Performer Lineup
Check back as we announce new performers weekly!
Alakazam
Circle Act
ALAKAZAM’s new alter ego “TENNIS THE MENACE” is sure to cause a real Racket! Featuring daredevil Tennis stunts, electrifying contortion and juggling tricks, audacious comedy and a foreign accent!
“It’s John McEnroe meets Machine Gun Kelly!” – Random Audience Member
Art by ALUNA
Installation
Painting with intention, Aluna wishes to share the transformational & exciting experience of body art with you – a grounding and uplifting feeling of becoming your enchanted self – whatever you wish that to be.
Artists' Play
Circle Show & Workshops
Providing interactive circus lessons for children during the event. Artists’ Play loves to share our love of being in the air, spinning, and going upside down! Will also be performing an act from BLOOM! Magical garden gnomes fly in the sky!
Beachside Brass
Musician
Beachside Brass is a New Orleans style band based in the Toronto beaches neighbourhood. They like to have fun with their music and encourage crowd involvement, especially dancing. So get ready to clap your hands, move your feet, and get ready to move on down to Bourbon Street!
Bella Magic
Circle Act
Bella combines playful humor with magic and comedy in this high octane family show. Her beautiful illusions will leave you bedazzled and bewildered with a child sense of wonderment. Open your minds and hearts to the wonderful world of Bella Magic!
Bex In Motion
Circle Act
Take a spin with Bex in Motion! A show that combines comedy, acrobatics, juggling and mesmerizing hula hoop tricks. Spontaneous dance parties and outbreaks of fun and excitement for all ages! With her quirky, light-hearted attitude and ability to involve audience members, Bex puts on a show that is sure to move you!
Busking Ballerina
Roaming Performer
Elyssa Currey, who calls herself the “busking ballerina” performs on the sidewalks in downtown Hamilton. Currey says she’s been dancing all her life and decided to bring her art to the streets.
Carlotta Carlisle
Roaming Performer
The most glamourous Queen in captivity, Carlotta Carlisle is living proof larger than life is JUST the right size!
Construction Guys
Circle Act
Awaken your inner 3-year old and join “the Guys” at the Construction site. These hard hat hustlers turn an everyday build into a high energy, physical comedy with some high flying acrobatic surprises.
Feats of strength? Choreographed dances? Lunch break?
We nail it all, because nobody likes a screw up.
Désiré Betty
Installation
Installation consists of live paintings by Désiré Betty, a Toronto based artist that has long explored the spiritual serenity that manifests itself through her artistic expression she calls “Perpetual Freedom Act.”
DOOP
Circle Act
HOT POTATO!! that has nothing to do with we show we just wanted to get your attention. What happens when two out of work circus performers get their hands on some safety vests and traffic cones.
Not really sure if they are repairing, constructing or destroying? One thing is for sure, they will put on quite a show. The show will feature acrobatics, juggling, handstands and much more.
Dylan Hennessy
Musician
Dylan is a Toronto-based artist whose obsession with a broad range of music led him down a one-man band rabbit hole. Accompanied by a whirlwind of imaginative sounds and loop stations, Dylan “makes a guitar and vocals sound like as many things as possible”. his solo shows focus on live looping arrangements in a multitude of genres, done more lively than you may expect. Never pre-recorded, always a party.
ET the Mime
Roaming Performer
ET the Mime has performed in theatres all over the world and even on The Comedy Network. And his Mime is a viral YouTube sensation! No matter where you encounter him at the festival, his hilarious comedy and incredible mime illusion is sure to bring laughter and fun!
Fire Guy
Circle Act
FireGuy is rolling into town with his Skateboard Circus show.
He juggles fire in various ways on a motorized board. It’s a Skatertainment claim to Flame!
Hala on Stilts
Roaming Performer
Hala loves getting high HIGH on stilts and boldly clowning around being cheeky. A professional stilt-walker since 2004!
Hoop You Fire Show
Circle Act
Epic Fire, Dazzling skills, Super Fire Props! Hoop You’s all girl fire show has it all. Watch as Bex in Motion, Scarlet Black, Zola Molotov, and Stasia Fantasia take you through a journey of fire and dance using fire hula hoops, poi, staff and other unique fire props.
