There I was, wedged between a sticky toddler and a suspiciously overpriced snow cone, watching a man dressed as a clown rev his motorbike inside a metal cage.
My kid had just spilled Fanta on my shoe. The woman behind me was live-streaming the whole thing with her flash on. And the tent… well, let’s just say it had “seen some things.”
But as I sat there, watching this chaotic masterpiece unfold, I realised something: this whole circus is one giant, beautifully orchestrated sales funnel.
And then I ran the numbers in head.
Ok, more like Chat GPT 😉
The tent holds 766 seats, give or take a few poles and panic exits.
They do 77 shows across a three-city tour over a couple months.
Let’s assume they only sell 60% of their tickets.
That’s 460 seats sold per show.
At an average ticket value of around $43 (weighted across four pricing tiers), that’s $19,790 per show.
Now sprinkle in snacks—because what’s a circus without $12 fairy floss—and boom:
$3,312 in food & drink sales (Probably more)
So, even with a half-full tent and a bucket of glitter confetti falling from the ceiling, they’re making $23,102 per show.
Multiply that across 77 shows and you’re looking at:
$1.77 million in revenue.
Take away costs like land rental, payroll, insurance, fuel, marketing, rig maintenance, and giraffe snacks (okay maybe no giraffes)—
And they still walk away with about $750K – $1.1 million in profit.
At 60% capacity.
You don’t need a packed house to run a profitable show.
You need smart pricing, clever upsells, a tight crew—and maybe a clown with a death wish in a steel cage.
So… what’s your version of the circus?
Are you trying to fill every seat or maximise what you’ve already got?
Because if you’re not sending emails, your funnel isn’t firing or your upsell’s underwhelming, we should chat.
Let’s build you a business that thrives—even if it’s running at 60%.
Book a call with me HERE.
Have an absolutely marvellous day. I insist!
Johannes Klupfel
