There have been many famous modern circuses since the first modern circus was staged by Philip Astley in London on January 9, 1768. Many are best known by the name of their principal owner. The following is a list of both circuses and their country of origin. For more information on circuses in general see Circus, or Contemporary circus, or for information regarding the ancient Roman circus, see Circus Maximus.
Name | Country | Status | Year(s) |
---|---|---|---|
Abuhadba Circo Internacional[1] | Bolivia | ||
Adam Forepaugh | United States of America | Merged | 1870s–1900 |
Aerialize Sydney Aerial Theatre[2] | Australia | Active | 1999–present |
Aesthetic International Circus[3] | China | Active | 2023-present |
Al G. Barnes Circus | United States of America | Defunct | 1895–1938 |
Albert & Friends Instant Circus[4][5] | United Kingdom | ||
Aloft Circus Arts [6] | United States of America | 1941–present | |
Amar Circus[7] | India | ||
Antonio Franconi | Italy | Defunct | |
Archaos | France | Active | 1986–present |
Arkhangelsk State Circus | Russia | Defunct | 1929-1989 |
Artcirq[8] | Canada | Active | 1998–present |
Asociaciones de circo en España[9] | Spain | ||
Astrakhan State Circus[10] | Russia | Active | 1885–present |
Baku State Circus | Azerbaijan | Active | 1945–present |
Batty's Hippodrome | United Kingdom (England) | Defunct | 1851–1852 |
Belarusian State Circus[11] | Belarus | Active | 1884–present |
Bertram Mills Circus | United Kingdom | Defunct | |
Big Apple Circus | United States of America | Active | 1977–2017; 2017–present |
Billy Smart[12] | United Kingdom | Active | 1946–2015 |
Bindlestiff Family Cirkus | United States of America | Active | 1995–present |
Blackpool Tower Circus | United Kingdom | Active | 1894–present |
Bobby Roberts Super Circus[13] | United Kingdom | Active | 1973–present |
Boswell Wilkie Circus | South Africa | Defunct | 1913-2001 |
Bryansk state Circus[14] | Russia | Active | 1974–present |
Bullen Brothers' Circus[15][16] | Australia | Defunct | pre-1925–1990s |
Capital Circus[17] | Kazakhstan | Active | 2005–present |
Capital Circus of Budapest | Hungary | Active | 1889–present |
Carden International Circus[18] | United States of America | Active | pre-1973–present |
Carson & Barnes Circus[19] | United States of America | Active | 1929–present |
Chaplin's Circus[20] | United Kingdom | Defunct | 1911–1985 |
Chelyabinsk State Circus[21] | Russia | Under renovation | 1979-2019 |
Chimelong International Circus[22] | China | Active | 2000–present |
Chinese State Circus | United Kingdom | Active | 1992–present |
Chipperfield's Circus | United Kingdom | Active | 1684–present |
Circa[23][24] | Australia | Active | 1987–present |
Circo Amedeo Orfei[25] | Italy | Active | ?-present |
Circo Aquatico Torres[26] | Italy | Active | ?-present |
Circo Atayde Hermanos[27] | Mexico | 1954–present | |
Circo Braum[28] | Italy | Active | ?-present |
Circo Chen[29] | Portugal | Active | 1981–present |
Circo Dallas[30] | Portugal | Active | 1982–present |
Circo Darix Togni[31][32] | Italy | Active | 1872-present |
Circo de los Horrores [33] | Spain | ||
Circo de Teresa Rabal[34] | Spain | ||
Circo Greca Orfei[35] | Italy | Active | 1994–present |
Circo Kino[36] | Italy | Active | ?-present |
Circo Lidia Togni[37] | Italy | Active | 1960s-present |
Circo Marina Orfei[38][39] | Italy | Active | ?-present |
Circo Maya Orfei Madagascar[40] | Italy | Active | ?-present |
Circo Moira Orfei[41] | Italy | Active | 1960–present |
Circo Mundial[42] | Portugal | Active | 1994–present |
Circo Osorio[43] | United States of America | Active | 1926–present |
Circo Paolo Orfei[44][45] | Italy | Active | ?-present |
Circo Rinaldo Orfei[46] | Italy | Active | ?-present |
Circo Rolando Orfei[47] | Italy | Active | ?-present |
