What a great circus! It is intimate and small. The performers were excellent. After the show there was an opportunity to meet the performers - speak with them and get photos with them. I highly recommend this circus! read more

See all

5 stars obviously! So fun! Johnny is sigma. Its a cool experience to have! But the bathrooms are really gross... read more

Circus Sarasota - The show! - Performing Arts Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Incredible show lovely generous meet and greet comfortable accessible seating. We can't wait to go back!

Amazing performance by high schoolers Great opportunity to come out and support local public school!

I really wanted to bring my grandkids to the circus. I am disappointed there are no shows during their spring break.

Very enjoyable time at "opening night" at the circus. In town for one month. Who would have thought four seniors would enjoy it so much. It wasn't my idea and I was a bit skeptical but it actually brought out the kid memories in me and was pleasantly surprised that the two hours (including intermission) went by so quickly. In fact we all left feeling a bit warm hearted and happy that we saw a very nice show. I think there were about 8 acts in all and some scary and daring and others light hearted and funny. It is not a large circus and every seat seamed just fine for a good view. We had 3rd row ring side seats. Of course I got the tall guy sitting in row two right smack in front of me. Blocked my vision a few times. There were a few empty seats but still a nice size audience. What impressed me most is you could just see the performers truly had passion for their craft and the circus. It shined through and we were more than happy to support these hard working performers. We were curious and scratched our heads about one thing. On three different daring acts, the performers missed their task and attempted a second try. We were wondering if this was on purpose to add to the thrill or was it a real miss?? Hmm. Still, it did add to the suspense and kept us on the edge of our seat. The circus has changed a lot over the many years...sure miss the lions and elephants (but of course it is way better for the animals)...it was nice to be a kid for the night and seeing it through adult eyes. read more

Outstanding student performances. The talent, hard work and respect for their craft is evident. The venue makes for a great seat wherever you sit. Really a wonderful experience for the whole family, regardless of age. read more

You WILL be forced to pay $10 for parking after paying $90 for 2 tickets...even though there is nowhere that will tell you this. The poor website with no information is done on purpose. EVERYTHING will cost you extra. and not just a little extra but a lot. This is a shame, because it began the night on a negative. The parking attendant gets the brunt of the '$10 to park???? That's not on the website!" to which she replies "i know, I don't know why they do that...$10 please." This underhanded maneuver to scam another $10 out of every car makes the experience begin on a negative. I walked into the first tent and was immediately confronted with all the junk with no price tags...clown nose, plastic made in china light up wands, $12 popcorn, premade cotton candy (no spinning the sugar?), programs, get your picture with dogs for $$...every single thing costs extra, I can't confirm if the portapotties were free or not. I sat down and the negative feeling of getting fleeced by gypsies was clouding everything I saw. that ring is so small, that's a stage? my seat was not obstructed but there's a post right in front of me, This continued to the first act, Horses (I didn't think they did animals anymore). Then, finally as the performers came out, I lightened up a bit. They were good, very good. Too bad, we will never be back. The dishonest way to squeeze an extra buck out of people is just too much to get past. Put the information on your website. Put price tags on the stuff you're selling, trinkets, food, don't make people ask 'how much is...' read more

This was a great show without standing acts. We appreciated that it is a not-for-profit organization supporting so many different causes. You should go and support this cause/this show! read more

Our family attended on a rainy Sunday late afternoon. the parking lot was a quagmire full of mud with deep ruts. It took 30 mins to enter the parking lot because a payment of $10 per car was required before entering the car park. Suggest management dispense with this payment collection which backed up traffic and add fee upfront to ticket price. The effect on me between long wait to park and dangerous walk to and from the tent almost ruined the excellent performance for me. However I highly recommend attending the circus. read more

