Romanian town transforms into open-air stage as puppets take over streets

Giant illuminated marionettes are taking over the streets of Craiova as puppeteers, circus artists and other performers take part in the opening of the annual "Puppets Occupy Street" festival, an eight-day event that transforms the Romanian city into a vast open-air theatre.

Children posed for photographs alongside the towering puppets before the brightly lit figures paraded through the city centre in a night-time procession marking the start of the festival on Tuesday (September 1st).

This year's edition, themed "Stardust", is designed as a journey through the cosmos, organisers said.

More than 150 artists and theatre companies from 15 countries are participating in the event, which features performances, workshops, concerts and exhibitions across Craiova.

Some of the festival's marionettes stand as high as five metres (16 ft), while large-scale floats and theatre groups have travelled from countries including Japan, Brazil, Argentina and Italy to take part.

Since its launch in 2014, the festival has grown into one of Europe's leading puppetry and street theatre events, with organisers describing it as second in prominence only to France's Avignon Festival.

Camera: Andreea Campeanu; Editing, Production and Writing: Malgorzata Wojtunik/Reuters