Florida State's Flying High Circus Returns After Tornado Destruction

The circus celebrates its comeback with a new tent and show after the May 2024 tornadoes devastated its previous home.

Apr. 4, 2026 at 2:52am

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A blurred, dreamlike photograph showing the shadowy outlines of acrobats performing under the warm, glowing lights of the Flying High Circus' big top, capturing the celebratory mood of the circus's comeback.The return of the Flying High Circus to its rebuilt tent brings a sense of joy and community back to the Florida State University campus.Tallahassee Today

After the May 2024 tornadoes destroyed the tent of Florida State University's Flying High Circus, the program has officially returned to the stage with a fully rebuilt big top. The circus is now performing its latest show, "Tall Tales," marking a symbolic comeback after the uncertainty of the past two years.

Why it matters

The Flying High Circus is a beloved tradition at Florida State University, providing entertainment and community for students and locals alike. The destruction of the circus' tent in 2024 was a major blow, but its return represents the resilience of the program and the university in the face of natural disaster.

The details

The May 2024 tornadoes completely destroyed the Flying High Circus' tent, leaving the program's future uncertain. After months of rebuilding and performing without a finished home, the circus has now unveiled a fully rebuilt big top, allowing them to return to the stage and perform their latest show, "Tall Tales." The circus director, Chad Mathews, emphasized that the physical rebuilding was just one part of the comeback, with the real heart of the program being the dedicated student performers.

  • The May 2024 tornadoes destroyed the Flying High Circus' tent.
  • The circus returned to performing in the fall of 2024, but without a finished tent.
  • The new, fully rebuilt tent was completed in early 2026.
  • The circus is now performing its "Tall Tales" show every weekend in April 2026.

The players

Chad Mathews

The director of the FSU Flying High Circus, who emphasized that the program's true strength lies in its dedicated student performers.

Alex Schrader

A student performer in the Flying High Circus, who expressed excitement at the return to the stage in the rebuilt tent.

Alyssa Lee and Zachary Gearhart-Rovvoy

Student performers in the Flying High Circus, who discussed the challenges and excitement of rebuilding the tent from scratch.

The Price Family

Returning and first-time fans of the Flying High Circus, who were excited to introduce their children to the event.

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What they’re saying

“Really realizing that the tent and all that, everything we had to re-order and redo, that's just the stuff, it's just physical things that we had to replace. But really what makes our program is our students.”

— Chad Mathews, Director of the FSU Flying High Circus

“Being able to actually rig everything up and see all three rings together, it's just such a moment of fulfillment, especially because last year so many of the students who had done it in the past said, 'Oh my gosh, it's so much better when we have the tent. You're going be so excited when it does come up.' So to finally see it come up and to finally practice it and to finally see those dress rehearsals in the costumes and the lighting and everything come together, it's just such a magical experience.”

— Alex Schrader, Student Performer

“It's also very cool because it's a process normally to put up the tent and then the tent from scratch has been extra hard. And so everyone's got to learn a lot on the fly, and we do have a lot of really cool updates to this tent. So it's been a lot of fun to actually get to perform which is why we're all here so we've missed it last year.”

— Alyssa Lee and Zachary Gearhart-Rovvoy, Student Performers

What’s next

The Flying High Circus will continue performing its "Tall Tales" show every weekend throughout April 2026.

The takeaway

The return of the Flying High Circus to the stage in its rebuilt tent represents the resilience and determination of the Florida State University community. After a devastating natural disaster, the circus has come back stronger than ever, providing a beloved tradition and sense of community for students and locals alike.