Among the shows bringing extra buzz to the Vancouver International Children’s Festival that runs till Sunday (May 31) at Granville Island is Les Parfaits Inconnus—a circus that defies every stereotype of glitz and Vegas-style glam you might harbour.

Sure, this troupe has mad skillz in juggling, acrobatics, magic, and other tricks, but the joy of its finely crafted show is its playful lack of pretention. It’s rare to see this level of physical spectacle in an intimate setting like the Arts Club’s Granville Island Stage—and even rarer to see a show that can so fully entertain all ages. On opening night, everyone from two-year-olds to middle-age dads were enthralled when they weren’t busting a gut. And did we mention it’s all melded together with rock music, with some off-the-hook guitarists and one kick-ass drummer? Hilarious, endearing, and gravity-defying: you’ve never seen anything quite like it.

Elsewhere, don’t forget to visit some of the fest’s ambitiously multimedia, interactive installations: I Think I Can, a massive toy train set from Australia’s Terrapin Puppet Theatre, and our own acclaimed Neworld Theatre’s Me on the Map, a performance-meets-artwork in which kids get to help design the perfect urban space.

No, these are not your average, prepackaged kids’ shows.

Get more info, showtimes and tickets here.