From Wednesday, September 2, to Saturday, September 5, 2026, the Grande Place at Balexert, a shopping center located in Vernier in the canton of Geneva, hosted four days of balance workshops and, on Saturday, an acrobatic slackline show. For this slackline show at the Geneva shopping center, the challenge could be summed up in one sentence: no usable anchor points along the line’s axis.
Slackline Events, a Swiss highline and slackline performance company based in Veytaux, near Montreux, stretched the line between two anchors weighted at approximately 4 metric tons, which had been installed overnight on a marble floor with a weight limit of 700 kg/m².
In short
- Client: Balexert, a shopping center that opened in 1971, with more than 140 stores
- Agency: None; we work directly with the center's event team
- Location: Grande Place de Balexert, 27 Avenue Louis-Casaï, Vernier (Canton of Geneva)
- Dates: Wednesday, September 2, through Saturday, September 5, 2026; free admission
- Event type: a four-day event at a shopping center open to the public
- Performances: trickline show (acrobatic slackline, one performer) and “Discovering Balance and Slacklining” workshops
- Installation: two freestanding, ballasted anchors, not attached to the building, installed at night
- Length: 22.1 meters between two 1.70-meter trestles
- Show: Saturday, September 5, 2026, three performances lasting about 15 minutes each, at 3:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., and 5:00 p.m.
- Workshops: Wednesday 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m., Thursday and Friday 1:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., ages 4 to 99
- Audience: visitors to the center, the general public, and families
The Trickline show on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at the Grande Place in Balexert. Photo: Slackline Events
Goals: A slackline show to bring a Geneva shopping center to life
Balexert wanted to breathe new life into its shopping center, attract visitors, and make them want to come back: the message they wanted to convey is that there’s always something happening at Balexert. For the center’s events team, a good event is one that’s immediately obvious, remains spectacular, and offers a simple experience for a very family-oriented audience.
The inspiration came from the Gala des Grenat, held at Palexpo on October 8, 2025. There, the Balexert entertainment team discovered a show that blended slacklining and performance—more artistic than athletic.
The selected program: workshops from Wednesday through Saturday, and a single day of performances on Saturday, the day with the highest attendance at the center.
Background and Challenges: No anchor points and a floor load capacity limited to 700 kg/m²
In the atrium of the Grande Place, there was nothing to attach a slackline to: no posts, no brackets, and no roof structure along the desired axis. We had to bring in ballast—that is, weights placed on the ground to serve as anchor points.
The floor posed a second problem: polished marble, which has very low friction, with a load limit of 700 kg/m². A 500-kg concrete cylinder placed on its pallet exerts a force of 947 kg/m², which is 35% above the limit.
Finally, the center continued to operate normally during both set-up and the event: loading was permitted only until 10:00 a.m., noisy set-up work was restricted to outside of business hours, and RF2 fire safety certificates (AEAI) were required for equipment and set pieces.
The Grande Place de Balexert: the marked-off performance area between the wooden floor and the marble floor. Photo: Slackline Events
Our solution: two self-contained, 4-metric-ton ballasted anchors
For this anchor-free trickline show, Slackline Events replaced the building with ballast: two independent anchors weighing 4,190 kg each, positioned on either side of the performance area. The line—a 5-cm-wide polyester trickline strap—is stretched 22.1 meters between two 1.70-meter-tall trestles.
In most places, an acrobatic slackline show can be set up quickly using existing anchor points. Balexert is a special case: we had to build those anchor points from scratch.
Eight concrete cylinders and one wooden platform on each side
Each anchor consists of eight 500-kg concrete cylinders, on pallets, placed on a 3.50 × 2.00 m spruce distribution platform. A 4.00 × 2.10 m non-slip mat separates the wood from the marble. In total, there are sixteen cylinders: 8 metric tons of ballast.
The platform distributes the load over 7 m²: the maximum ground pressure reaches 685 kg/m², which is below the 700 kg/m² limit. The civil engineer from Balexert had confirmed in advance that 700 kg/m² is an allowable distributed load. The measured stress peaked at approximately 1,400 kgf (13.7 kN), consistent with the design value of 14 kN.
One of the two ballasted anchors, as seen from the upper floor: the concrete cylinders covered with white caps. Photo: Slackline Events
Tensioning the line, as measured by a dynamometer. Photo: Slackline Events
A nighttime shoot, closed set
On the morning of Friday, September 4, the center’s crews removed the edges of the wooden floor on the Grande Place so that the slabs could rest directly on the marble. The slabs arrived by crane truck that afternoon.
At closing time: clean the floor, set up the slings, mat, and platform; bring the boulders one by one using an electric pallet jack; tension the ropes; then check the position of the anchors against the floor markings before opening to the public. The boulders are covered with white PVC covers, which come with a fire-resistance certificate. A marked perimeter surrounds the anchors when the public is present.
The 500-kg cylinders rest on the wooden distribution platform and are moved using an electric pallet jack. Photo: Slackline Events
Workshops on Self-Supporting Structures
For four days, the “Discover Balance and Slacklining” workshops took place on the Grande Place. The setup included low slacklines on freestanding structures, balance blocks and beams, mini-trampolines, educational panels, and an obstacle course for children under 6. Nothing is attached to the building. Details about the format can be found on the page for our introductory slackline workshops for all ages.
