Hotels near Phare the Cambodian Circus

Phare the Cambodian Circus is run by Phare Ponleu Selpak, a Battambang arts school founded in 1994 by young Cambodians returning from a refugee camp on the Thai border. Every performer comes through its free training programme, and ticket revenue funds the school. There are no animals in the show. Acrobatics, juggling, live music, live painting and theatre are built around Cambodian stories.

Performances start at 20:00 nightly under a big top on Ring Road and run about 70 minutes with no interval. The programme rotates between several productions, including Sokha, which deals with the Khmer Rouge years, and Khmer Metal, set in a roadside bar. Tickets start near 18 dollars for adults and 10 dollars for children under 12, with premium tiers above that. Doors open at 19:00.

Pro Tip: Turn up at 19:15. Seating within each tier is unallocated, so walking in early puts you front and centre for the standard price. Sokha is the strongest of the rotating shows if the schedule gives you a choice.