The festival heart of a circus festival? "The bar!" say brothers Vincent, Simon, and Cédric from the circus company Collectif Malunés. At MAD Festival, these creative brothers transform an unused circus tent into an atmospheric bar. Visitors can taste their home-brewed beer: BRUUR, la bière des frères.

"Call it an out-of-control hobby", laughs Vincent, the youngest of the four Bruyninckx brothers. In 2009, he and his brother Simon founded the circus company Collectif Malunés (appearing on Thursday and Sunday at MAD Festival).

Ten years later, they enlisted their oldest brother Cédric for a new project: brewing their beer - BRUUR, an IPA with citrus notes. This year, they run the bar at MAD Festival, where visitors can taste the same beer (and their own distilled gin).

A bar that breathes circus 
"We are on tour ourselves for 70% of the year", explains Vincent. "We see how the bar often becomes the heart of the festival. Spectators, artists, young and old meet there. We want to give this central spot some identity."

In this case, that central spot is a temporarily unused circus tent from Collectif Malunés, which they transform into an atmospheric bar. "As a nomadic company, we hold the circus tent in high regard. Therefore, we like to bring people together in a tent that we don't use throughout the year. Combined with some accents from our Malunés belongings, we create a bar that breathes circus."

80% in the cultural sector 
The bar concept of the brothers is a way to continue their successful BRUUR story. "In 2019, we started brewing beer", Vincent continues. "Shortly after, we distilled our gin. The reactions were extremely positive, so we expanded our production. But we want to avoid commercial supermarkets and stay as close as possible to the cultural sector. Think of local cinemas, cultural centers, grandma's sewing club, small festivals, ... With success: in 2022, we managed to sell 80% in the cultural sector."