Sarasota is famous for John & Mable Ringling, the Ringling circus, the flying Wallenda family, Cir is bridge in Venice, Circus museum, and all things circus related. Come to the big top and check out Circus Sarasota, a live circus ringside performance held annually. Featuring tightrope acts, circus animals, other acrobats, clowns, and more. Snack on popcorn, peanuts, cotton candy, hotdogs, coffee drinks and more. Ladies & gentlemen, boys & girls of all ages......Circus Sarasota! read more

This summer-not worth the money to send the kids to this circus camp. Very expensive for a week! They have teenagers as instructors & spotters. Image having your child fall from a ladder with only a twin size pad under them. I was horrified at what I saw at their "performance." Wake up, parents. Take a good look whose "teaching" your kids & supervising them. Parents-you don't know the horror & heartbreak if your child is injured or maimed. The end of camp finale show this year was a farce compared to other years. Not organized & ridiculous performances that looked like what kids would do on a playground. I was very disappointed in this year's camp. And, in this day & age-I don't want my kids wearing unwashed performance clothes that others wore. I know teenagers know nothing about scabies or any other disease you can get from dirty performance clothes, but, please, don't ask my dumbass 8 year old to put it on. The whole week was an utter disappointment. What happened from last year to this year? read more

The summer camp they have is one of the best camps my child has done this summer. She said it is by far her favorite camp. The camp is slightly expensive but in my opinion is worth the money! My daughter talked all week about how much she loved her counselors. Although it is just a camp show I think the Friday showcase was amazing with all the costumes, music, and creativity. I talked with one of the counselors after the showcase and could just tell how much she loved her job and loved teaching the kids. I would say the only complaint I have is how expensive the before care and after care is. I ended up just finding someone else to pick up my daughter while I was at work but still a five star experience. read more

definitely lots of enthusiasm on the part of the entertainers, volunteers. it reminded me of my youth. the acts, the clown/comedian were very good. my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it. worth going! read more

We went to Circus Sarasota last night and it was absolutely delightful! The performers were extremely well-prepared and every act was most enjoyable! I highly recommend it! read more

This was wonderful, a pleasant surprise. It was family friendly entertainment at its best. All seats are reasonably close and intimate, we had ringside seats, which were a real bargain. The ringmaster was also the star attraction on the 40 foot spinning "Wheel Of Destiny", AKA the wheel of death. There was an aerialist, who was also the horse trainer, a woman inside a spinning hoop, a dog act, a juggler, a high wire act where they leap over each other and land on the high wire, male tumblers, and a flying teeter totter act. Two modern changes were the clown didn't wear clown makeup but functioned as a comedian, and the strong man acrobatics act was done by two attractive young women. All acts were entertaining. They allow still photos, but no videos. read more

See all

This is the second season when the Directors of Circus joined with Key Chorale. Young Chorale, and the younthful Sympony players to bring an unequalled show to the Big Top, set up in the pasture across from Ed Smith's Orioles stadium. Five performances were sold out with good reason. We had sublime orchestrations from instruments and trained voices which alone would more than justify the $40-$45 price per ticket. But an old-fashioned circus performance (no animals) really amped up the fun. Seventh generation Wallendas on the high wire. Old fashioned gasps from the crowd as the oldest aerialist's foot slipped from the chair balancing on the 5/8 inch wire. It was part of the performance we learned later, but we bought it, and the suspense built with the musical crescendo The opening announcement informed us that the Wallendas never work with a net, but the orchestra, seated below the high wires in the small performance circle, and noticeably beneath a heavy net - DO! Physically perfect acrobats in glittery costumes amazed us only a few feet from the grand stands. Goofy clowns were interspersed in the action and never over-stayed their welcome. Fire eaters kicked off the action and were close enough for the audience to breathe in the fumes and see the smoke linger in the spotlight above the red-coated Ringmaster. You walk on a field of tamped down grass and can feel the late afternoon sun heat up the tyvec tarp that leads to the seats. We had a choice of blue or pink cotton candy. You must lick your fingers to get every last, melting bit of it. Toasted pretzels with sea salt. Really bad soda from overcharged cylinders manned by inexperienced food sellers. Lemonade. Circus souvenirs including red clown noses. I luuuuuved it. read more

First visit to Circus Sarasota. Had fantastic time and highly recommend. Great performers showcase their talent right in front of you. True old school small circus at its very best. $40 mezzanine seats in 2nd row were perfect. Actually can't decide which of my 4 favorite acts was the best. read more

My child had the time of her life at camp this summer!! Completely positive experience and highly recommend.