Jenny Jupiter
Roaming Performer
Combining mime and movement technique, unique and spectacular costumes, music, and a dash of clowning, Jenny Jupiter has landed in the city where she hangs her helmet, Toronto, to meet and delight the Earthlings of BuskerFest. A hilarious take on the traditional living statue, Jenny is an interactive character artist who is out of this world!
Les Vitamines
Circle Act
This colourful, high-energy duo dazzles with many acrobatic feats punctuated by improvised acts during which the public is invited to join in the fun.
A word of warning: taken in excess, their show may lead to over-dilated pupils and side-splitting aches and pains.
Lisa Lottie
Circle Act
Watch Lisa Lottie ‘bend it like Barbie’ with SUPER stunts of flexibility and some of the most incredible hula hoop tricks you have ever seen! To top it all off she will perform the worlds most dangerous hula hoop stunt: balancing sky high on just one foot…expect great feelings of exhilaration and remember to scrape your jaw off of the floor !
Lucky Barber
Circle Act
REAL METAL, REAL SHARP! A juggling, comedy street show blending classic & modern street theatre with juggling, Cigar Box manipulation, physical comedy, and a Knife Juggling BOOTS-of-NAILS FINALE!
Magic Man
Circle Act
Magic Man is an experienced international magician, known for his versatility in the illusion field. He performs interactive, mind-shakingly, brilliant sleight of hand, spiced with pure comedy genius. From the Rolling Stones to U2, Magic Man has entertained the finest! He has represented South Africa at the Edinburgh Festival and has headlined across four continents.
Mat Ricardo
Circle Act
Mat Ricardo, the gentleman juggler, delivers big laughs, serious skills, slapstick, and breathtaking spectacle. He presents genuine danger, dexterous elegance, and thrills, performed by a man at the top of his game.
Winner of multiple international awards, star of his own sell-out London West End show, and the first man on earth to learn to put the tablecloth back on the table – Mat will will drop your jaw and split your sides.
Max T. Oz
Roaming Performer
Sleight of hand with charm. Magic as you would see it performed a century ago in the Edwardian era. Suitable for all ages, Max delights with his relaxed style of magic with a dash of cheeky humour.
Mister Twister
Installation
“Mr. Twister is an international award winning artist known for producing amazing balloon creations for the past 15 years. As his reputation has grown he has travelled farther and farther to entertain, amaze and delight audiences around the world!”
Mo Guzman
Musician
Mo Guzman is a self-taught singer, guitarist and percussionist with over a decade of performing experience. He began his career as a solo acoustic artist busking on the streets of downtown Toronto. His gift of raw vulnerability and soulful presentation caters to a variety of occasions. Mo’s unique and distinct vocal style encompasses a broad range of music from acoustic, alternative and classic rock, to hip hop, blues and R&B. His inter-generational repertoire ranges from the 50’s to modern day.
Old Man Flanagan's Ghost
Saturday Night In The Beer Garden
Old Man Flanagan’s Ghost have been bringing ‘Music with a Celtic Heart’ to audiences for years, featuring warm vocals and an energetic, dynamic fiddle performance. Imagine the smell of the sea, cold beer, old shipwrecks, stories of love and loss, and boisterous friends sharing a laugh and a song. Now mix it with an instrumentation that takes you on a journey east, and a feeling of being welcomed into your neighbour’s home for a kitchen party, THAT is the essence of Old Man Flanagan’s Ghost.
Reuben DotDotDot
Circle Act
Pushing the limits beyond upside down! An acrobatic handstand stunt show with style. Bringing you more skill, thrill and overkill… Putting a hat on with his feet, balanced, precariously, perched on one hand high in the air, this show is spectacular, unforgettable, inverted, and above all: WELL BALANCED!
Rhythm Works
Circle Act
High energy drumming comedy and fun! come make some noise with the official drummers for the toronto raptors. get ready for some amazing drumming and stick tricks, great beats, and prepare to laugh and join in. Lead by Troy Sexton a Toronto Native and former cast member of STOMP, and Alonzo moore also native to Toronto , a DJ stand up comedian and drummer. Peoples choice award winners at Halifax international busker fest 2019!
Silver Elvis
Roaming Performer
Silver Elvis (creation of Toronto performance artist Peter Jarvis) is a robotic statue of Elvis that, not unlike Elvis, is cash activated. This Memphis mechanical metal man moves for money honey – “thank you, thank you very much”. In a world of 58,000 Elvis impersonators this is the most unique spin on Elvis you will ever witness. Don’t forget to bring your cameras!
