
A multi-day movement and music festival with workshops, conscious experiences, and community ritual around the lake.

๐Ÿ“ Thantawan Festival | Chiang Mai, Thailand | Feb 20โ€“22
A creative cultural festival with live music, performance art, and community-oriented programming in northern Thailand.

๐Ÿ“ Envision Festival | Uvita, Costa Rica | Feb 23โ€“Mar 2
An internationally known eco-festival merging music, yoga, arts, sustainability, and workshops on the Pacific coast.

๐Ÿ“ Tribal Gathering | Playa Chiquita, Costa Rica | Feb 27โ€“Mar 16
A longer cultural gathering focused on indigenous arts, movement sessions, and cross-community experiences by the sea.

Want to submit an event for our next edition? Fill out this form.

๐ŸŒ BEYOND ACRO: Cultural Festivals to Catch in February

Mardi Gras King in New Orleans, Louisiana

Tแบฟt (Vietnamese New Year) | Vietnam | Jan 29, 2026
Vietnamโ€™s most important holiday marks the lunar new year with family gatherings, ancestor rituals, temple visits, flower markets, and days of celebration across the country. Many shops will be closed.

Carnival | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Feb 13โ€“18, 2026
A week-long explosion of samba, street blocos, parades, and nonstop movement. From massive Sambadrome performances to neighborhood parties that spill into the streets, the city becomes one continuous dance floor.

Mardi Gras | New Orleans, USA | Feb 17, 2026
New Orleansโ€™ Mardi Gras season builds for weeks before culminating in parades, brass bands, costuming, and all-day street celebrations with crazy outfits and beads everywhere.

๐Ÿงณ TRAVEL ESSENTIALS โ€” What I Actually Use

I get asked a lot what I pack, book, and use on the road. Hereโ€™s the shortlist all tested over years going around the globe.

Some links are affiliate โ€” they help keep Acro Insiders running at no extra cost to you.

Thanks for reading! If this issue helped you plan your next acro adventure, forward it to your crew โ€” the more of us on one list, the better it gets.

๐Ÿ“ฌ Have an event, retreat, or training to promote?
โ†’ Submit it here or reply to this email for sponsored placement.

๐ŸŽŸ๏ธ Not yet subscribed? Join Acro Insiders โ†’

Next week: A fresh look at all the events coming up through the spring after the holiday pause.

Until then, warm up before you try the weird stuff!
โ€” Cat Xu
Connect with me? @acroinsiders