🎪 Circo Fantasy: our experience and analysis of accessibility for autistic people

THE Fantasy Circus arrived in Novo Hamburgo with a meticulous production and high expectations. As we always do at Autistic Around the World, we visited the show to evaluate the accessibility 👩‍🦽🧩 for autistic people and other people with disabilities, to share our experience and suggest improvements that make the event more inclusive for all families.

📲 First contacts and ticket purchases

Before the visit, I tried to contact you via Official Instagram and by WhatsApp of the circus, but I didn't get a response. 💬 This is a point of attention: families with accessibility needs need an agile channel to better plan the experience.

🚗 Arrival at the location and parking

We arrived on opening day (09/05/2025). Parking in front costs R$ 20.00 and, unfortunately, there was no space reserved for PcD not even exemption. ♿️ This already creates a physical and financial barrier for those who need accessibility.

🚪 Priority entrance and queue

Even presenting tickets already purchased 🎟️ and mine CIPTEA, I was not offered preferential queue. Only my parents and my brother were able to enter through the front, and that was only because my brother — who was using the puzzle string 🧩 and mufflers 🎧 — was more agitated and complaining. This shows that there is no official procedure preferential queue: it depends on the employee's interpretation at the time, which may leave other autistic people without the same guaranteed right.

🪑 Internal organization and seating

Upon entering, they ask for your ticket again to confirm your section. 🔁 It would be more practical to separate the sections while still in line, reducing crowding and anxiety. Seats are free within each section, and chairs are too close together, leaving very little room to move — something that can increase sensory overload.

♿️ “Reserved seats” for PcD

There are seats marked as PcD, but they are common chairs with adhesive—without any real adaptation of the space. This limits the comfort and access of those who need it.

🧩 Sensory accessibility features

We did not find identification cord 🧩, mufflers 🎧 for loan, reserved sensory space 🧘‍♀️, differentiated service 🙋, audio description 🔊 or tactile floor. There is a private bathroom ♿️, but it was dirty and paperless at the time of the visit.

🎭 The show

The show has started late ⏱️, but it was well executed. The artists are talented and the audience remained engaged.

🎙️ Audio issues

During the clown's acts, the microphone failed and made it difficult to understand. A more rigorous technical test before the show could have avoided this problem.

🌟 Show Highlights

THE contortionist impressed when shooting bow and arrow with your feet 🏹🦶. My brother Josué watched several issues and became quite interested after he calmed down — at first he was just focused on his phone 📱. globe of death 🏍️ It was very noisy, so it was essential to bring earmuffs.

🔧 Opportunities for improvement

• ✅ Create official preferential queue for CIPTEA and PcD, with team training.
• ✅ Improve reserved seats and give more space.
• ✅ Make available mufflers 🎧 and create a sensory space 🧘.
• ✅ Guarantee hygiene in the reserved bathrooms.
• ✅ Have an agile digital customer service channel (Instagram and WhatsApp).
• ✅ Reserve parking spaces and evaluate exemption/discount policies.

🗣️ Tips for those who are going

If you're sensitive to noise, bring earplugs 🎧. Arrive early ⏳ to try to get the best seats in the section. And ask at the entrance about priority seating to avoid stress.

✅ Conclusion

Despite the difficulties encountered, we cannot fail to recognize that the Fantasy Circus delivers a show of high artistic quality 🎪 and capable of moving the audience. Seeing the audience cheering and my brother engaging in the numbers shows that art truly fulfills its role of enchanting and bringing people together. 💙

However, for this experience to be truly inclusive, it is necessary to advance on key points of accessibility —from improved parking, to priority queuing and more appropriate seating, to the provision of sensory resources and staff training. These are simple improvements, but they make a huge difference for neurodivergent families and people with disabilities.

We hope Circo Fantasy can embrace this feedback constructively and consider these changes for future seasons. With small adjustments, the show can become an example of inclusion in live entertainment, demonstrating that everyone is welcome. Art is for everyone—and when a space is accessible, it becomes more human, diverse, and unforgettable. 🌈✨

📎 Official contact

Circo Fantasy Instagram: @circofantasy_oficial