Kermess is a live entertainment venue in Chicago's Loop Theatre District, built around a century-old Belgian Spiegeltent at 32 W Randolph Street. Circus, cabaret, comedy, immersive theatre, cocktails, and hospitality all happen in one room, up close.
A house, not a single show. Reserve a seat, take a table, watch something impossible happen a few feet away, and leave with a story. Built by Circensia Entertainment Group.
Kermess is built around proximity. The room, the service, the audience, and the performance belong to the same evening.
Charlie Marechal, Co-founder and CEO
Pronounced ker-MESS. From the Low Countries' kermis, or kermesse: a village celebration that grew from a church feast into a public fair. Food, drink, games, music, and spectacle belonged to the same gathering.
Kermess does not recreate that past. It keeps the idea: one room where people come together, linger, and leave with a story.
Spiegeltent is Dutch for "mirror tent." These traveling rooms are known for their woodwork, mirrors, canvas, stained glass, and a round shape that keeps the whole crowd close.
At Kermess the century-old Belgian Spiegeltent is the format, not a backdrop: 300 seats arranged so the short distance between artist and audience is part of the night.
Circensia produces the shows. Kermess is its Chicago home. Circensia Studio and Circensia Foundation are based in Miami.
Show production, hospitality residencies, on-tour with Gatsby, the production powerhouse of the group.
New home for live performance in Chicago.
Training, classes for professionals and amateurs + rehearsal space in Miami.
Performers support and innovation in performing arts.
Charlie and Nico are building Kermess as a Chicago house, not a season of shows. The table is part of the staging, the bar is part of the pacing, and the audience sits close enough to be part of the night.
Former Lead Innovation Designer at Cirque du Soleil. He builds live entertainment formats that connect performance, hospitality, and guest experience. At Kermess he leads the business, the partnerships, and the way a night in the tent is run.
National Circus School-trained circus artist and coach, and winner of the 2020 Gold Medal at the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain. At Kermess he leads artist coordination, rehearsal standards, and what happens on stage each night.
A live room with a pulse: dinner energy without the restaurant, theater craft without the distance. Built for date nights, family nights, company tables, and the kind of Chicago night you describe by how it felt.
New dates, opening notes, and the occasional omen. No ticket required.
