The Hippodrome Circus Great Yarmouth

Great Yarmouth is an incredible seaside destination for families. Its rich in maritime heritage, famous for its golden mile with many wonderful attractions, restaurant, shops and ice-cream parlours. Whether you're visiting with family or friends, there will always be something to do in this iconic seaside town.


As a family, we have always made sure we visit Great Yarmouth a couple of times during summer trips to Great Yarmouth for some much-needed quality time together. Luckily, Visit Great Yarmouth has created an incredible opportunity for us this year to discover the incredible fun and excitement Great Yarmouth has to offer. So far, we have had the best time exploring the heritage, being in complete awe of the incredible sea life that surrounds us, thrill seeking at the iconic theme park as well as walking up and down the golden mile in the search of more fun.

Over the past few weeks, we have visited SEALIFE, Merrivale Model Village, and the Pleasure Beach as well as walking along the Golden Mile to enjoy the many amusements, crazy golf, ice cream parlours and gift shops. It has been the best summer adventure.


We were particularly excited about our next trip to Great Yarmouth because we were going to The Hippodrome Circus. We have never been to the circus as a family before, so as you can imagine, we were all very excited to see all the performers and incredible stunts.

The Hippodrome Circus is considered one of the seven wonders of the British seaside. Built in 1903 by the circus showman George Gilbert and has played host to an incredible variety of entertainment, from stage shows, political rallies, cinema and even used as a military practice shooting range. There is something very special about the Hippodrome circus, and those lucky enough to visit will be pleasantly surprised by its distinctive features. It is one of the few purpose-built circus buildings left in England, and one of three in the world with a sinking floor.

Cafe 1903

Nestle to the left of The Hippodrome Circus is Cafe 1903. A delightful little find that has been filled with the most stunning circus decor, wooden furniture and mesmerising memorabilia creating a real authentic experience. Cafe 1903 has a wonderful and welcoming atmosphere. The walls are adorned with stunning historic posters, paintings and photographs. It is the perfect place to enjoy a drink or light bite before heading next door to the main event. Cafe 1903 serves freshly ground coffee, paninis, sandwiches and delicious homemade cakes. You can also get a range of teas, soft drinks and bottles of carbonated drinks.



Heading into the Hippodrome Circus

The performances at the Hippodrome start at 2.30 or 7.30pm. The show lasts exactly 2 hours, with a 20-minute interval. We decided to choose an afternoon show so we could go and explore some more before heading back home.


Our tickets were pre-booked for us, so we just needed to show our confirmation at the ticket office. We then headed into the main foyer where there were bars for refreshments that included soft drinks, slushies, peanuts, popcorn and many other sweet treats - all were really reasonably prices. On the other side there was a place that was filled with lots of fun and exciting light up wands, unicorns and swords that were priced £4 and up. We purchased a flashing spinning LED Windmill Wand for our daughter who was more than pleased to play with during the show.


The doors opened 30 minutes before the show started which was plenty of time for us to get refreshments, find our seats and get ourselves ready for showtime. We were overwhelmed with excitement as the soundtrack from The Greatest Showman played, and our daughter even started singing. We couldn't wait to see what was in store.

Summer Circus & Water Spectacular

We had the best time in Great Yarmouth watching the Summer Circus & Water Spectacular at the Hippodrome. It was such an incredible experience. The show transports you away from reality to a sparkling world of sheer wonderment. Amazing acrobats, aerialists, daring stunts, dancers, swimmers and of course the world-famous Water Spectacular. We avoided looking at reviews or reading too many recommendations before going to the circus because we wanted to experience it for ourselves.


The Summer Circus & Water Spectacular is magical and full of colour. The performances were completely exhilarating, with each act offering something different and often leaving us in awe. The entire show was entertaining, hilarious, and kept us on the edge of our seats from the beginning to the very end.



This spectacular show combines the best of acrobats, aerialists, dancers and swimmers, along with the most famous water show in the world. It was extraordinary. We particularly loved the Aruba troupe that created a piece specifically for The Hippodrome Circus this summer, and wow what a display! They executed their entire act with incredible poise and precision, and one thing is sure, and that's they need stomach of steel to cope with flying into the air at high speeds. The silk acrobat was one of my daughter's favourite acts that literally kept us on the edge of our seats as she descended from the ceiling with the help of the silks.


