Interested in booking circus entertainment for your next event?
It’s a great idea– circus brings an extra level of memorability, snazz and excitement to your event. We get it though, soliciting the right entertainers with the right qualifications can be daunting.
The Circus District is not an entertainment provider or booking agency, which means we can’t send you performers and we won’t reach out to anyone for you. However, we do maintain a free, public list of local circus organizations and individual performers who are available for hire, and we can help you know the right questions to ask!
Before you decide to hire circus entertainment, think about the following questions. With your answers to these questions, you will be able to write a clear request to get the entertainment that will make your event spectacular.
What is your budget?
- This is the biggest consideration to make prior to booking circus entertainment. Artists require fair compensation. After settling on your entertainment budget, think about how many artists you could fairly pay to do the job. Remember, these artists are traveling to your event, dressing up to fit your theme, creating joy and awe through their performances, transporting heavy equipment and breaking everything down. They have trained for years to attain mastery of their circus discipline. Offering a fee that recognizes this personal investment will allow them to do their best work.
What type of entertainment do you want?
There are a few main types of circus entertainment. Consider these options:
Ambient Performance
- Ambient entertainment includes all acts that build an ambiance for your event. Ambient performers move throughout your event space to entertain guests, or may be stationed in certain areas for periods of time. Based on the length of your event and how much activity you’re looking for, ask performers how long they can perform their skill and how long of a break they’ll need in between sets.
Stage/Spotlight Performance
- Stage acts may be short (5- to 7-minute) acts to music, or they might involve a single person performing 45 minutes of interactive circus skills or comedy. A ‘spotlight’ act refers to any performance that commands your guests’ full attention, much like an act in a circus ring.
Workshops/School Programs/Team Building
- Circus arts are an excellent way to build camaraderie among classmates, coworkers and teams of any kind. If you are interested in bringing educational circus programs to your school or business, consider the size or your group, what length of time you are looking to fill and how physically demanding you would like the activity to be.