Three Giant Elephants Turn Taipei Streets Into Theatre

Three giant mechanical elephants walked through Taipei's Shilin District on Saturday night. The elephants were part of a street performance called Trois éléphants passent.... It opened the 2026 Taipei Arts Festival.

About 100,000 people came to watch the first night, according to the Taipei Performing Arts Center. The elephants were not real animals. They were large machines made for the show. Each one is about 4.5 meters tall and 8 meters long.

The French troupe Compagnie Oposito created the parade. Musicians and performers joined the elephants as they moved through the streets. Instead of sitting in a theatre, people watched outside and followed the action along the road. A second performance was planned for Sunday night.