Circo Sandra Orfei[48] | Italy | Active | ?-present |
Circo Victor Hugo Cardinali[49] | Portugal | Active | 1987–present |
Circuba | Cuba | Active | 1968–present |
Circus Aerobus[50] | Russia | Active | ?-present |
Circus Amok | United States of America | Active | 1989–present |
Circus Aotearoa[51] | New Zealand | ||
Circus Aqua - Shevchenko Show[52] | Russia | Active | ?-present |
Circus Arena Makao[53][54] | Russia | Active | ?-present |
Circus Arena Yaguar[55] | Russia | Active | ?-present |
Circus Arlekin[56] | Belarus | Active | ?-present |
Circus Avalon[57] | Australia | ||
Circus Avtovo[58][59] | Russia | Active | 1995–present |
Circus Bassie & Adriaan | Netherlands | Defunct | 1976?–1989? |
Circus Belissimo[60] | Russia | Active | ?-present |
Circus Carl Busch[61] | Germany | ||
Circus Contraption | United States of America | Defunct | 1998–2009 |
Circus Crocus[62] | Russia | Active | ?-present |
Circus Demidov[63] | Russia | Active | ?-present |
Circus Dire Dawa [64] | Ethiopia | ||
Circus Dovgalyuk[65] | Russia | Active | ?-present |
Circus Extreme | United Kingdom | Active | 2018–present |
Circus Fantastic[66] | Russia | Active | ?-present |
Circus Filatov[67][68] | Russia | Active | 1836–present |
Circus Flora | United States of America | Active | 1986–present |
Circus Gatti[69][70] | United States of America | 1953–present | |
Circus Gerbola[71] | Ireland | ||
Circus Graf Orlov[72] | Russia | Active | ?-present |
Circus Grand[73] | Russia | Active | ?-present |
Circus Hargeisa[74] | Somaliland | ||
Circus Herman Renz | Netherlands | Active | 1911–present |
Circo Hermanos Vazquez | United States of America | Active | |
Circo Hermanos Suarez | Mexico | Active | 1872 - Present |
The Circus of Horrors[75] | United Kingdom | Active | 1995–present |
Circus Humberto[76] | Czech Republic | Active | 1951–present |
Circus Joker[77][78] | Russia | Active | ?-present |
Circus Joseph Ashton | Australia | Active | 1847–present |
Circus Juventas | United States of America | Active | 1994–present |
Circus Knie | Switzerland | Active | 1803–present |
Circus Kolizeum[79] | Russia | Active | ?-present |
Circus Krone | Germany | Active | 1905–present |
Circus Maska[80] | Russia | Active | ?-present |
Circus Mondao[81][82] | United Kingdom | ||
Circus Mr. Lumaca[83] | Russia | Active | ?-present |
Circus Mundus Absurdus[84] | Finland | ||
Circus of Tiny Invisibility[85] | United States of America | 1957–present | |
Circus Oasis | Bulgaria | Defunct | 1991-2004; 2010–2014 |
Circus Olympia[86][87] | Australia | ||
Circus Orion[88] | Russia | Active | ?-present |
Circus Oz | Australia | Likely shifting from professional to voluntary | 1978–2022 in doubt. See company history entry |
Circus of Pepin and Breschard | United States of America | Defunct | 1807–1962 |
Circus Redickuless | United States of America | Defunct | 1995–2004 |
Circus Renz | Germany | Defunct | 1842–1897 |
Circus Rio[89] | Australia | Active | 2019–present |
Circus Roncalli | Germany | Active | 1976–present |
Circus Royale | Australia | Active | 1971–present |
Circus Smirkus | United States of America | Active | 1987–present |
Circus Sarasota[90] | United States of America | 1971–present | |
Circus Sunrise[91] | Australia | ||
Circus Tornado[92] | Russia | Active | ?-present |
Circus Tyanna[93] | United Kingdom | ||
Circus Vargas | United States of America | Active | 1969–present |
Circus Vegas[94] | Ireland | ||
Circus Vivat[95] | Russia | Active | ?-present |
Circus Waldissima[96] | United States of America | Active | 1992–present |
Circus Zoloto Africa[97] | Russia | Active | ?-present |
Circus Zvezda[98] | Russia | Active | 1993–present |
Circus Zvezdniy[99] | Russia | Active | ?-present |
Cirkus Agora | Norway | Active | 1989–present |
