AN acrobat has been granted rare permission to walk a tightrope over Niagara Falls. Nik Wallenda, who comes from a family of circus performers, plans to carry out the stunt in a few months time.

If successful, he will become the first person to achieve the feat in 100 years. He will not wear a safety harness for the 549m-long walk, which is expected to take around 40 minutes.

The 33-year-old, a member of the Flying Wallendas circus clan, said he had wanted to walk across the falls since he was young. "My dream is to walk into the mist, disappear, and walk out the other end," he told the BBC. "Contrary to popular belief, it's very peaceful when I'm on the wire. It's just me and the wire. It's relaxing."

Canadian authorities gave Wallenda permission to attempt the stunt this week following months of campaigning as they seek to revive the area's flagging popularity. He had secured support from the American side last September, when New York governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill giving him one year to carry out the feat.

Members of the Flying Wallendas tightrope-walking family perform the seven-person Great Pyramid.

Canada's Niagara Parks Commission voted unanimously to allow the stunt subject to regulations. It also passed a motion saying such an attempt could only be allowed once every 20 years.