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Big Top Comes to the Big Apple: Big Apple Circus and More High-Flying Shows in NYC

The Big Apple Circus has pitched its big top in Damrosch Park for a fun-filled show that's an ode to its hometown. Photo by Jody Mercier
The Big Apple Circus has pitched its big top in Damrosch Park for a fun-filled show that's an ode to its hometown. Photo by Jody Mercier
11/11/24 - By Drew Kristofik

It's easy to run away to the circus in NYC—we have so many big tops passing through town each year that you can snag a seat in the stands in any season. A trip to the circus is an exercise in joy and a great introduction to live performances for little kids. High-flying acrobats and glittering costumes are great attention grabbers!

The beloved Big Apple Circus holds its annual holiday season run, dazzling audiences at Lincoln Center with acrobats, trained poodles, magic, and more. Circus newcomer Flip Circus makes multiple stops for audiences in Forest Park and McCarren Park, while the Grand Shanghai Circus brings a taste of China to St. George on Staten Island. Come spring, Cirque du Soleil's Luzia lights up Randall's Island, and the New Victory Theater has a pair of circus troupes on its docket this season, too.

Read on for all the touring circus acts you can catch in NYC, and book your tickets for your favorite big top now to ensure you don't miss out on the action.

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OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Best Circus Shows in NYC to See with Kids

The Circus of Second Chances at the 3am Theatre

Astoria, Queens
Wednesday, November 13-Sunday, November 17, 2024
Three veteran acrobats melt the fourth wall to reveal their flaws and journey to redemption. The audience plays a vital part in The Circus of Second Chances, in which ropes are dancescapes, trapezes are windows to the soul, and spinning hoops are portals to infinite possibility.    READ MORE

Circus Vazquez at Citi Field

Willets Point, Queens
Friday, November 15-Sunday, December 15, 2024
Circus Vazquez, America’s largest family-owned big top circus, brings its new 2025 production to Queens. Circus Vazquez has entertained generations of families with an awe-inspiring, death-defying, hilarious, authentic, and affordable circus experience. READ MORE

Yuletide Factory at the New Victory Theater

Midtown West
Select dates from Saturday, November 23-Sunday, December 29, 2024
The merry daredevils of Cirque Mechanics (Zephyr, 2023) are back with an industrial-strength spectacular, transforming a drab assembly plant into a holly jolly Yuletide Factory! From the wonder of the German wheel to festive flips from the trampoline wall, they dash and dance through a pageant of powerhouse stunts with grins and goodwill. READ MORE

Flip Circus in Forest Park

Forest Park, Queens
Select dates through Tuesday, November 26, 2024
World-class clowns, acrobats, jugglers, and daredevils display their talents in a big top so intimate that no audience member is more than 50 feet from the ring. READ MORE

Flip Circus in McCarren Park

Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Friday, November 29-Sunday, December 15, 2024
Flip Circus wraps up its NYC tour by pitching its distinct red-and-white big top in McCarren Park. Leave your cares at the door and enter a world where the laughs are plentiful and the wows only stop when the show ends. READ MORE

Bread and Puppet Theater: NYC Residency at Theater for the New City

Lower East Side
Select dates from Wednesday, December 4-Sunday, December 15, 2024
Bread and Puppet draws on traditional circus troupes to focus attention on the urgent issues of the day. Stilt dancers, paper maché beasts of all sizes, and a riotous brass band make a raucous, colorful spectacle of protest and celebration. Two shows are presented this year, with a different program each week. READ MORE

Big Apple Circus at Lincoln Center

Upper West Side
Select dates through Sunday, January 5, 2025
The magic of the Big Apple Circus returns to New York City — bolder, brighter, and more breathtaking than ever — with the comedic genius of Johnny Rico, the jaw-dropping trapeze artistry of the Flying Maluendas’ from Chile, and the high-energy acrobatics and human pyramids of Ukraine’s Bingo Troupe. READ MORE

Cirque-Tacular presents Shimmer at Tribeca PAC

Tribeca
Saturday, February 8, 2025
Journey to a shimmering winter wonderland of circus spectacle and derring-do as this aerial snow show mesmerizes with astonishing acrobatics, dazzling specialty acts, and glittering costumes. READ MORE

Grand Shanghai Circus at the St. George Theatre

St. George, Staten Island
Friday, February 21, 2025
The Grand Shanghai Circus honors the essence of old, historic Shanghai culture with breathtaking acrobatics, colorful dance, comedy, mystifying magic, and numerous aerial feats of strength. READ MORE

Cirque du Soleil's LUZIA on Randall's Island

Randall's Island
Select dates from Wednesday, March 5-Sunday, March 30, 2025
Cirque du Soleil's LUZIA transports the audience to an imaginary Mexico, blending breathtaking acrobatics with stunning visuals, from urban sets to deserts and ocean, artistically incorporating water into the acrobatic presentation—a first for a Cirque du Soleil touring production. READ MORE

MOYA at the New Victory Theater

Midtown West
Select dates from Saturday, April 12-Saturday, April 26, 2025
Experience the big-hearted spirit of Ubuntu with MOYA, a uniquely South African story, and come together for an invigorating circus extravaganza that shines with the vibrant humanity of the Rainbow Nation. READ MORE

Backbone at Lincoln Center

Midtown West/Upper West Side
Friday-Saturday, May 16-17, 2025
Backbone examines the various perceptions of what strength is, where it comes from, and how it is measured, through circus arts. READ MORE

ABCirque at Brooklyn Children's Museum

Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Saturday, May 17, 2025
ABCirque returns to Brooklyn Children’s Museum for a day of interactive performances and hands-on workshops. The main performance takes place on the rooftop, ensuring everyone has a good view. Swing on silks, try your hand at juggling, test your balance, take a spin on a gigantic wheel, and more.  READ MORE

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About the Author

Drew Kristofik
Drew Kristofik’s career took a twist from editing teen magazines to a seven-year stint at MacNeil/Lehrer, followed by a long run at Nickelodeon/Viacom as Director of Content for Nick Online and Editor-in-Chief of ParentsConnect.com. A founding member of the Webby Award-winning GoCityKids, she’s written for Family Fun, Vanity Fair, and New York. Her middle school novel, The Time Boat, is available on Amazon Kindle. Drew keeps the MommyPoppins New York Events calendar spot-on and can be reached at events@mommypoppins.com.
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