Cirkus Bob Navarro King[100] | Czech Republic | Active | 2011–present |
Cirkus Cirkör | Sweden | Active | 1995–present |
Cirkus Metropol[101] | Czech Republic | Active | 2012–present |
Cirkus Šimek[102] | Czech Republic | Active | 2013-present |
Cirque Amar[103] | Algeria | Active | 1924–present |
Cirque Berzerk[104] | United States of America | Active | 2004—present |
Cirque de Flambé[105] | United States of America | 1958–present | |
Cirque de la Symphonie | United States of America | Active | 1991–present |
Cirque du Soleil | Canada | Active | 1984–present |
Cirque Éloize | Canada | Active | 1993–present |
Cirque Italia[106] | United States of America | Active | 2012–present |
Cirque International Citta' di Roma Fratelli Bizzarro[107] | Algeria/Italy | Active | 1892–present |
Cirque Fernando | France | Defunct | 1872–1897 |
Cirque Medrano | France | Active | 1898–present |
Cirque Nicolas Zavatta[108] | France | Active | ?-present |
Cirque Plume | France | Active | 1984–present |
Cirque Romane Ritz[109][110] | France | Active | ?-present |
Cirque Sébastien Zavatta[111] | France | Active | ?-present |
Continental Circus Berlin | United Kingdom | Active | |
Culpepper & Merriweather Circus[112] | United States of America | Active | 1985–Present |
Diamond Circus of Yakutia[113] | Russia | Active | 1994–present |
Dnipro State Circus | Ukraine | Active | 1980-present |
Donetsk State Circus[114] | Russia(de facto)/Ukraine(de jure) | Active | 1926-1933, 1969-present |
Dorato Circus[115] | Israel | ||
Dream Science Circus[116] | United States of America | 1955–present | |
El Circo[117] | United States of America | 1948–present | |
End of the World Cirkus[118] | United States of America | 1943–present | |
Eroni's Circus | Australia | Active | 2007– |
Fekiland by Feki | Hungary | Active | 2021- |
Flynn Creek Circus[119] | United States of America | Active | 2002– |
Flying Fruit Fly Circus | Australia | Active | 1979– |
Fossett's Circus[120][121] | Ireland | ||
Foolhardy Circus Arts[122] | United Kingdom | ||
FSU Flying High Circus | United States of America | Active | 1947–present |
Garden Bros Circus[123] | United States of America | Active | |
Gärtner Brothers Circus[124] | Kazakhstan/Germany | Active | ?-present |
Gasaui [125] | Bolivia | ||
Gemini Circus[7] | India | ||
Gerry Cottle's Circus[126][127][128] | United Kingdom | 1970–present | |
Gia Eradze's Royal Circus[129] | Russia | Active | 2007–present |
Golden Dragon Circus[130] | Russia | Active | ?-present |
Gomel State Circus[131] | Belarus | Active | 1972–present |
Gran Circus Wegliams[132] | Italy | Active | ?-present |
The Bite-sized Circus - The Littlest Show on Earth[133] | Australia | ||
The Great Pakistani Circus[134] | Pakistan | ||
The Great American Royal Circus[135] | United States of America | 1930–present | |
Great British Circus | United Kingdom | Active | |
Great Bombay Circus[136][137] | India | ||
Great Indian Circus | India | Defunct | 1880–1935 |
Great Lion Circus[7] | India | ||
Great Rayman Circus[7] | India | ||
Great Royal Circus[138] | India | ||
Hippodrome Circus[139] | United Kingdom | Active | 1903–present |
Grozny Circus[140] | Russia | Defunct | 1976-1995 |
Hagen's Circus[141] | Australia | Merged | 1878–1950 |
Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus | United States of America | Defunct | 1907–1938 |
Hamid Circus[142] | United States of America | 1917–present | |
Hanoi Central Circus[143][144] | Vietnam | Active | 1950s-present |
Happy Circus Internazionale[145] | Italy | Active | ?-present |
Happy Dream Circus | Japan | Active | 2010–present |
Imperial Royal Circus[146] | Italy | Active | 1930-40s-present |
International Circus Doha[147] | Qatar | Active | ?-present |
Irkutsk State Circus[148] | Russia | Active | 1964–present |
