What TUMBLE CIRCUS LIMITED does

Tumble Circus Limited is a non-profit, private company limited by guarantee (NI059784), founded in Belfast in 1995 by Ken Fanning and Tina Segner. It operates as Ireland's only non-traditional big top touring circus, creating and touring contemporary circus productions, big top events, and circus films. The company's core technology is human performance — aerial work, acrobatics, juggling, clowning, and physical theatre — anchored by an owned touring asset, the Jossers Big Top tent (with optional lighting, sound, stage, rola track flooring and tiered seating), which doubles as a hire product for external events.

The company monetises across six streams: ticket sales for the annual Winter Circus in Belfast's Writers' Square (£10–£49 family of four) and a new Galway Big Top run (€18–€60); touring Big Top productions to festivals in Ireland, the UK and internationally; community outreach via the bicycle-based Cycle Circus format; Big Top hire for corporate and private events; professional circus-skills masterclasses delivered in partnership with Circusful and Gandini Juggling; and award-winning circus films distributed via YouTube. Customer segments span families and general public (primary), arts festivals and event organisers, community groups and healthcare facilities (nursing homes, day care, dementia care schemes), and corporate/private hirers. Pricing is consistently low — single-ticket and family-ticket formats with group discounts for 10+ — consistent with public-arts positioning rather than premium entertainment.

The go-to-market is event-driven and direct-to-consumer hybrid: ticketing via the company's own website and wegottickets.com, group bookings by email, festival box-office partnerships (Earagail Arts Festival, Glastonbury, Edinburgh Fringe, Perth Fringe World, Adelaide Fringe), and Big Top hire enquiries direct to the founders. A material share of operating capacity is underwritten by public-sector grants from Arts Council Northern Ireland, Arts Council Ireland, Belfast City Council, Culture Ireland, Tourism Northern Ireland, the Cathedral Quarter BID, and the Creative Places Programme, with co-production partners including Casus and Temple Bar Cultural Trust. Leadership comprises two co-founder senior artists, a Board chaired by Matty May with an accountant-treasurer and arts-sector directors, supported by six associate artists including international award-winners Grant Goldie and Angelique Reckless Ross.

Name

TUMBLE CIRCUS LIMITED

Legal name

TUMBLE CIRCUS LIMITED

Website

https://tumblecircus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tumble Circus Limited is a Belfast-based, non-profit contemporary circus company founded in 1995 that creates and tours live shows, an owned Big Top tent, community outreach productions and award-winning circus films for families, festivals, healthcare settings and corporate clients across Ireland, the UK and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Circus Entertainment and Performing Arts

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713), All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (713990)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Circus & Physical Theatre (MPAGABAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Circus, Magic & Variety Shows (THAJAFAH)

Keywords

• Contemporary circus performances
• Circus skills workshops
• Big top touring shows
• Circus film production
• Community circus events

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales - Winter Circus: Direct ticket sales for annual Winter Circus seasonal show held in Belfast's Writers' Square. Family tickets and group bookings available. Prices range from £10-£16 per ticket.
2. Big Top Hire: The company hires out its 'Jossers Big Top' tent for events, including optional lighting, sound system, stage, rola track flooring and three tiered bench seating.
3. Touring Shows: Revenue from touring Big Top productions to festivals and events across Ireland and internationally. Includes Galway Big Top performances and festival appearances.
4. Festival Performances: Performances at festivals including Earagail Arts Festival, community events, and outdoor performances. Cycle Circus brings circus directly to communities.
5. Workshop & Masterclass Fees: Circus skills masterclasses offered in partnership with Circusful. Professional development workshops for circus performers aged 18+.
6. Corporate & Private Bookings: The company can be hired for private performances and corporate events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Tumble Circus creates, produces, and tours contemporary circus shows performed in their portable Big Top tent and at festivals across Ireland, the UK, and internationally. The company produces award-winning circus films for online distribution, hires out its Jossers Big Top tent with full technical setup for corporate and private events, and delivers circus skills masterclasses through a partnership with Circusful. Core audiences are families, communities, festival programmers, and arts organizations.

Product overview

Tumble Circus is a pioneering, professional circus arts company based in Belfast, Ireland. The company offers a portfolio of live circus performances including their flagship annual Winter Circus show in Belfast's Writers' Square, the outdoor Cycle Circus touring show performed on bicycles, and various touring productions like Steal As Much As You Can and Won't Be Told. They also produce award-winning circus films, rent out their Jossers Big Top touring tent, and deliver circus skills masterclasses in partnership with Circusful. Their work combines circus skills with comedy, theatre and social commentary.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Winter Circus: Annual winter season show held in Writers' Square, Belfast featuring the company's Big Top. Now in its ninth year (2025-2026).
• Jossers Big Top
• Cycle Circus
• Tumble Circus Films

