Advertisement
Phare, The Cambodian Circus

Phare, The Cambodian Circus

Phare, The Cambodian Circus
5
8:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 9:30 PM
About
Phare, The Cambodian Circus "Amazing vibe & energy, transforming the lives of Cambodian youth" Experience Siem Reap's most unique, authentic top rated (TripAdvisor & Lonely Planet) evening entertainment. More than just a circus, Phare, the Cambodian Circus performers use theater, music, dance and modern circus arts to tell uniquely Cambodian stories; historical, folk and modern. The young circus artists will astonish you with their energy, emotion, enthusiasm and talent. Phare artists are students and graduates from Phare Ponleu Selpak's vocational training centre in Battambang. The association was formed in 1994 by 9 young men coming home from a refugee camp after the Khmer Rouge regime. They were greatly helped during that time by an art teacher using drawing classes as therapy and wanted to share this new skill among the poor, socially deprived and troubled youngsters in Battambang. They founded an art school and public school followed to offer free education. A music school and theatre school were next and finally, for the kids who wanted more, the circus school. Today more than 1,200 pupils attend the public school daily and 500 attend the alternative schools. Phare Ponleu Selpak also has extensive outreach programs, trying to help with the problems highlighted in their own tales. Phare The Cambodian Circus offers these students and graduates somewhere to hone their skills and a place to earn a decent wage. Money that will take them out of poverty and give them self-respect and freedom.
Duration: 2-3 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Admission tickets
from
$18.00
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Top ways to experience Phare, The Cambodian Circus