Circus Sarasota 2017 had a variety of amazing acts this year with performers from around the globe. It's always great to see classical circus performers with long family roots in the circus arts. The human performance talents were excellent and breathtaking. My favorite being the Wallenda family and their beautiful tightrope act which literally had me on the edge of my seat. The only downside were the animal acts. Horses running with trick riders who were of course amazingly talented, but using cracking whips to maintain control of them while the fear in the horses' eyes are apparent was no fun. Also dogs running, jumping, and being thrown around wasn't that awe inspiring either. The human acts and performances are much more magical and it would be great if they stuck more to that and forget the animal acts all together. The comedy acts throughout the show were hilarious and Dolly Jacobs was as beautiful as ever. I think if this circus just keeps the focus on the human talents, their popularity would soar even more! read more

See all

Excellent show, every act was amazing. Dolly Jacobs is timeless and utterly amazing and beautiful. A must see......

So happy we went to the last show this year of Circus Sarasota! What a great circus! Everyone in the show was great, so skilled at their craft! I couldn't believe how good they were! From the jugglers to the acrobatics, unbelievable what they could do! And to top it off I got to meet Nik Wallenda and his family after the show and get autographs! They were frightening in the show tonight! I was so happy when their act was over! I don't know how they do it! The show had a few things for children, but I think it was more aimed at an adult audience - just my opinion. The best part of circus Sarasota is that they are non-profit and give so much back to the community, from arts and education to entertaining children and elderly with lots of laughter. I really liked the show and the people involved with this event. Go see it next year! read more

What a fun time my brother, sis in law and I had last Saturday at Circus Sarasota. It was my first time attending and I loved it. Thank you for a terrific show. read more

Rivals Cirque de Soleil; truly lives up to the description as the "greatest show"

I have been every year for 8+ years. My kids love it, my parents love it, and I love it. Every year, there are different performers from all over the world and a few staples that are worth seeing again and again (Dolly!). We get the less expensive tickets that are no directly in front of the acts and we still always have a great view of the show - we'd love the center seats but the price difference is considerable (it is so intimate though that every seat in the house is good). The only animals we've seen performing are dogs (saved from shelters) and horses - and, we wouldn't want them to add any others. It can be warm so dress in layers depending on the temperature under the tent. We will keep following them wherever their tents are located (Van Wezel, Ed Smith and now UTC). This is one event we always put on our calendars during Season. read more

We have lived in Sarasota for 7 yrs and last night was the first time we attended the Sarasota Circus. We went more for the experience that we should put this on our bucket list, since we live in Sarasota and it is the Circus town. WOW - What a great time!! The venue allows to you to almost be in the ring. The acts are tremendous! We had a wonderful time, better than I ever would have imagined. I am sold. If you have not been to the Sarasota Circus you need to go. I have seen the Ringling Circus in Dallas and it is amazing, but the feeling you get from being so close to the acts and the talent you get to see makes the experience exhilarating. If you have not been to the Sarasota Circus, do NOT miss it. GO! You will have a wonderful evening. read more

This was a tremendous value considering the quality and quantity of the acts. I only paid $10 for my ticket, but it would have been well worth it had I paid three or four times more. Many of the performers are top-notch and amaze with their physical feats. I could've done without the ventriloquist, but kids seemed to like him. There is really no bad seat, so you don't necessarily have to sit ringside to feel close to the action. My only complaint is that it was too warm under the plastic tent. read more