Products and services

• Winter Circus Annual seasonal big top circus show held in Writers' Square, Cathedral Quarter, Belfast, featuring aerialists, acrobats, jugglers, and comedians in an all-human performance inside the heated Jossers Big Top tent. Targeted at families, general public, and Christmas/holiday audiences.
• Cycle Circus Outdoor cycling circus show performed on bicycles that tours to festivals, community gatherings, and public spaces including streets, car parks, parks, and nursing homes. Targeted at festivals, community organizations, schools, and healthcare settings.
• Steal As Much As You Can Revolutionary touring circus show with a sustainability theme featuring aerial performance, juggling, unicycling, acrobatics, and clowning. Targeted at festival audiences and arts venues.
• Won't Be Told Rebellious circus adventure performed by Ken and Tina featuring wild acrobatics, absurd juggling, and comedy. Currently touring to Bealtainia Festival venues and nursing homes, day care centres across Ireland in 2026.
• Circus Films Produced award-winning circus films distributed online via YouTube and other platforms, capturing the skills, thrills, and humour of company artists. Targeted at online audiences worldwide.
• Jossers Big Top (Touring Tent Hire) Portable big top tent available for hire for corporate and private events. Comes with optional lighting, sound system, stage, rola track flooring, and three-tiered bench seating. Targeted at corporate event planners, private party organisers, and festival programmers.
• Circus Skills Masterclasses Professional circus skills workshops delivered in partnership with Circusful, including aerial, acrobatics, juggling, and physical circus training. Targeted at professional circus performers aged 18+ and serious skills practitioners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Winter Circus has become Belfast's annual sell-out Christmas event, now in its ninth year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• CircusfulcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 April 2024Ireland's premier circus arts organisation established 1985. Partnership for circus masterclasses with international tutors at Circusful's Belfast headquarters. Also producer of Festival of Fools.
• Gandini JugglingminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 April 2024World-renowned juggling company formed in 1992 by Sean Gandini and Kati Ylä-Hokkala. Partnership for juggling workshop delivered through Circusful.
• Cathedral Quarter BIDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness Improvement District sponsoring Winter Circus venue at Writers' Square in Belfast's Cathedral Quarter. Second year of sponsorship in 2021.
• Earagail Arts FestivalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAnnual host of Tumble Circus productions in Donegal. Co-produced TALAMH show for 2025 with tickets sold through festival box office.
• Age & Opportunity (Bealtaire Festival)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational festival celebrating creativity in older age, running since 1995. Presenting Won't Be Told show across Ireland in 2026.
• Creative Places ProgrammeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity arts partnerships in Enniscorthy, Tipperary Town and other locations for community circus performances.
• Glastonbury FestivalflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHeadlined the Circus Big Top at Glastonbury Festival - major prestige booking.
• Edinburgh FringeflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPerformed at Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
• Earagail Arts FestivalflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAnnual festival programming Tumble Circus performances in Donegal.
• Carlow Arts FestivalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSupported Cycle Circus production.
• Cairde Arts FestivalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSupported Cycle Circus production.
• CasusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Unsuitable show.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Seedhead Arts: Northern Ireland-based arts producing partner organisation; board member Ali Fell is partner at Seedhead. Comparable as an ecosystem/arts production peer in the NI contemporary arts sector.

Direct peers

• Circus Oz: Australian contemporary circus company producing original touring shows with a Big Top. Comparable as a non-traditional contemporary circus peer with similar artistic positioning and touring scale.
• Casus Circus: Australian contemporary circus outfit and confirmed co-production partner of Tumble (Unsuitable, 2015). Directly comparable artistically and operationally.
• Circusful: Ireland's premier circus arts organisation (est. 1985), partner on Tumble's masterclass programme and Belfast training location. Comparable as an Irish contemporary/participatory circus peer.
• Gandini Juggling: World-renowned juggling company (founded 1992) and confirmed Tumble workshop partner. Comparable as a contemporary circus skills company operating internationally.
• No Fit State Circus: Welsh contemporary circus company that tours large-scale Big Top productions across the UK and internationally, blending physical theatre, aerial, and acrobatic performance. Most directly comparable to Tumble in scale, Big Top touring model, and artistic ambition.
• Motionhouse: UK-based dance-circus company producing large-scale touring productions. Comparable in scale, mixed-genre circus/physical theatre approach, and touring international festival circuit.

Regional players

• Circus250 / Irish Circus Heritage projects: UK/Ireland-focused circus sector body and adjacent ecosystem player. Relevant as a regional industry context rather than direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Cirque du Soleil: Global incumbent in contemporary circus. Not a direct competitor at Tumble's scale, but the dominant player Tumble is differentiated against artistically, occupying the same broad category.

Emerging players

• Fool's Paradise: Smaller-scale UK contemporary circus company producing touring shows and Big Top work. Comparable in artistic approach and touring operations at a similar scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/tumblecircus
• Facebookfacebook.com/tumblecircus
• Instagraminstagram.com/tumblecircus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tumble-circus-limited

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TUMBLE CIRCUS LIMITED