There is a particular kind of quiet that falls over a Christmas party just before the food arrives: the room half-full, name badges being peeled off, everyone waiting for something to happen. Then a stilt walker in frosted white glides through the doorway, a juggler catches the light between the tables, and somewhere near the bar a flame arcs through the dark. The room wakes up. Suddenly people are talking, filming, laughing, and the party has begun properly.
That is what eclipseArts brings to Christmas. Run by circus performer Tom Makin, who has 30+ years of performing everywhere from Glastonbury’s main stage to Blenheim Palace. We provide festive circus entertainment for company parties, venues and celebrations across Bristol, Bath and the South West. This is the part of the night nobody scrolls past on Monday morning.
Quick answer: eclipseArts provides live circus Christmas party entertainment in Bristol and across the South West: festive stilt walkers, a fire-show finale, a glowing UV set, arrival meet-and-greets and between-courses cabaret, plus interactive circus workshops as a team activity. It suits corporate parties, hotels and venues, festive events and private celebrations. Fully insured (public liability up to £10m), DBS-checked, all kit included. Christmas gets busy, so book at least a month ahead on WhatsApp or via our contact page.
Two ways to bring the circus to your Christmas party
Most Christmas bookings come down to one question: do you want your guests watching something spectacular, or doing something together? eclipseArts does both, and the two work beautifully side by side.
1. The spectacle: walkabout & performance
Roaming and stage acts that turn a room. A festive stilt walker meeting guests as they arrive, a juggler and cabaret set between dinner courses, a glowing UV set as the evening lifts, and a fire-show finale to send everyone home talking. It’s the “wow”: no participation required, just jaws on the floor and phones out.
2. The team activity: a circus workshop
An interactive circus-skills session where the whole party has a go at juggling, plate spinning, feather balancing, the lot. It’s the ultimate icebreaker for a company that only really sees each other on Zoom, and a genuine alternative to the standard dinner-and-a-DJ. Everyone ends up laughing at themselves, and nobody stands awkwardly by the buffet. See our corporate events and circus workshops pages for how these run.
Christmas entertainment for corporate parties and venues
Guests at a company Christmas party now expect more than dinner and a playlist. A well-placed circus act does the heavy lifting a DJ can’t: it breaks the ice early, gives people something to talk about between courses, and hands your team a night they’ll actually reference next year. A few of the ways eclipseArts is booked over the festive season:
- Arrival meet-and-greet. A stilt walker or fire performer working the entrance as guests arrive builds the buzz before anyone’s even sat down, and makes a brilliant first impression for a big group coming through the doors together.
- Between-courses entertainment. A short, punchy performance between the starter and the main keeps the energy up through the slow bits of a sit-down dinner, and gives every table something in common to talk about.
- A show-stopping finale. A fire performance (space and conditions permitting, fully insured) is the natural high point to close the formal part of the night before the dancing starts.
- Festive events and late-night shopping. For retail spaces, high streets, shopping centres and Christmas lights switch-ons, walkabout circus entertainment keeps crowds lingering, and the longer people stay, the more the season works for you.
Whether it’s a hotel ballroom, an office, a marquee or a market square, eclipseArts arrives with all the kit and shapes the performance around your running order.
Christmas-themed acts we can bring
Tom builds his own costumes and props, so festive acts are tailored rather than pulled off a shelf. Depending on your space, budget and running order, a Christmas booking can include:
- Festive stilt walkers: winter- and frost-themed roaming characters that tower over the crowd, pose for photos and meet-and-greet guests as they arrive.
- Fire performance: a striking outdoor or open-air finale, fully insured through Equity, for that “how did they do that” moment.
- UV & glow set: Tom performs a 15-minute solo set under his own very powerful UV light, luminous and colour-changing, and perfect for a dark December room. Larger or longer glow acts can be arranged by booking additional performers.
- Juggling & cabaret sets: self-contained performances that drop neatly between courses or into a gap in the programme.
- Walkabout & meet-and-greet: mingling entertainment that circulates, interacts and keeps a crowd engaged without a formal stage.