ISU Gamma Phi Circus[149] | United States of America | 1929–present | |
Ivanovo State Circus[150] | Russia | Active | 1933–present |
Janbaz Circus[151] | Pakistan | ||
Jordan World Circus[152][153] | United States of America | Active | 1988–present |
Jumbo Circus[154][155] | India | ||
Jim Rose Circus | United States of America | Active | 1991–present |
Karaganda Circus[156] | Kazakhstan | Active | 1983-present |
Kazakh State Circus | Kazakhstan | Active | 1970–present |
Kazan Circus[157] | Russia | Active | 1890–1961; 1965–present |
Kelly Miller Circus[158] | United States of America | 1938–2019 | |
Kemerovo State Circus[159] | Russia | Active | 1932–present |
Khabarovsk State Circus[160][161][162] | Russia | Active | 2001–present |
Kigure New Circus | Japan | Defunct | 1942–2010 |
Kinoshita Circus[163] | Japan | Active | 1902–present |
Kirov State Circus[164] | Russia | Active | Pre-1934-1969; 1977–present |
Kislovodsk State Circus[165][166] | Russia | Active | 1933–present |
Kostroma State Circus[167] | Russia | Active | 1928-1970; 1984–present |
Krasnodar State Circus[168] | Russia | Under renovation | 1908-?; 1970-2023 |
Krasnoyarsk State Circus[169] | Russia | Under renovation | 1917-1930; 193?-1940; 1971-2020? |
Kursk State Circus[170] | Russia | Active | 1971-1996; 2011–present |
Le Grand Cirque de Rome[171] | France | Active | ?-present |
Lennon Bros Circus | Australia | Active | 1890–present |
Lingling Circus[172] | China | Active | 2014-present |
Longcheng International Circus[173] | China | Active | 2019-present |
Longemont International Circus[174] | China | Active | 2018–present |
Long Shadow Stilt Theatre[175] | Australia | ||
Loomis Brothers Circus [176] | United States of America | Active | 1997–present |
Lost in translation Circus [177] | United Kingdom | ||
Lucent Dossier Experience | United States of America | Active | 2004–present |
Lucky Irani Circus[178] | Pakistan | Active | 1970–present |
Lugansk State Circus[179] | Russia(de facto)/Ukraine(de jure) | Active | 1971–present |
Magnitogorsk State Circus[180] | Russia | Active | 1931–present |
McLaren Circus[181] | South Africa | Active | 2005–present |
Midnight Circus [182] | United States of America | 2007–present | |
Moretti Circus[183] | Russia | Active | ?-present |
Moscow State Circus | Russia | Active | 1919–present |
Nikulin’s Circus | Russia | Active | 1880–present |
Nizhny Novgorod State Circus[184] | Russia | Active | 1883–present |
New Pickle Circus[185] | United States of America | 2015–present | |
Nizhny Tagil State Circus[186] | Russia | Active | 1931–present |
Nofit State Circus | United Kingdom (Wales) | Active | 1986–present |
Novokuznetsk State Circus[187] | Russia | Active | 1935-1957; 1974–present |
Novosibirsk State Circus[188] | Russia | Active | 1931–present |
Omsk State Circus[189] | Russia | Active | 1898–present |
P. T. Barnum | United States of America | Merged | 1870–1919 |
Pablo Fanque's Circus Royal | United Kingdom | Defunct | 1830s |
Perm State Circus[190] | Russia | Active | 1884–present |
Perry Bros Circus[191][192] | Australia | ||
Pickle Family Circus | United States of America | Defunct | 1974–2004 |
Pop Circus | Japan | Active | 1996–present |
Pyongyang Circus[193] | North Korea | Active | 1989-present |
Rajkamal Circus[7] | India | ||
Rambo Circus[7] | India | ||
Circus Flórián Richter[194] | Hungary | Active | 2016-present |
Ringling Brothers Circus | United States of America | Merged | 1884–1919 |
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus | United States of America | Active | 1919–2017; 2023- |
Rostov State Circus[195] | Russia | Active | c.1890s-present |
R.T. Richards Circus | United States of America | Defunct | 1917-1918 |
Rony Roller Circus[196] | Italy | Active | 1991?-present |
