Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Bjorn the polar bear?

Bjorn’s story began many years ago in the Arctic North of Canada. Abandoned as a cub he was discovered and befriended by an Arctic conservationist. Now Bjorn and his companion travel the world making friends, sharing their story and telling people about the fascinating and vulnerable world of the Arctic. Bjorn is used to people, so if you’re lucky enough to meet him then you’re welcome to give him a pat – if you’re feeling brave enough.

No really…How does it work?

Bjorn is very real to us and to many of the people we meet and we prefer to keep it that way, so please think carefully about how you phrase any advance publicity. But if you must know, Bjorn is brought to life by a talented puppeteer: and by your imagination…

What does Bjorn actually do?

Together with his Arctic conservationist companion, Bjorn is the centrepiece of an interactive performance which is a cross between a petting zoo and a nature documentary. During the show the audience will find out about how polar bears survive in the Arctic and get the opportunity to interact with Bjorn; he’s very friendly and doesn’t object to being patted, stroked and tickled behind the ears. The show is an informal, magical and overall interactive experience, ideal for mixed family audiences of between 100-200 people at each sitting. Bjorn sometimes appears at parties, as a part of a choreographed show or at special events: please contact us if you are interested in booking Bjorn for your special event.

What kind of venues does Bjorn perform in?

Bjorn the polar bear can perform in any public space with sufficient floor-space, a power supply and access to appropriate changing. In the past we have performed in theatres, in shopping centres, in museums and science centres, in television studios, on red carpets, in Christmas markets and once on top of a 50 metre geodesic dome. Ironically, we cannot perform on ice. In order to keep our bear and his set looking pristine for everyone to enjoy, we only take bookings for indoor venues during our winter season.

For our technical details, click here.

How do I book Bjorn?

If you’d like to find out about having Bjorn at your event, go to our bookings page and send us your enquiry. Make sure to let us know the date and location of your event so that we can provide you with a quote.

Can Bjorn perform on stage?

Our show is an improvised, immersive experience during which Bjorn reacts spontaneously to the audience, so it’s important that we’re able to interact directly with them. We therefore only perform our show at floor level. In the past Bjorn has taken part in choreographed shows – for instance this one, in Hong Kong – contact us if you would like to discuss Bjorn taking part in your performance.

Do you do photo-shoots?

We do not offer a photo shoot as standard as we prefer the spontaneity of live interaction. However we have taken part in choreographed photo shoots like this one in Singapore. If you are interested in choreographing a photo shoot we recommend that it is ticketed with no more than 25 family tickets per session and you provide at least three members of staff to manage the audience.

Can you perform your show in other languages?

Our Arctic conservationists only speak English. If you are considering booking us for a non-English speaking audience you need to provide an extra radio-mike and a member of your team who speaks English and the local language, so that they can translate for our conservationist.

Can Bjorn fly?

Bjorn just fits within the legal maximum weight limit for baggage. He travels in an extremely large bag which is taken at the airline’s discretion – we cannot guarantee that all airlines will accept it. British Airways is our preferred airline (Bjorn likes the uniforms). For more information about flying our show, click here.

How can I find out about upcoming performances?

You can join Bjorn’s facebook page. But honestly he’s not very good at updating it.

How many nipples do polar bears have?

OK, it’s not a frequently asked question but someone did ask it once so I’ve included it for the sake of completeness. Polar bears have four nipples. As with most mammals this equals one pair for each of the young in a typical birth (polar bears normally have twins).

How can I help to save the polar bears?

Bjorn is extremely concerned about the effects of climate change on the Arctic — and the rest of the world. He donates part of his fee from every show to Greenpeace, who are fighting companies and governments trying to exploit the Arctic for its natural resources and accelerate climate change, every step of the way. Find out more about Greenpeace’s Save the Arctic campaign and donate or join.

For more information about polar bears and conservation projects specific to them visit our other favourite charity Polar Bears International. This is the best place on the internet to find out about polar bears; there are resource packs for schools, you can adopt your own bear and find out more about projects in Bjorn’s native Canada.

If there’s anything here we haven’t covered, please contact us: we’re very nice, really!