NEWSLETTER
Sept 4 – 7th, 2026 in Ithaca
Ithaca, NY – Get ready for an unforgettable Labor Day Weekend as the Hupstate Circus Festival unveils its exciting lineup of outstanding performances. Now in its fifth year, the festival has become a destination for performance lovers from all over the USA.
The 2024 festival hosted over 30 hours of circus happenings, with numerous sold out shows, and audiences traveling to Ithaca from 22 states and beyond. Headlining this year’s
program is Wes Peden’s show Rollercoaster, a performance full of ultra-modern pop-punk juggling. One of the world’s best jugglers; a Rochester native, and now living in France, Wes Peden uses the skills he has honed from the age of five to twist gravity into the most beautiful knots physics will allow.
Over the past six years, Hupstate has garnered international acclaim for its extensive programming and wide draw as the only all-circus international performance festival in the United States. Festival offerings include a diverse program containing free and ticketed shows,
indoor and outdoor performances, family-friendly and late-night events, community gatherings, gallery takeovers, masterclass workshops, and more. An opening night party will be held the evening of Friday, Sept 4th in downtown Ithaca in celebration of the festival.
Free festival highlights to look forward to include the first-ever flying trapeze at the Ithaca Waldorf School, Circus Kids Day at the Ithaca Children’s Garden, and performances of The Pieces on interlocking ladders outdoors in downtown Ithaca. In addition, audiences will see a
premiere of the mesmerizing performance Hologram by world-famous jugglers Kyle Driggs and Jay Gilligan, the new full-length production Natural Causes by the accomplished performers of Company 29, and the first US screening of 2025 circus documentary A Place in the Ring with special talkback from the legendary circus artist and horse trainer Katja Schumann.
All venue partners, including Cherry Artspace, Hangar Theatre, Community School of Music and Arts, Cornell’s Hoffman Challenge Course, Kipling Theater at the The Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts, Circus Culture, Cinemapolis, and the Ithaca Children’s Garden, are committed to making the festival accessible to everyone. Many shows will feature American Sign Language interpretation, and festival venues are ADA compliant.
Hupstate Circus Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with the mission to elevate circus arts in the United States through high-impact and accessible festival and residency programs. Hupstate creates a world in which the circus arts are respected, flourishing, diverse, sustainable, and known. The 2026 festival is brought to life by the dedicated Hupstate board of directors, including Daia Bromberg, Amy Cohen, Avi Pryntz-Nadworny, and Natasha Shatzkin, with invaluable support from supporting festival crew.
This festival is proudly supported by Tompkins County Tourism, Community Foundation of Tompkins County, Tompkins Charitable Gift Fund, Upstate Theater Coalition for a Fairgame, the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, the Park Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts, and many sponsors listed on our website, whose support helps us elevate the circus arts in the US.
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