Royal Hanneford Circus | United States of America | Active | 1965–present |
The Royal London Circus | Malaysia | Defunct? | 1990–?2008 |
Royal Circus and Equestrian Philharmonic Academy | United Kingdom | Defunct | 1782–1924 |
Ryazan State Circus[197] | Russia | Active | c.1914–present |
Saint Petersburg State Circus | Russia | Active | 1877–present |
Samara State Circus[198] | Russia | Active | Pre-1919–present |
Saratov State Circus[199] | Russia | Active | 1876–present |
Sarrasani | Germany | Active | 1912–present |
Sevastopol State Circus[200][201] | Russia(de facto)/Ukraine(de jure) | Active | 1986–present |
Shanghai Circus World | China | Active | 1999–present |
Shibata Circus | Japan | Defunct | 1923–1963 |
Shrine Circus | United States of America | Active | 1906–present |
Silvers Circus | Australia | Active | 1946–1953; 1953–present |
Simferopol State Circus[202] | Russia(de facto)/Ukraine(de jure) | Active | 1959–present |
Sochi State Circus[203] | Russia | Active | 1971–present |
Sole Brothers' Circus | Australia | Defunct | 1890s–1993 |
Star Spangled Circus[204] | United States of America | 1926–present | |
Stardust Circus | Australia | Active | 1990s—present |
Stavropol State Circus[205][206] | Russia | Active | 1975–present |
Stilt Circus[207] | United States of America | 1906–2020 | |
Steel City Clown Brigade | United States of America | 1952–present | |
Sun Island Circus World[208] | China | Active | 2023?-present |
Tajik State Circus[209][210][211] | Tajikistan | Active | 1976-present |
Taylor Circus Stars[212] | United States of America | 1954–present | |
Tbilisi Circus | Georgia | Active | 1888–present |
Teatro ZinZanni | United States of America | Active | 1998–present |
Tiger Park International Circus[213] | China | Active | 2015–present |
Tirana Circus | Albania | Active | 1952–present |
Tsirk Circusland[214] | Russia | Active | ?-present |
Tsirk Maximus[215] | Russia | Active | 2003–present |
Turkmen State Circus | Turkmenistan | Active | 1979–present |
Tom Arnold | United Kingdom | Defunct | 1930s–2003 |
Tom Duffy's Circus[216] | Ireland | Active | 1775– |
Travelling Light Circus[217] | United Kingdom | 1968–present | |
Tula State Circus[218] | Russia | Active | 1870-1949; 1963–present |
Tver State Circus[219] | Russia | Under renovation | 1924–2022 |
Two Bit Circus [220] | United States of America | 2003–present | |
Tyumen State Circus[221] | Russia | Active | 1897–present |
Udmurtia State Circus[222] | Russia | Active | 1895–present |
Ufa State Circus | Russia | Under renovation | 1968–2017 |
Universal Circus[223] | Italy | Active | ?-present |
UniverSoul Circus | United States of America | Active | 1994–present |
Ussuriysk State Circus | Russia | Defunct | 1971–2006 |
Uzbek State Circus[224] | Uzbekistan | Active | 1920-present |
Vau De Vire Society[225] | United States of America | 2000–present | |
Vladivostok Circus[226] | Russia | Active | 1973–present |
Volgograd State Circus[227] | Russia | Under renovation | 1967–2023 |
Voronezh State Circus[228] | Russia | Under renovation | 1882–2024 |
Wanderlust Circus | United States of America | Active | 2006–present |
Webers Circus | Australia | Active | 2007–present |
Whiteway Circus[7] | India | ||
Will-o'-the-Wisp Fire Circus[229] | Australia | ||
Wirth's Circus | Australia | Defunct | 1882–1963 |
Wuqiao Acrobatics World[230] | China | Active | 1993-present |
Yano Circus | Japan | Defunct | 1916–1996 |
Yaroslavl State Circus[231] | Russia | Active | 1937-1943; 1963–present |
Yekaterinburg Circus | Russia | Under renovation | 1980–2023 |
Zippos Circus[232] | United Kingdom | Active | 1986–present |
Zirka Circus[233] | New Zealand | ||
Zoppé Family Circus[234] | United States of America | 1924–present | |
Name | Country | Status | Year(s) |