- Circus skills workshops: the hands-on option, run as a festive team activity for groups who’d rather join in than watch.
A circus workshop: the Christmas team activity people actually remember
If your Christmas “do” is really about getting the team together, a circus workshop earns its place better than another set meal. Everyone picks up a skill in the first few minutes (juggling scarves, spinning a plate, balancing a feather), and the room fills with the specific laughter of grown adults dropping things and trying again. It’s inclusive by design: there’s no fitness level, no dividing the confident from the shy, and no one left out. Tom has run these for teams of every size across Bristol, Bath and the South West. It pairs naturally with a meal and drinks either side, and it’s the rare corporate activity that people bring up unprompted months later. Full details on our corporate team building page.
Where we perform
eclipseArts is based in Keynsham and covers Bristol, Bath and the wider South West, including Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. The core area sits within about 20 miles of Keynsham; venues further afield are no problem and are covered by arrangement, so just tell us where you are when you enquire. We’re equally at home in a city-centre hotel, a countryside marquee, an office, or an outdoor festive event.
Booking your Christmas entertainment
December is the one month that genuinely sells out, so please book at least a month before your date. The best dates, the Fridays and Saturdays in the first three weeks of December, go earliest. There’s a practical reason for the notice too: Tom performs solo as standard, and if your event calls for additional performers (a larger stilt team, or a bigger fire or glow act), they get booked up quickly over Christmas. A month’s lead time makes it far easier to build the full line-up you want.
Booking is straightforward: tell us the date, the venue, the rough number of guests and what you’re picturing (arrival act, between-courses, a finale, a workshop, or a mix), and we’ll put together a plan and a clear quote. Everything comes with the kit, the setup and the experience of someone who has performed at hundreds of events. eclipseArts isn’t a booking agency passing you to a stranger; it’s Tom, doing what he loves, at your party.
Prices
Christmas entertainment is quoted per event, because the right package depends on the length of the performance, the number of acts, group size and how far we’re travelling. Rather than a fixed price, you’ll get a tailored quote for exactly what your night needs: a single arrival act, a full evening of performance, or a team workshop. Every booking is fully insured (public liability up to £10m), DBS-checked where relevant, and includes all equipment. Get in touch with your date and venue for a quote.
Frequently asked questions
What Christmas party entertainment do you offer in Bristol?
Live circus entertainment: festive stilt walkers, a fire-show finale, a glowing UV set, juggling and cabaret sets, arrival meet-and-greets, and interactive circus workshops as a team activity. We cover Bristol, Bath and the South West.
Do you provide entertainment for corporate and work Christmas parties?
Yes, corporate parties are one of our busiest festive bookings. We provide arrival acts, between-courses performances and finales for company dinners, and run circus-skills workshops as a team activity that beats the usual dinner-and-a-DJ. See our corporate events page for details.
Can you perform between dinner courses?
Absolutely. Short, self-contained juggling and cabaret sets are designed to drop into the gaps in a sit-down meal, keeping the energy up and giving every table something to talk about.
Is the fire performance safe indoors?
Fire performance is an outdoor or open-air act, staged where the space and conditions allow, and it’s fully insured through Equity. For indoor rooms we’d recommend a glowing UV set instead, or fire outside as guests arrive or move between spaces.
How far in advance should I book Christmas entertainment?
Ideally at least a month before your date. December dates, especially Fridays and Saturdays in the first three weeks, book up fast. Tom performs solo as standard, so if your event needs additional performers, a month’s notice helps us secure them before they get booked up over Christmas.
What areas do you cover?
Based in Keynsham, we cover Bristol, Bath and the wider South West (Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire), with the core area within about 20 miles of Keynsham and further afield by arrangement.
Book your Christmas party entertainment
Give your team and guests a night they’ll still be talking about in January. Tell us your date and venue for a tailored quote. Message on WhatsApp or use our contact page.
Looking beyond the festive season? See our circus acts for hire for fire, stilts and walkabout at events all year round.
eclipseArts: bringing the circus to Christmas across Bristol, Bath and the South West.