Simon Zenker
Circle Shows & Workshops
Simon Zenker is a hilarious young performer filled with energy. He provide a family fun show filled with magic, juggling, and incredibly weird jokes and acts you’ve never seen before. His shows involve high amounts of audience engagement, and participation for adults and children alike. From juggling like a T-Rex, to turning the audience into a human piano, Simon’s odd but contagious sense of humour will leave audiences talking about his act long after the show has ended.
Smile Group Canada
Roaming Performer
SMILE GROUP CANADA is the exclusive Performing Arts Theater for Teens and Kids that works using unique techniques of Performing Arts –BUBBLE SHOW, Juggling Show, Neon Show, Effect Show and Giant-Dolls Show.
Smile Group represented Canada in the International Theater Festivals in Italy, in 2016, in the Czech Republic, in 2017 and in Washington DC in December 2018. In 2018 and 2019 Smile Group performed in the Toronto International Buskerfest, Canada.
Tallbeat
Roaming Performer
Playing Brazilian carnival music from Northeast Brazil on stilts while dancing and roaming, Tallbeat brings drum troupes to the next level. The rolling rhythm of Maracatu gets in your bones and the dizzying of Stilters makes this show mesmerizing.
Trainwreck
Friday Night In The Beer Garden
TRAINWRECK is a high-energy, 10-piece party band from Toronto’s East End, guaranteed to get people dancing with it’s eclectic mix of rock, pop & soul covers, and funky originals. Fronted by stage & screen actor Rick Miller, TRAINWRECK’s been rolling for the last 10 years, playing bars, festivals, private parties, fundraisers, corporate and community events. Our aim is to delight and surprise with every song we play, from ABBA to ZAPPA – a ‘wrecking’ good time!
Yosl & the Yingels
Musician
Yosl & the Yingles are a Yiddish folk and swing band made up of Joseph Landau (Accordion and Vox), Gram Whitty (Bass) and Jacob Gorzhaltsan (Clarinet). The band plays all of bubby and zaidy’s favourite hits from the old world with a jazzy twist. You may not know the words but you don’t have to be fluent to move your tuches!
And thats not all...
more things to do and see!
FOOD TRUCKS
A line up of classic festival foods awaits you to tantalize your tastebuds! From Grandpa Ken’s World Famous Peameal Back Bacon and Burgers to Churros and Poutine Supreme, we have festival favourite that everyone loves!
BEER GARDEN
What’s better than relaxing in a park while watching a great busking show? A fully licensed beer garden with live music and entertainment!
GROUP BENEFIT SHOWS
Benefit shows are a lively and spontaneous collaboration featuring performances by an outstanding collection of festival performers. The hat from these shows will be donated entirely to Epilepsy Toronto.
Friday, September 2 at 12pm join us for for a special Festival Launch, with a taste of some of the great acts to come.
Friday, September 2 at 7 pm | Featuring FireGuy, Hoop You and Drag Queen Carlotta Carlisle
Monday, September 5 at 5pm | Hosted by 2019’s People’s Choice Award winner Mat Ricardo and will include the announcement of this year’s People’s Choice Award winner!
NIGHT TIME SHOWS
Starting as the sun goes down each night, experience Buskers After Dark with evening entertainment, art installations, fire shows, live bands and more
LITTLE BIG TOP
This tented performance stage features exclusive shows that you won’t see on any other stage during the festival. Combining a classic circus sideshow with some of the most amazing modern talent you’ll find anywhere, these shows can get a little wild!
FAMILY FUN ZONE
The Family Fun Zone features face painting, balloon twisting, giant games, and more! Located in the North-West corner of Woodbine Park (near Coxwell & Eastern) – this zone is fun for the whole family!
BE A BUSKER ZONE
The Be A Busker Zone is an interactive area for kids to get some hands on experience in a few of the many arts that buskers perform. Daily opportunities to learn about juggling, hula hooping, dene games & aerial skills from opening of the fest to sunset.
ASL STAGE
Also, Non-verbal performances will happen each day throughout the festival.
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“We wanted to create a unique and memorable experience that brought epilepsy out of the shadows and into the public eye; an entertainment extravaganza that supports a greater purpose in aid of people with epilepsy and their families.” Geoff Bobb, Executive Director of Epilepsy Toronto
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