Aerial & Circus Performers Chicago
Aerialists, acrobats, jugglers and circus specialists, organized by discipline so you can compare what the act actually requires before you book it.
Looking for aerial or circus performers in Chicago? Start with the discipline, because “circus performer” can describe radically different acts, venue requirements and audience experiences.
Best when the room can stop and watch one memorable moment.
Best for cocktails, arrivals and guest interaction without pausing the event.
Best when you need visual scale, multiple moments or several zones activated.
Best when casting, music, cues, costumes and timing need to work as one system.
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Directory updated October 2026. Listings and guides are editorial resources, not representation agreements or guarantees of availability.
Browse Circus & Aerial Specialties
Aerial Arts
Silks, lyra, trapeze, straps and specialty apparatus. These acts can create enormous visual impact but require careful rigging and venue approval.
Acrobatics & Hand Balancing
Ground-based acrobatics, partner work, hand balancing and strength-based circus that may be easier to place in venues without rigging infrastructure.
Juggling, Object Manipulation & Novelty
Juggling, hoops, unicycle, physical comedy, specialty props and hybrid acts that can function as roaming or featured entertainment.
Circus Characters & Atmosphere
Stilt walkers, roaming specialty artists and visual characters that shape the environment rather than asking the entire room to stop and watch.
The Venue Question Matters
A high ceiling does not automatically mean a venue is suitable for aerial. Confirm approved rigging points, load ratings, installation responsibility, ceiling height, performance clearance, insurance requirements, access time and strike schedule before contracting an aerial act.
If rigging is not possible, ground-based circus can often create comparable visual energy with fewer venue complications.
Chicago Circus & Variety Resources
Explore the full Burlesque & Variety Arts Directory →
Explore private-event entertainment in Chicago →
Explore corporate-event entertainment →
Chicago Circus & Aerial Names to Explore
Chicago has both individual performers and established circus organizations. Useful starting points include:
- Aloft Circus Arts — Logan Square training and performance space with professional circus artists and recurring shows.
- Chicago Aerial Arts — aerial training, showcases and private aerial experiences on Chicago’s Northwest Side.
- Sylvi Circus Arts — Chicagoland circus entertainment including aerial, roaming, fire, LED, juggling and character work.
- Tate West — Chicago circus entertainer offering juggling, stilts, unicycle, aerial and roaming performance.
- CircEsteem — Chicago circus organization whose performance troupe presents aerial and ground circus work in community settings.
For aerial bookings, confirm whether the artist supplies rigging, whether the venue has approved points, and who is responsible for engineering, insurance and installation.
Need One Act or a Produced Experience?
If you know exactly what specialty you need, direct booking may be simplest. If you need several disciplines, coordinated entrances, music, costuming, atmosphere performers or a larger theatrical concept, use a producer.
Return to the Chicago Performers Directory →