Dear Midnight Circus Community

Dear Midnight Circus Community,

For nearly two decades, Midnight Circus has brought Chicagoans of all ages, races, and socioeconomic status together to laugh, gasp, dream, and be inspired. Seeing Midnight Circus in your local park, sharing that space with your community, knowing it would always be accessible and truly spectacular, has become a beloved Chicago tradition. 

Regretfully, our ability to defy gravity while battling bureaucracy has proved to be our toughest challenge yet. We are facing a post-pandemic shift in how Midnight Circus is supported, funded, and allowed to operate in Chicago. Therefore, it is with a heavy heart that we announce we will not be able to produce a full-scale, city-wide Midnight Circus in the Parks Tour for the 2023 season. 

As a non-profit arts organization, we are used to punching well above our weight class. In 2020, while live performance around the world was forced to shut down, Midnight Circus continued our mission and offered safe, open-air performances for free to communities across the city.We were hoping that our perseverance and generosity would be recognized and rewarded; unfortunately this was not the case.

We are forever grateful to the talented artists who have graced our little circus ring over the years, and the committed community partners that have believed in our mission and have partnered with us to strengthen Chicago communities. It’s been a privilege to grow our own family up alongside the families that return year after year to support our show. 

Outside of Chicago, Midnight Circus has been fortunate to occupy a unique space in the theatrical circus community around the globe. “A Circus with a Conscience” is what Canadian press proclaimed in 2014 as we were the first American company ever invited to the esteemed Montréal Complètement Cirque Festival. We are proud to have used our platform to better the lives of others.

This is a difficult time for many arts organizations. In Chicago, companies are closing at an alarming rate, and many more are fighting for survival.

We aren’t sure what the future holds for Midnight Circus, but we remain determined and hopeful. Next week we will have an official announcement outlining our 2023 program. Until then, tax-deductible donations of any size can be made here. Your support helps to ensure that we can continue our mission in the future of building community…one circus at a time.  

Thank you, and we hope to see you at the circus.

In Gratitude,
Jeff, Julie, and the
Midnight Circus family.