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    • What do our apparatus and circus acts cost?

    We offer a wide range of apparatus and acrobatic acts which vary in scale and price. Lets discuss apparatus pricing, as well as what these circus acts cost. Travel, freight, mileage, market demands and the availability of local talent are just some of the variables that determine fees, which are usually all-inclusive.

    Apparatus pricing

    Let’s first look at the pricing of our proprietary apparatus and Contraptions. We warehouse our unique acrobatic elements in both Las Vegas and South Florida – from where we calculate the cost of fuel, travel and labor.

    The Gantry Bike our largest apparatus, requires a cast / crew of 6, is transported in a 16’ truck and is our most labor-intensive unit. Pricing for the Gantry Bike (which includes all labor, talent and travel) in either Las Vegas or Orlando is in the $20-23,000 range, while the fee in Chicago and New York, for instance, is 4-6,000 higher. (due to shipping, freight, travel)

    Many of our other smaller apparatus (the Wine Bike for example) can be shipped to most regions in the country in a 6’ x 2’ x 2’ crate and requires one or two artists. The all-inclusive fee for the Wine Bike is $1,850-$2,750 in either Las Vegas or Orlando, and 2,500-4,500 more in Chicago or New York. Other U.S. markets fall somewhere in between.

    Pricing specific to most major markets in North America is available upon request.

    What circus acts cost

    When hiring circus acts or acrobatic talent, several factors can influence pricing. To make things simpler, let’s begin by dividing our acts into two major categories:

    Ground acts: can be performed directly on the stage, dance floor, or on a platform provided by the artist

    Aerial Acts: require either overhead rigging or a ground-supp0rted system.

    Ground Acts

    These performance are presented on the ground or stage. They require no rigging and are generally the easiest kinds of acts to produce. They include acts such as Hula Hoop, Juggling, Rola Bola, Contortion, Cyr Wheel, Shape Spinning, Russian Swing, Hand Balancing and Trampoline Wall to name a few.

    The principle factor in cost is size of cast. Obviously, a solo juggler would be less expensive than a 6-person Russian Swing or Trampoline Act.

    The next factor is the type of act, and how much technical support is required. For instance, a Hula Hoop artist can often travel easily with props as carry-on on a flight, while a Handstand performer who needs a table and canes (mini platforms) will generally incur excess luggage fees, which could add hundreds of dollars to the overall fee. You may not SEE this fee but it will be added to the cost of the performance.

    A safe bet for a solo act would be in the $1,500 -$3,000 range, while a group act like Russian Swing (with 6 artists) would be between $8,000-$10,000. We would then add travel, freight costs to give you an all inclusive fee.

    Aerial Acts

    such as Straps, Hoop, Rope, Chains, Trapeze and Tissue. The most common aerial apparatus can travel as checked baggage, but some like Hoop and Trapeze can incur excess baggage fees.

    The real X factor when considering aerial acts usually comes down to rigging. Every venue has its own set of regulations – who is permitted to set up the apparatus, how it must be done, ensuring safety and suitability for the artist. Rigging costs are generally the most difficult to assess. For this reason, our freestanding aerial-rigging solutions ( the Gantry Bike and Carousel) are extremely popular.

    But let’s say you choose to include an aerial act and plan to hang the point above the stage. You should factor on a rigging fee not less than $1,500 to hang a solo static point (cannot go up and down) and a fee of $3,000 or more if the goal is to have a dynamic point (can travel up and down).

    Similar to ground acts, fees for a solo aerial act would be in the $1,500 -$3,500 range, while a duo Trapeze act would be 1-2,000 more– before travel and freight costs are added in.

    What about pricing for Strolling or Ambient talent?

    Okay so now we know what circus acts cost, lets discuss Strolling or Ambient talent. This category includes acts such as Hula Hoop, Stilt Walkers, Jugglers, Unicyclists. Solo performers make up the bulk of this category and the performers are generally paid by the hour.

    Let’s split Strolling into two categories:

    Tier 1: includes talent such as Juggling, Hula Hoop, Diabolo, Unicycling and Stilt and Ball Walking. Fees range from around $375 -$500 per hour with a two-hour minimum.

    Tier 2: includes such talent as Bouncing Stilts, BMX, Close-up Magic. Fees are about $500-$750 per hour with a two-hour minimum.

    For a more complete list of featured or ambient acts click here.

    When booking more than one act, there are generally savings realized with shared labor, and transportation costs. These savings are passed on to the client as a bundled fee. We hope this helps to take some of the mystery out of how circus acts are generally priced. Please feel free to get in touch for specific quotes.

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