Tilde Björfors is a celebrated figure known for creating visually stunning spectacles that transport audiences to a realm of wonder. As director, regisseur, choreographer, playwright and researcher, her groundbreaking work transcends disciplines and challenges expectations.

In 2016 Björfors was invited to stage Philip Glass’ Satyagraha at Folkoperan in Stockholm. The production pushed the boundaries of opera as an art form and earned her the epithet of “queen of contemporary circus” (Margareta Sörenson, Danstidningen) for a staging lauded as “a brilliantly conceived Swedish fusion of singing and circus” (Clive Paget, Limelight). The production won the Swedish Theatre Critics’ prize and, in turn, inspired Glass to compose Circus Days and Nights, an opera in three acts, for which Björfors collaborated on libretto and production. Premiered during the pandemic, Glass’ opera offered audiences a meditation at once “magical and profound” with “two arts forms functioning as a piece” (Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times).

Spanning over three decades, Björfors’ work explores a world where everything is possible, with productions that use music as an essential thread on which to spin performance. With a background in theatre, Björfors fell in love with cirque nouveau while on a trip to Paris and never looked back. In 1995, she founded the company Cirkus Cirkör to channel her vision for a new performative idiom. Productions for the company include the smash hit Pippi at the Circus, based on Sweden’s beloved children’s character, and the conceptually daring Knitting Peace, featuring yarn-weaving acrobats.

As Sweden’s first professor in contemporary circus at Stockholm University of the Arts, she has designed circus schools, educational programs and interdisciplinary research projects, consistently advocating for an approach that includes playfulness, physical intelligence, and embodied knowledge. Björfors also founded CIRKÖR LAB, Circus Transcending Boundaries, supported by Sweden’s Council of Science. She has collaborated with various institutions and served as artistic director for the Nobel Prize Banquet in 2002 and 2013.

Björfors is committed to engaging diverse audiences, and her pioneering artistic work in developing contemporary circus and expanding its educational outreach has earned her numerous prestigious awards, including H. M. The King’s Medal, the Swedish Academy for Circus Arts Award, Gannevik Award, KTH’s Great Science and Art Prize, and the Premio Europa per il Teatro Prize for New Theatrical Realities—a testament to her international influence.

In 2023, Björfors left Cirkus Cirkör to embark on a new chapter and has since worked on ambitious projects, including the global musical sensation Come Alive! The Greatest Showman, where she acted as choreographer and casting director. Among her recent collaborations are the stage direction for Strindberg’s A Dream Play and the family-friendly Handel on Hands, which she wrote and directed. Upcoming projects include the stage direction for Verdi’s Requiem in Oslo. Björfors’ role as a cultural trailblazer continues to inspire innovation, foster social change, and expand artistic frontiers.