See what travelers are saying

  • Ben M
    14 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A must see in Siem Reap
    What a performance! A must see in Siem reap. All goes to a great cause. The performers are fantastic. The section C seating was enough for us and still had a great view. Loved the live music alongside the fantastic circus, acting and dancing. Bravo!
    Hi Ben, thank you very much about sharing your Phare Circus experience. We're delighted to hear you enjoyed the uniquely Cambodian story-telling style of circus. I'll be sure to pass along your compliments to the circus performers and musicians. Thanks for including us in your Siem Reap visit, for your support for Phare Ponleu Selpak non-profit school and for recommending us to others.
    Written October 8, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 8, 2023
  • Mel
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great show
    It was a nice show with a good storyline and you could see the crew put their skills all into it. It was friendly, they gave context between information and experience which was a nice style. Can highly recommend to go their for a show!
    Hi Mel, thank you for the rating and review. We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed Phare's uniquely Cambodian story-telling style circus. Our hope is that guests enjoy an excellent evening of entertainment while getting a peek into contemporary Cambodian artistic culture. Thanks for including Phare Circus in your Siem Reap visit and for recommending us to others.
    Written October 22, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written October 22, 2023
  • pennie
    Sydney, Australia7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Energy and fun
    Great show with tons of energy and humour. The acrobatics are amazing! Go for dinner beforehand too so you can meet the team and even see a pre show with cultural dances. Really fun
    Hi Pennie, thank you for sharing your Phare Circus experience. It's a great tip for future guests to show up early (open from 5:30pm) to enjoy shopping, dinner, drinks and a cultural dance performance before the main circus event. We're delighted to hear you enjoyed a fun evening. Your compliments will be shared with the circus performers for their funny, energetic performance. Thanks for including us in your Siem Reap visit.
    Written October 26, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written October 25, 2023
  • MRCLHYN
    48 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fantastic acrobatic performance
    Supernice and very sympathetic performance. The artists are absolutely skilled on a very high level and the project as fantastic social background. Thank you for the experience and have lots of fun in your upcoming shows in NYC, Sydney and Canada!
    Hi MRCLHYN, thank you very much for the awesome review and rating. The artists will be delighted to hear of your compliments and we all greatly appreciate your support for our missions of sustainging good jobs in the arts and funding free artistic and academic education. Thank you also for your well-wishes on our current tour to North America and Australia. The artists just arrivedin Montreal a couple days ago, dressed appropriately warmly for the winter weather. They're very excited!
    Written November 20, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written November 17, 2023
  • Soose_11
    Gibraltar98 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fantastic show
    This was an amazing show! Wonderful talent and all the artists brought a high energy to their performance. Very skilful and great comic timing. They’ve obviously been training for years, so you have to admire their dedication and perfect execution. Highly entertaining and enthralling, you won’t be disappointed if you go to watch them.
    Hi Soose_11, thank you for the amazing review of your visit to Phare Circus. The artists will be delighted to hear of your appreciation. You might be interested to know that they do indeed train for about 8 years at Phare Ponleu Selpak non-profit school before they join us in Siem Reap. They are definitely dedicated! Thanks again for including us in your Siem Reap visit and for recommending us to others.
    Written November 29, 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written November 28, 2023
  • Helen Carr
    Wilsons Promontory National Park, Australia26 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Professional acrobatics with an inspirational cause
    Excellent acrobatic and theatrical performance. The show runs for 1 hour and the entire performance was polished and professional. It is a must see in siem reap. The tent was air conditioned and had huge fans plus everyone was given a personal fan. I thoroughly recommend attending early and enjoying the happy hour cocktails. The street food was of the highest quality and hygiene. Add to that the wonderful job that they are doing training and educating 1500 students and you can feel really happy supporting the cause. We loved every minute of the evening.
    Hi Helen, thank you for writing about your Phare Circus experience. We're delighted to hear that the entire evening was a success, from the Cambodian street food experience and happy hour through the main circus performance. We greatly appreciate your support for our dual missions of sustaining good jobs in the arts and funding free artistic and academic education. Thank you again for including us in your visit and sharing the experience with others.
    Written February 11, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written December 31, 2023
  • PWSyd
    Australia47 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Entertaining night of culture
    Awesome night of local culture that provides a bit of the traditional as well as modern performing arts. It’s fun, funny and just a delight. Definitely added a perfect end to our experience in Cambodia. And great to be supporting a genuine local enterprise.
    Hi PWSyd, Thanks for sharing your Phare Circus experience. We're glad you had a great time with Phare and that we added a perfect end to your Cambodia trip. Guest visits contribute directly to the education and development of underprivileged children through our non-profit school in Battambang called Phare Ponleu Selpak. Thanks for visiting Phare Circus.
    Written January 9, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written January 8, 2024
  • Suzie G
    43 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Well worth a visit
    Had a great evening here. Took a tuk tuk from the centre and arrived early so we could get some food and drinks from the lovely food and drink stalls. There is also a pre show with some of the younger group members performing before which was cute. We booked the middle tier of tickets and had a great view. Loved the story behind the circus and how they help young people from difficult background. The performers were fabulous and the show lasts about an hour which is perfect.
    Hi Suzie, thank you for the rating and review. We're delighted to hear your evening at Phare Circus was a success, from dining and cultural dance performance, through the main circus event. We greatly appreciate your support for our missions of sustaining good jobs in the arts and funding free artistic and academic education at Phare Ponleu Selpak non-profit school. I'll be sure to pass along your compliments to the performers.
    Written February 13, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 23, 2024
  • Kristiana S
    4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing experience in Siem Reap
    If you want to see something different than the pub tours with drunk people, you are at the right place. We LOVED the show! The artists were wonderful young people with a lot of passion about what they are doing and a lot of talent. The show was amazing from the beginning to the end. We would definitely visit again. Worth every dollar! Thank you for the wonderful evening. Special greetings to the only girl on the team, you were great!
    Hi Kristiana, thank you for the awesome review. We hope that a visit to Phare Circus will be entertaining as well as enlightening, as the artists share their uniquely Cambodian story-telling style of circus. Certainly the Pub Street enthusiasts can still head down there after the show. ;-) I will certainly share your greetings with the women performers and musicians. They are absolute trail blazers in performing arts in Cambodia, facing resistance from their families in a very traditional, patriarchal society. They have become role models, however, for the younger generation who aspire to careers in performing arts. Thanks again for your visit and for recommending Phare Circus to others.
    Written February 13, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written January 26, 2024
  • AGSDLA
    Needham, Massachusetts33 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fascinating and thrilling
    The show uses acrobatics and live music to tell a parable-like story of the struggle between individuality and conformity/control. Much like Cirque du Soleil, the acrobatics are stunningly good and very, very entertaining. But still the show has a distinctly Cambodian feel. Before the performance at 8pm we arrived early (at 7pm) to watch local children perform traditional dance routines on a small stage separate from the main in-the-round venue. They were great and the dances, all to a very slow and controlled tempo, were interesting to see. We would very definitely recommend Phare, for both adults and children. Children will thrill at the athletic feats and the amazing costumes/imagery and adults will probably pick up more on the overall story/theme.
    Hi Ashley S, Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed and insightful review of your experience at Phare The Cambodian Circus! We are thrilled that you enjoyed the show and appreciate the kind words. We’ll share them with all the artistic team accordingly. It is such an honor being compared to such a big entertainment name like Cirque du Soleil although Phare performs on a rather small stage using very simple props to tell uniquely Cambodian stories. Thanks for also mentioning the pre-show performance by the young dancers from the Khmer Angkor Culture Training Club. These talented students are the future, and we’re grateful that supporting their artistic development is an important part of our mission. You make great tips pointing out that Phare shows can be enjoyed by all ages. Thank you once again for your visit and we hope to welcome you back to Phare The Cambodian Circus again someday.
    Written February 13, 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written January 28, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles13,058 reviews
Excellent
11,642
Very good
1,131
Average
202
Poor
56
Terrible
28

Corissa Y
Milpitas, CA8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Family
Was at first a bit skeptical about a Cambodian circus, but as soon as the show started I was captivated the entire time. These are truly talented young students who deserve recognition for their amazing talents! There are no animals involved so this is more like an acrobat show. The showing on our night was called Khmer Metal (they have a few diff shows so it's not always the same).

