Phare, The Cambodian Circus
Phare, The Cambodian Circus
Phare, The Cambodian Circus is widely considered the best single evening experience in Siem Reap — a one-hour performance that blends acrobatics, theatre, live music, and dance to tell distinctly Cambodian stories. Unlike a traditional Western circus, every show has a narrative arc, drawn from Cambodian folklore, history, or modern life. The result is something genuinely unlike anything else in Southeast Asia.
The circus is run by Phare Ponleu Selpak, a non-profit arts school founded in 1994 in Battambang to support children affected by the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge. Revenue from ticket sales funds vocational arts training for hundreds of young Cambodians. Attending a show is not just entertainment — it directly supports one of Cambodia’s most meaningful arts education programmes.
Performances run nightly at 8:00 PM year-round, with seasonal matinees at 5:00 PM on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays from November through March. Each production runs for several weeks before rotating to the next, so what you see depends on when you visit — but the quality is consistent across all shows. Current and upcoming productions are listed on the official website at pharecircus.org.
The venue is located on Ring Road just south of the Sok San Road intersection, about 2 km from Pub Street. The pre-show experience begins at 5:30 PM with Cambodian street food, drinks, shopping, and live warm-up entertainment — worth arriving early for. Seating is in sections A, B, and C, with Section A (reserved, front-middle) offering the best sightlines.
Visitor tip: Book online in advance at pharecircus.org — shows sell out regularly, especially during peak season. Section A tickets ($38 adult / $18 child) include a souvenir. If you’re on a budget, Section C ($18 adult / $10 child) still delivers a full view of the performance. After the show, performers come out to meet the audience.
