I was not one of those kids who wanted to run away with the circus growing up. I quite liked school, and I couldn’t juggle to save my life (still can’t!). But whenever one rolled into town, you bet I was there to catch the astonishing acrobatics on display. The only problem with the circus is that they rarely stay in one place—and unless you count the weirdos in Cabot Circus, you can never guarantee a circus show in Bristol. That being said, the city is full of clowns, trapeze artists, jugglers, fire eaters, aerialists and many more for your entertainment.
1. Circomedia
You can’t talk about the circus in Bristol without talking about Circomedia. The contemporary circus school was born from the ashes of Fool Time, Britain’s first professional circus school, in 1993—and has been offering a variety of training courses and workshops ever since. You can even get a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Contemporary Circus and Physical Theatre at Circomedia. And there’s a Youth Circus!
As a result, Bristol is teeming with incredibly fresh circus talent, and you can often catch a lot of it in the redundant St. Paul’s Church in Portland Square. From free open days to one-off fundraisers, the venue hosts a variety of events throughout the year. So should be every circus fan’s first port-of-call to catch everything from aerials and gymnastics to comedy and more.
2. Invisible Circus
The Invisible Circus is well known for transforming disused spaces into their playground—and recently caught our attention for their performances on the iconic Christmas Steps. For a decade, they called the Unit 15 Creation Space home, but now find themselves homeless again. But that won’t stop the troupe from performing their weird and radical shows all over Bristol.
You will often find them at the Loco Klub, “Bristol’s home for alternative arts”, which is always a great venue for unique and interesting performances. Currently (July 8 – 17, August 4 -31), ‘Wunderground 200’ will take you through two centuries of railway history in the atmospheric tunnels beneath Bristol Temple Meads. We also expect Invisible Circus to find a more permanent home very soon.
3. Circus City
Circus City is the UK’s largest contemporary circus festival and will offer a city-wide programme of performance circus, dance, theatre, music and film later this year (October 9 to 29). The biennial festival will host plenty of brand-new works for the whole family to enjoy, alongside workshops, talks, and industry events.
In the meantime, Circus City also doubles as a charity “for the development of contemporary circus”, with a year-round programme championing experimentation and diversity, with outdoor performances, residencies, workshops and development opportunities. You can learn more about Circus City here.
4. NoFitState
The Cardiff-based, boundary-pushing contemporary circus troupe, NoFitState, can often be found in Bristol and around the South West—including bringing the big top to St Pauls twice (!!) last year, for ‘Bamboo’ and ‘Sabotage’. There are no current plans for a return to Bristol, but don’t expect it to be too long a wait.
You’ll be able to catch the large-scale production of ‘Sabotage’—with “outrageously talented performers, breathtaking skills and aerial feats”—one last time in Cardiff later this year (September 12 – 28, 2025). On top, NoFitState offers regular weekly classes and workshops at Four Elms Road in Cardiff, as well as lots of free activities and community events.
5. Circus Extreme
Unlike the others on this list, Circus Extreme has no ties to the city, but will be performing in Bristol later this year. From Friday, September 26 to Sunday, October 19, 2025, Circus Extreme will take to the Downs for a string of high-octane performances—with a fusion of live rock music and world-class circus stunts! Expect death-defying acrobatics, fire-infused aerial displays, extreme motocross, and the energy of a full live band.
6. The Lost Cabaret
While not a circus, The Lost Cabaret offers lots of the same things we love about a big tent at The Wardrobe Theatre every few months (next, September 14, 2025). Described as “a ridiculous, rambunctious afternoon of alternative comedy, clowning and games”, it’s bold and brash, offering experimental clowning at its best.
7. Temple Cloud Circus
With a focus on aerial skills, you can find a range of tasters, workshops, parties and shows at Temple Cloud Circus—which is less than an hour from Bristol near the Mendips. It has a particular interest in training the next generation of circus performers.
Other circus companies in Bristol:
Look, while it can be hard to predict exactly when the circus is in town, there is an incredible contemporary circus and physical theatre scene to be found in Bristol and beyond. Keep an eye on Circomedia and The Loco Klub mostly. If you’re looking to hire out performers, sign up for circus workshops, or just keep an eye on the scene, you may also want to check out these incredible companies: