The World's Most Famous Circuses

Circuses can become famous due to a combination of factors that contribute to their success and popularity. These factors may include history, innovation, production value, themes and storytelling, awards and critical recognition, performers' talent, branding and marketing, and other factors.

List of the World's Most Famous Circuses

• Circus Vargas is Circus from the United States. It was founded in the mid-1960s by Clifford E Vargas and is today one of the rare circuses to perform in a tent (“big top”).
• Cirque du Soleil is a contemporary circus (“nouveau cirque”) from Canada (Montreal, Quebec) and is considered the largest theatrical producer in the world. Its performance consists of various circus styles from around the world.
• Cirque Medrano is a French circus from Paris. It was formed by the family Cirque Fernando and the British traveling circus family Robert Austen Brothers. It was first Robert Austens Mediterrean Circus, and then it became MedRAno.
• Circus Contraption are a circus, vaudeville, and dark cabaret troupe based in Seattle, Washington. About a dozen performers use live, original music in their performances and sell their music on CDs. Circus Contraption was founded in 1998.

• Circus Krone was founded by Carl Krone in 1905. It is one of the largest circuses in Europe and one of the rare ones, with its building in Munich, Germany.
• Circus Oz is a contemporary circus with elements of rock'n'roll, popular theater, and satire from Melbourne, Australia, founded in 1978. Except for performances, they also have ongoing social justice agendas and often support humanitarian causes.
• Cirkus Cirkör is a contemporary circus founded in 1995 in Stockholm, Sweden. It is predominantly vaudeville and variety show-inspired and performs in small venues. Its home arena is called “Subtopia.”
• Circus Redickuless was formed in Los Angeles by punk-rock impresario “Chicken” John Rinaldi and Michael Gump in 1995. It toured for four years and had talentless performances like: “Speed Metal tap dance,” “The Talking Mime,” and “Amazing Jarico Reese - the talentless magician.”

• Lennon Bros Circus is a traditional circus from Australia founded in the 1890s. They made their big top with wild cats, a staff of 35 people, 14 trucks, two semi-trailers, and 14 caravans.
• Moscow State Circus is the name for various circuses but is most commonly used for two buildings in Moscow: the “Circus Nikulin” and “Bolshoi Circus.”
• NoFit State Circus is a contemporary circus from Cardiff, Wales. They perform, among other places, in a custom-designed big-top spaceship tent.
• Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is a traditional circus from the US founded in 1907. They call themselves “The Greatest Show on Earth.” They maintain two train-based tours (each train is a mile long) and one truck-based tour. Maybe they are the greatest show on Earth.
• Circuba is Cuba's national circus, founded in 1968. Company members are required to complete the normal academic course first, so they can attend four-year training to be circus artisans.
• The Flying Fruit Fly Circus is a youth circus from Australia founded in the 1970s. It is also the only full-time circus school in Australia and provides education programs for kids of varying ages and abilities. The Flying Fruit Fly Circus school was founded in 1987, and it is guided by policy frameworks of the Victorian Department of Education.