Paranormal Cirque II, a scary circus for grown-ups, makes first visit to San Diego this weekend

calico 12/09/2023

The circus is coming to town, but the shenanigans happening under this big top aren’t the typical clown, juggler and trapeze acts.

The traveling Paranormal Cirque II, playing Friday through Monday in a San Diego park, is a two-hour show that mixes traditional circus, theater and cabaret with improvised comedy and a not-so-subtle horror theme that’s packed with zombies, monsters and all other sorts of talented creatures.

“All of our acts have a horror twist to them. We have demon sword swallowers, we have zombies that walk on a wire high above the stage, we have a serial killer that murders a man with his bare hands and a machete right in front of your eyes before amazing you with his juggling skills,” said Steve Copeland, one of about two dozen circus performers who make up Paranormal Cirque.

Paranormal Cirque is one of the touring entertainment shows owned by Cirque Italia. Started in 2012, the Italian entertainment company presents European-style shows under big-top tents. Its main show, The company was founded by Manuel Rebecchi, the nephew of Moira Orfei, a famed Italian circus performer. The other show currently touring under the Cirque Italia banner is Water Circus, which features circus acts performed in an environment of thousands of gallons of water that rains from the ceiling and rises from the stage in fountains.

A trapeze artist sails over a man dressed like a wolf on stilts in Paranormal Cirque II.

Among the new acts being presented on the current Paranormal Cirque tour are a demon sword swallower and an aerial act where a woman awakens from a nightmare and is confronted by a giant beast on stilts that lumbers around while she performs on rings above the stage. There’s also a new pair of creepy contortionist dolls that will captivate and maybe even freak out the audience, Copeland said.

“We attract people that love horror, that love something unique and different. It is a very immersive experience,” he added.

The demon sword swallower in Paranormal Cirque II.

“If you come out one hour before showtime, all of the performers are roaming around like scare actors and terrifying people,” he said. “It’s definitely scarier this year. It’s more immersive so you definitely want to check that out.”

For this circus, no one under the age of 13 is permitted and minors under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult since there is foul language and some sexual humor, Copeland said.

But before all that, there are preshow thrills in a separate tent that’s been turned into a scare zone for early arrivals.