Phare Circus Siem Reap: Tickets and What to Expect

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Phare, the Cambodian Circus, is a modern circus performance — acrobatics, live music, and theatrical storytelling, not animal acts — staged nightly in Siem Reap. It’s consistently one of the highest-rated evening activities in the city and also funds a nonprofit arts school for disadvantaged Cambodian youth, which trains many of the performers themselves.

What to expect

Shows run about an hour and rotate through a handful of different stories, each blending circus skills with a narrative loosely tied to Cambodian culture or history. The venue is an open-sided big-top tent a short drive from central Siem Reap, with general admission and a few premium seating tiers.

Ticket prices and booking

Standard tickets typically run around $18-$20 for adults, with premium seating (closer to the stage) priced higher, around $35-$38, and reduced pricing for children. Booking a few days ahead is recommended in high season (November-February), when shows regularly sell out; outside peak season, next-day booking is usually fine.

Getting there

The venue is a short tuk-tuk ride from the Old Town, and most hotels can arrange transport or you can flag a tuk-tuk directly — agree on a fare beforehand, as with any Siem Reap tuk-tuk trip.

Frequently asked questions

How much are Phare Circus tickets?

Standard adult tickets run roughly $18-$20, with premium seating around $35-$38. Children’s tickets are discounted.

Is Phare suitable for kids?

Yes — it’s a popular family activity with no animal acts, though very young children may find the volume and lighting overwhelming during the more intense sequences.

How far ahead should I book?

A few days ahead during peak season (November-February); next-day booking is usually fine the rest of the year.

How long is the show?

Shows run approximately one hour, with no intermission.

Related guides

• Siem Reap Nightlife Guide
• Best Rooftop Bars in Siem Reap
• Angkor Night Market and Pub Street: What to Expect
• Things to Do in Siem Reap Beyond the Temples
• Angkor Wat Photography Guide: Best Spots and Times

What the show actually involves

Phare, the Cambodian Circus, blends acrobatics, live music, dance, and theater to tell stories drawn from Cambodian folklore and contemporary social themes — it’s a genuine artistic performance rather than a traditional animal circus (there are no animals involved at all). Performers are graduates of Phare Ponleu Selpak, an arts school in Battambang originally founded to give at-risk and disadvantaged youth a path through creative training, and ticket revenue directly funds that program.

Booking and what to expect on the night

Shows run nightly at a dedicated big-top venue near the Angkor National Museum, with tickets running $18-38 depending on seating tier (standard vs. premium front-row) — booking a day or two ahead is worth it in high season, since shows do sell out. The performance runs about an hour with no intermission, and arriving 20-30 minutes early is worth it to grab good seats in the general-admission tiers and soak in the pre-show atmosphere.

Is it worth fitting into a temple-heavy schedule?

Yes — it’s consistently one of the highest-rated evening activities in Siem Reap precisely because it’s different from another day of stone temples, and at under 90 minutes total it fits easily after a full day at Angkor without eating into the next morning. It’s also one of the few Siem Reap experiences genuinely suited to all ages, including younger kids who might otherwise flag on a straight diet of temple walking.

Combining Phare with dinner

Several restaurants near the Phare venue offer pre-show dinner deals, or you can walk over from a Pub Street-area meal given the venue’s central location — arriving with dinner already done avoids rushing after the show, which ends late enough that many nearby restaurants are winding down.

Photography and recording policy

Phone photography without flash is generally permitted during the show, but full video recording is restricted — check current signage at the venue, since policies are enforced to protect performers and the show’s original choreography.

The story behind Phare Ponleu Selpak

The school that trains Phare’s performers was founded in the early 1990s by a group of young Cambodians who had grown up in a refugee camp and wanted to give at-risk youth a creative outlet and a path to a stable livelihood — the Siem Reap circus venue, opened later, became the flagship way to fund and showcase this work to a wider audience, making a ticket purchase a direct contribution to the program rather than just entertainment.

Seating tiers explained

Premium front-row seats put you close enough to see performers’ expressions clearly and feel the acrobatic stunts’ full impact, while standard seating further back still offers a complete, unobstructed view of the stage — the price difference is modest enough that premium seats are worth it if available, but standard seating is far from a compromise.

How Phare compares to traditional Apsara dance shows

Many Siem Reap hotels and restaurants also offer traditional Apsara dance performances, a classical Khmer art form distinct from Phare’s contemporary circus format — Apsara shows tend to be shorter, more meditative, and often included free with a hotel dinner buffet, while Phare delivers a longer, more dynamic, ticketed theatrical experience; travelers with time for both find they complement rather than duplicate each other, offering genuinely different windows into Cambodian performing arts.

Accessibility considerations for the venue

The Phare venue is a purpose-built tent structure with tiered general-admission-style seating; while there’s no dedicated wheelchair section listed prominently, contacting the box office directly ahead of your visit to discuss accessibility needs is worth doing if mobility is a concern, since staff can usually arrange accommodating seating with advance notice.

What sets Phare apart from typical tourist cultural shows

Where many tourist-oriented cultural shows lean on spectacle alone, Phare’s performances are built around actual narrative arcs drawn from Cambodian folk tales and real social themes, giving the show emotional throughlines beyond pure acrobatic display — this narrative depth is part of why it consistently earns strong reviews even from travelers who don’t typically seek out circus-style entertainment.

The performers themselves often stay after the show for a brief meet-and-greet near the exit, a nice touch that lets visitors directly thank and support the young artists whose training this ticket purchase helps fund.

Booking a Phare ticket early in your trip, rather than leaving it for a last free evening, ensures you don’t miss what consistently ranks among Siem Reap’s most highly recommended experiences.