A variety of events – some more ‘circusy’ than others – to consider between March 2025 and July 2025 if you live in the South-East of England. These listings feature Exhibitions and Talks, Shows, Classes, and a selection of links to events and companies outside of London too.
EXHIBITIONS AND TALKS
3 March – 12 April FREE EXHIBITION: Ringside! Lambeth, Astley’s, and the Birth of British Circus (that also includes more recent performers and circuses, from Cinquevalli to Ra Ra Zoo) at Lambeth Archives, Brixton
Saturday 15 March FREE TALK: Circus isn’t what it used to be! – Referencing the Ringside! Lambeth, Astley’s and the Birth of British Circus Exhibition, Charlie Holland considers how the circus has changed since Philip and Patty Astley’s day. 14.30 at Lambeth Archives, 16 Brixton Hill, SW2 1ET
Monday 17 March FREE TALK: Renoir’s Acrobats at the Cirque Fernando and in Clapham too – Charlie Holland, 19.30, at Omnibus, 1, Clapham Common North Side, London, SW4 0QW.
Thursday 20 March FREE TALK: Brixton’s four-legged performers – Tracey Gregory Brixton Tate Library
Thursday 27 March FREE TALK: Flying Children and Adult Aerialists in the Alhambra and Aquarium – Charlie Holland 18.00, at City of Westminster Archives Centre, 10 St Ann’s Street, London SW1P 2DE. Free but booking advisable
SHOWS
MARCH
14 March, Happy Hour, “Scandic Circus Noir”, Jackson’s Lane, Highgate
19-23 March Circus Zyair, (Tented) Milton Keynes
14 March – 31 May Kabaret Expose circus-cabaret at Haus of Cabaret EC3R
15 March to 6 July Sabrage circus-cabaret at Lafayette in King’s Cross
22 March Jacksons Lane Youth Circus Showcase: Back to our future
26,27 March Outsider by Rachid Ouramdane & Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève tightwire and slack line
27,28 March Uncharted, NCCA 2nd year BA (Hons) Degree showcase, Jackson’s Lane, Highgate
30 March Lost by Agit Cirk (Finland)
APRIL
4-13 April Big Kid Circus (Tented) Brent Cross
4 – 22 April Zippo’s Circus (Tented) Blackheath Common then Tooting Figges Marsh 24 – 28 April; Acton Green 30 April – 6 May
23 April Daphnis and Chloé Ravel’s ballet – London Philharmonic Orchestra with Circa’s daring contemporary choreography and circus.
8-24 April Circus Extreme (Tented) Lakeside Shopping Centre, RM20 2ZQ,
11 – 21 April Revel Puck Circus (Tented) Thurrock
11 – 21 April Continental Circus Berlin (Tented) Old Deer Park, Twickenham Road, TW9 2SF; then Ascot Racecourse 23-27 April
24 April Circus Scratch-tacular: Poetry Slam, BrainFools, Jackson’s Lane, Highgate
26 April Circus Scratch-tacular: Clowns are in the House, BrainFool, Jackson’s Lane
MAY
1 – 3 May Upswing presents Showdown, Albany, Deptford
8 – 12 May Zippo’s Circus East Ham; then Barnet Playing Fields 14 – 19 May
May 2 – June 1 The Circus Yard, Brighton Fringe Festival – 30+ new and rising circus & cabaret companies on a Revel Puck’s circus site:
2 May-June 1 The Nose Dive Assembly Revel Puck Circus
2-4 May Behemoth
8-10 May Trash Delia Ceruti
14-15 May The Band
14–23 May InThisTogether
16 May–1 June Revel Puck Circus The Ruckus
16 May–1 June Revel Puck Circus The Ugly Duckling
16–18 May Out of the Box
16-23 May Moulin Bouge
16–31 May The Greatest Show on Earth, Collectif and then…
17-18 May Re/Sista Cabaret
17-18 May Lucky Pigeons Brainfools
21-22 May Norman: A Big Beat Ballet
21–26 May Scratch That Cabaret (ex NCCA)
23 May Queer as F*ck Cabaret
23-24 May Halfway to Halloween Cabaret
24–26 May Neon Sun Roller Circus
24–26 May Anchored in Air
24–26 May Circus Enchanté cabaret
24-26 May Inertia by Cirko Norda Youth Circus
24-26 May How a Spiral Works – Art for Rainy Days
25-26 May Tardy Mrs G(rief)
28-29 May Tongue & Cheek (Charles Brockbank – Hiding in Plain Sight & Ruby Burgess – Transcendental)
28 May–1 June Not Yours Cabaret
28–31 May Smooch! By United Queendom
30-31 May Don’t Drop Me
30 May Colour Theory High Top Circus from the Brighton based training space
30 May-1 June The Nest
20-24 May Circa (Australia) Humans 2.0, Brighton Festival
JUNE
5 – 22 June Gifford’s Circus Chiswick House and Gardens (horses)
11- 14 June Head First Acrobats GODZ
26 – 29 June Degree show, National Centre for Circus Arts
30 June London Youth Circus show, National Centre for Circus Arts
JULY
Jul 6 Cirque The Greatest Show Churchill Theatre, Bromley;
9-13 July Circus Zyair Crawley
CLASSES IN LONDON
National Centre for Circus Arts, Hackney
My Aerial Home, Sydenham
Spinning@, flow arts and juggling, Hackney Tue 18.30-22.00
Catchers in the Rye, juggling, Peckham, Wed 19.00 – 21.00
Aircraft Circus, Charlton
Flying Fantastic, Bankside and Peckham
The Rebel Circus, Tottenham Hale
Gorilla Circus flying trapeze, 18 April – 28 Sept, Regents Park; 16 May – 14 Sept Kensington Gdns.
Circus Glory, Genevieve Monastesse
SEVERAL EVENTS THAT ARE OUTSIDE LONDON TO CONSIDER TRAVELLING TO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
Throughout March FREE EXHIBITION: Gandey’s Circus Exhibition at The Philip Astley Centre, 25 Merrial Street, Newcastle Under Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 2AE
30 Apr – 4 May Circusstad Festival Rotterdam
1 – 3 May Circomedia BA Final Major Projects, Bristol
10 May Heka by Gandini Juggling Playhouse, Oxford, UK
15 – 22 June Cirqu’ Festival for contemporary circus art, Aarau, Switzerland
30 July – 18 Aug 11th Berlin Circus Festival, Germany
August: Edinburgh International Festival – Orpheus and Eurydice – Opera Queensland’s production in association with Circa.
August: Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Paulo’s Circus Dinton Pastures Country Park, RG10 0TH, 24 September – 12 October
Cirque The Greatest Show Oct 24 The Hawth, Crawley; Oct 25 Central Theatre, Chatham
Circa! Auch, France, October
CIRCUS SHOWS IN THE UK NOT THOUGHT TO BE COMING NEAR LONDON IN 2025
Hippodrome Circus Great Yarmouth
Circus Mondao features horses