"Discovering Balance and Slacklining" workshops on the Grande Place. Photo: Slackline Events
Highlights: the nighttime setup, followed by Saturday's show
On the night of September 4–5, 2026, eight metric tons of concrete were poured in just a few hours, with the venue closed to the public. On Saturday, the workshops opened at 10:00 a.m., and the show followed at 3:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., and 5:00 p.m.: an artist performed on the 22.1-meter line. In this multi-level open atrium, the audience watched the show from several rows around the marked perimeter and along the balustrades on the upper floors.
Saturday, September 5, 2026: The audience watches the show from around the perimeter and from the upper floors. Photo: Slackline Events
Results and Impact: A Line That Held, a Center That Did Not Close
The technical outcome can be summarized in three points: the line held, the pavement of the Grande Place was not damaged, and the center’s operations were not interrupted. A 15-page technical report was prepared on the installation.
After the event, the feedback received on both the show and the workshops was positive, and the audience applauded the Saturday performances.
This example complements our slackline demonstration at the One Nation Paris shopping center, where the line was set up at a height of about 9 meters in the center’s atrium. Balexert illustrates another scenario: a building without any usable anchor points. For other indoor shows, see the acrobatic slackline performance at the Forum Fribourg or a slackline set up above the tables for FC Bulle.
Tips for Organizing a Slackline Show at a Shopping Center
- Assess the anchor points as soon as the site is surveyed. If nothing is suitable, a ballast solution is available, but it must be prepared months in advance. In this case, the site survey was conducted on May 27, 2026.
- Book your boat well in advance. For the weekend of September 4, the first rental company we contacted had nothing available.
- Request the allowable floor load in kg/m² and have it confirmed by the site engineer. In this case: 700 kg/m².
- Distribute the load. A wooden tray under the blocks and a non-slip mat against the stone protect the floor and stabilize the anchorage.
- Check access. Loading dock, freight elevator (4,000 kg capacity here), time limit for pallets. The center did not provide any lifting equipment or stackers.
- Ensure that the facility has the required fire safety certifications and safety measures in place: protected access to the cable, a protected area beneath the line, and cables lowered at night.
- Agree on the audio. Balexert may cut the background music during a show and broadcast announcements over the microphone; all music must be approved in advance.
- Schedule the show for the busiest day, set aside the quieter days for workshops, and use clear signage to indicate whether a workshop is led by an instructor or open for self-guided participation.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to Balexert for its trust, as well as to its event coordination, security, and operations teams, who, among other things, removed part of the wooden floor on the Grande Place to make way for the installation. Thank you to Constructions Tubulaires Tech SA for renting, transporting via crane truck, and outfitting the sixteen blocks; to Audiovisuel Concept for the sound system; and to FilmGeneva for filming on September 5, 2026.
Let's discuss your project
Do you manage a shopping center or a venue without an obvious anchor point? Slackline Events will assess the technical feasibility of your site and offer you an indoor acrobatic slackline show, either on its own or combined with introductory workshops on balance and slacklining. You can also book a slackline workshop online or browse all our case studies, including activities for corporate events in Geneva.
Frequently Asked Questions: A Slackline Performance in a Shopping Center Without Anchor Points
Is it possible to set up an acrobatic slackline in a shopping mall without an anchor point?
Yes, using self-supporting weighted anchors. At Balexert, Slackline Events stretched a 22.1-meter line between two anchors weighing 4,190 kg each, without attaching anything to the building. When the location offers solid anchor points, it is still possible to attach the structure to the building, as at One Nation Paris: a technical assessment determines which of the two options to choose.
How much weight is needed for an indoor trickline show?
At Balexert, each side of the line rested on eight 500-kg concrete cylinders, for a total of approximately 4 metric tons per anchor and 8 metric tons overall. The measured tension peaked at approximately 1,400 kgf. The ballast depends on the length of the line and its tension; it is calculated during the technical study, after the site survey.
Can a floor with a load-bearing capacity limited to 700 kg/m² support a 4-metric-ton anchor?
Yes, provided the load is distributed. A 500-kg cylinder placed on its pallet exerts 947 kg/m², which exceeds the limit. When placed on a 3.50 × 2.00 m wooden pallet, the blocks exert a maximum of only 685 kg/m², compared to a limit of 700 kg/m². The allowable load must always be confirmed by the site engineer.
How can you protect a marble floor while setting up a slackline show?
By avoiding any direct contact between the ballast and the stone. At Balexert, a 4.00 × 2.10 m non-slip mat separated each wooden platform from the marble; the floor was cleaned before installation, and the blocks were moved one by one using an electric pallet jack. The floor was not damaged.
What requirements does a shopping center have for a slackline show?
Above all, it requires a validated ground load, fire safety certifications, and safety measures around the line. At Balexert, the equipment and set design had to have RF2 (AEAI) certifications; access to the cable and the area beneath the line had to be protected; and the cables had to be taken down in the evening.
How can I combine weekday workshops with a Saturday show at a shopping mall?
The show should be scheduled for the day with the highest attendance, and the workshops should be held on quieter days. At Balexert, four days of workshops—from Wednesday through Saturday—accompanied three show performances on Saturday, September 5, 2026, at 3:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., and 5:00 p.m. The workshops are open to participants ages 4 to 99: see our slackline introductory sessions for children and adults.