There are three sections to choose from and we chose the $18 side seats, which the views were a bit obstructed if you sit high up in the section. (There's a projector screen on one side that will obstruct your view as well as pillars). Otherwise sitting in the lower section of these side sections is perfectly fine. There's another projector where they will translate and explain what is happening in the scene (the entire show is in Khmer). It did get a bit hot inside the tent but they provide paper fans for you to borrow. Overall I highly recommend checking out the show!
Written January 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Maxcb1
Diseworth, UK10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
Did the dinner show plus category A reserved seating (well worth the extra money) on 5th Jan 2020. Dinner set menu was great, everything really well organised and then the show itself - just fantastic! Incredible skills as you’d expect but incredibly charming and heartwarming storytelling by all the cast and the whole audience completely engaged with them. On top of this the live music was also fantastic. Fully recommend for all ages.
Written January 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alyxrose
London, UK16 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Friends
This is more than just circus. It is circus/ theatre/ dance/ performance art and a charity. A great evening of fun and entertainment, you must go if in Siem Reap! Bring a bit of extra cash to donate or buy something from the gift shop as they are a children's arts charity and it is an excellent cause. Amazing performers with such skill, talent and energy. I wouldn't bother paying more for the better seats as it's a small theatre in-the-round so all the seats are good.
Written February 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

GohGohBarrow
Melbourne, Australia35 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Family
An amazing circus experience with fantastic acrobats, live music and wonderful performers. We took our 7 year old and she loved it! Worth spending a little extra to get the front row seats, as you get up close and personal with the performers. The organisation is a social enterprise that supports the local community. You’re left feeling great about the performance and also knowing that your contribution is going to a good cause.
Written January 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

annehow
Praia da Vitória, Portugal8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Couples
I loved it! The acrobatics were good (I have seen others that were more suspenseful/greater variety) but thoroughly enjoyed this one more because it has a story line to follow and with original music, it's more artistic and a must!

The energy was great! Makes me happy to see the performers enjoy their work and have a great time doing it.

I bought the $18 tickets (type C tickets on the side, first come first serve) and those were good but (obviously) the performance is set up for the viewers in front; the TVs are on the side to translate the story so although I can see the (minimal) subtitles, I did miss some things... I'm on the fence if I'd pay the extra $10 for front section seats, but leaning yes.
Written March 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Siobhan2010
Irish couple in Paris181 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Friends
8 of our tour group had a wonderful last night in Siem Reap at Phare circus. Fantastic group of young people that are so talented. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would highly recommend to everyone to go and support this fantastic organisation that brings trainingand employment to these young people.
Written March 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

gibbsgirls
Glasgow, UK327 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019 • Couples
When a man juggling fire whilst riding a unicycle on a tightrope isn’t the most impressive thing, you know it’s an amazing experience. The whole night was wonderful. There is a nice shop selling local products to explore before you go into the tent. We went for A seats and were delighted to get a metal water bottle to take away. The performance was stunning, talented performers telling an interesting story with some great and funny audience interaction. And it’s all for a great cause. We will definitely go again next time we are in Siem Reap.
Written January 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Michael L
Vashon, WA18 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Couples
We stumbled on this performance venue near our hotel so we decided to check it out. We are SO glad we did. What a talented group of young performers telling a story through acrobatics and movement and using their talent to help future students to excel in their craft. What a great way to give back to their community. We fully support their efforts and appreciate the entertainment they provided. It is a small enough space to feel upfront and personal in their performance. Very worthwhile cultural experience.
Written March 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CptVonTripp
London, UK301 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Solo
This is an absolutely superb show. The performers are so talented and really give you your money’s worth. Their circus skills and acrobatics are matched by their ability to act and tell a story. The musicians are brilliant too, driving the whole thing along and keeping up the energy. It’s just a fantastic experience and not to be missed.
Written March 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alex W
Rutherford, Australia3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
Absolutely amazing, with a fabulous and meaningful story line performed to perfection. All of the performers did a fabulous job and I loved that they looked like they were enjoying themselves so much. The audience involvement with eye contact and making sure all seating areas of the theatre were included was excellent. The acrobatics were amazing, the dancing was incredible, musicians created an excellent atmosphere and the art was stunning. 10/10 recommend!
Written February 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Showing results 1-10 of 11,458
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

Phare, The Cambodian Circus - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

All Siem Reap HotelsSiem Reap Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Siem Reap
All things to do in Siem Reap
Day Trips in Siem Reap
RestaurantsFlightsVacation RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesRental Cars