Kermess Chicago: Premonitions Inc. Circus Cabaret Opens Oct 15 in a Belgian Spiegeltent

Kermess Chicago is the kind of Loop night you dress for on purpose — a century-old Belgian Spiegeltent planted fourteen floors above Randolph Street, all velvet, mirrors, and candlelight, with about 300 reserved seats wrapped around the action. Ride the elevator up through Cambria Hotel Chicago Loop, step into the tent, and the Theatre District falls away. On Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 7:30 PM, the curtain rises on Premonitions Inc., Circensia’s 21+ circus-comedy cabaret — aerialists overhead, cocktails on the table, and a host who treats your horoscope like comedy material. If you have been craving a real Spiegeltent night back in the Loop, this is the one.

We have had our eye on this tent since the first whisper of circus coming back to Randolph. It glittered on our fall Soft Opens map, it earned a spot among the Soft Opens that stuck, and it has been the star of our October nightlife board all month. Now the mirrors are polished, the velvet is hung, and opening week is finally here. Come on up with us.

Why Kermess is the Loop night to chase this October

The Loop already knows how to do a big night next door at the James M. Nederlander Theatre. Kermess makes the same block feel intimate. The mirror tent that once housed Teatro ZinZanni is glowing in the Theatre District again — the news that first set Chicago circus lovers buzzing when Block Club Chicago broke it in September — and this time it comes with dinner-table seats, a full bar, and a show that plays around you instead of in front of you. The name is a Low Countries wink — kermis, kermesse, the village fair where food, drink, games, music, and spectacle all share one room. That is the whole promise in a word.

The people behind the tent bring real circus pedigree: Charlie Maréchal, a former Cirque du Soleil Lead Innovation Designer, and Nicolas Allard, a 2020 Gold Medalist at the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain. They built Kermess as a whole night out, not a theater seat you wait in — and Chicago gets opening night.

Inside the Spiegeltent on Floor 14

Start like a Theatre District arrival, then go vertical. Slip through the Cambria Hotel lobby at 32 W Randolph St, take the last elevator to Floor 14, and the doors open on a portable Belgian entertainment hall standing inside a high-rise. Mirrored panels catch the candlelight. Velvet everywhere. Tables ring the stage so close that the aerialists feel like they might land in your cocktail.

At roughly 300 seats, the room is small enough to feel like you are part of the show and big enough to carry a proper opening-week buzz. Doors swing open an hour before curtain, so come early and let the tent do its slow reveal. And dress the part — smart casual to full cocktail is the house mood. Shorts, flip-flops, and tank tops can sit this one out; the mirrors deserve better.

Lobby, elevator, Spiegeltent: no scavenger hunt, just a ticket and an appetite for a room that photographs like a film set and drinks like a late-night destination.

Premonitions Inc.: Miss Fortuna has a forecast for you

Premonitions Inc. is a Circensia original — a 21+ circus comedy about a supernatural consulting firm that can predict the future but cannot manage the present. You arrive as a client. Then the forecast unravels: outrageous fortunes, horoscope roasts, audience games, aerial work, acrobatics, burlesque, and cabaret spilling across the tables. The show runs about 90 minutes; give yourself closer to two hours so there is room for a drink on either side.

Running the firm is Sabrina Von B — the viral Evil Queen from Disneyland — as Miss Fortuna, the company’s wickedly funny Chief Visionary Officer. Maréchal and Allard built it as a full night in the tent, not a sit-still theater visit: the drink in your hand, the stranger at the next table, and the artist flying overhead are all part of the same act.

Three reasons the night hooks you before the first pour:

• The Spiegeltent itself — a century-old Belgian mirror tent, velvet and candlelight, about 300 seats in the heart of the Loop.
• Circus and cabaret at your table — aerial, acrobatics, burlesque, comedy, and audience games in one close-up room.
• Miss Fortuna holding court — Sabrina Von B dealing fortunes and roasting horoscopes while the company’s forecast falls apart on purpose.

Pick your table: Classic, Preferred, or VIP

Every seat in the tent is a reserved table seat, so the only question is how close you want to be to the flying. Choose Classic at $89, Preferred at $119, or VIP at $149 on the Premonitions Inc. show page. Food and cocktails come à la carte with table service, so the menu becomes part of the evening instead of a pre-show sprint. One tip: lock in a night you can commit to — tickets are final sales, and any courtesy exchange has to be worked out with the house more than a week ahead.

Then there is the Kermess Lounge, pouring an hour before and an hour after every show. Come early for a cocktail, or linger after the final bow while the tent empties out. No racing a parking meter the second the lights come up — the night gets to finish properly, fourteen floors above Randolph.

Opening weekend, and a run deep into January

Opening night is Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 7:30 PM, with the party rolling on Friday, October 16 and Saturday, October 17 at 7:30 PM. After that, the tent keeps glowing into January 2027: Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30, Sunday shows (5:30 PM early in the run, cozy 1 PM matinees from mid-November), plus a bonus Thursday on Halloween weekend. Opening week is when the curious pounce first, so grab the night you want before it fills.

Go if circus-cabaret around a dinner table sounds better than another interchangeable rooftop. Go if you want a Loop night with a little danger in it — a fortune you did not ask for, an aerialist overhead, a second round in the lounge. This is not a one-weekend pop-up; it is a downtown dinner-and-a-show habit waiting to form.

Getting up to Floor 14

Your night starts at 32 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601, right next to the James M. Nederlander Theatre. Walk into Cambria Hotel Chicago Loop like you own the evening, ride the last elevator to Floor 14, and the tent is waiting. Aim to arrive when doors open, an hour before the 7:30 curtain, so you can settle into your table with a drink in hand. Everyone in the room is 21+, which keeps the cabaret as cheeky as it wants to be.

Driving in? Theatre District Self Park, Block 37, Park One Randolph, and the ABM garage at 20 E Randolph are all a short stroll away, and Cambria’s valet can take the keys when it’s running. Want to make a whole weekend of it? The hotel is right downstairs. If you would like accessible seating, step-free routing, or a little arrival support, drop the team a note at info@kermesschicago.com before your visit and they will have the room ready for you. Then grab your seats at kermesschicago.com and let Miss Fortuna take it from there.

Kermess Chicago FAQ

When does Kermess Chicago open?

The tent lights up Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 7:30 PM with Premonitions Inc. Opening weekend keeps going October 16 and 17 at 7:30 PM, and the show runs all the way into January 2027.

Where is Kermess in Chicago?

Fourteen floors above Randolph at 32 W Randolph St, in the Loop Theatre District next to the James M. Nederlander Theatre. Head in through Cambria Hotel Chicago Loop and take the last elevator up to Floor 14.

What is Premonitions Inc.?

A 21+ Circensia circus comedy, about 90 minutes long, starring Sabrina Von B as Miss Fortuna. Expect aerialists, acrobatics, burlesque, cabaret, horoscope roasts, and audience games swirling around your table.

How much are tickets?

Seats start at $89 for Classic, with Preferred at $119 and VIP at $149, all reserved table seating on kermesschicago.com. Cocktails and bites are ordered à la carte right at your table.

What should I wear to Kermess?

Smart casual up to cocktail attire. Leave the shorts, flip-flops, and tank tops at home — the Spiegeltent rewards dressing up.

Can I grab a drink before or after the show?

Yes. The Kermess Lounge pours an hour before and an hour after every performance, so you can arrive early for a cocktail or linger after the final bow.

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