The second half of the show was unforgettable. When we returned to our seats after intermission, we noticed a huge wheel of death and knew something remarkable was about to happen. My daughter constantly referred to it as a hamster wheel. 


A couple of stunt performers were the stars of the show as they walked around the wheel of death, making the audience gasp in amazement as they skipped their way around using rope. Those gasps weren't enough, one of the stunt performers decided to skip around the wheel of death blindfolded.



The Water Spectacular

Johnny Mac and Jack Jay were the best comedy duo on the show and kept us all laughing throughout. They created such a fun and exciting atmosphere with lots of audience participation, including throwing popcorn and water into the audience.



Then all of a sudden, the circus floor sprung a leak and within minutes the floor was filled with water. The Great Yarmouth Hippodrome Circus is one of only three in the world with this feature still in working condition, so it was a stunning feature to watch. We thoroughly enjoyed the synchronised swimming paired with the water displays and colourful lighting. It was the perfect way to end an incredibly remarkable show.


The Hippodrome Circus hosts four show throughout the year.

Pirates Live! – Every Easter half-term
Circus & Water Summer Spectacular – Throughout the summer until mid-Sept
Halloween Spooktacular – Every October half-term
Christmas Spectacular Circus & Water Show – Mid December through to the New Year

If you visit Great Yarmouth then you must go and see this show at the Hippodrome, you will be amazed. The show is on until the 18th of September, so make sure you book yours while you can. Seats are filling up quickly.

** We have been kindly gifted our tickets to The Hippodrome Circus from Visit Great Yarmouth as part of the ambassador program but as always, my words and opinions are my own. Images are subject to copyright, please seek permission before using. **

29 comments

  1. I have not been to the circus in years, it is definitely a fun outing for the family. I think I need to take my granddaughters they will love it

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    1. It is the best family day out. We had the best time! The water spectacular was definitely the best feature.

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  2. This sounds & looks like so much fun, I love that building it is in too. If I am ever in the area with my kids I will have to check this out, thanks for sharing it.

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    1. Oh, you must! It is one of only two purpose-built permanent circuses in England still in operation.

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  3. It's been so long since we've been to a circus. I would love to take the family to this one. It looks amazing!

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    1. If you make any plans next summer, you should add the Hippodrome in Great Yarmouth to bucket list!

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  4. It sounds like you had the most wonderful time. It would be lovely to go to the circus with the kids, we've not been to a circus in so long.

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    1. I have always been dubious to take my daughter, because she hates loud attractions! But we tried the circus, and she absolutely loved it.

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  5. This sounds like such an interesting place to visit! Looks like you guys had fun.

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  6. I've never been but it looks like a spectacular building. Liking the look of their little cafe and it's great that the space is still used for so many different activities to this day.

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    1. The cafe was a delightful little find before all the circus fun!

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  7. I've never been but it looks like a spectacular building. Liking the look of their little cafe and it's great that the space is still used for so many different activities to this day.

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    1. It was quite the view, but the show was even better!

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  8. This looks like a really fun summers day out. It's good to know they have other shows during the year too.

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    1. Yes, we hope to go back in October half term or perhaps Christmas time.

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  9. I do love a good circus and looks like they have put together a really good show with plenty of thrills and spills to be had!

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  10. Photographs tell volumes about this circus. Can be a fun filled family outing.

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    1. Absolutely! It was an amazing show. Unfortunately, we couldn't take videos.

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  11. Photographs tell volumes about this circus. Can be a fun filled family outing.

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  12. Gosh the last time I was at a circus I was just a child but I remember it so clearly. It was pure magic and so, so much fun for me! Those are lasting memories for sure and how nice you get to recreate those moments with your family now.

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    1. It was such a lovely afternoon! We can't stop talking about our day.

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  13. I've been mesmerized looking at the photos and reading your post. The Hippodrome Circus looks absolutely fabulous and I bet my kids would love it there as well

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    1. Thank you! It was such a fantastic day out! It is something that we always recommend to family and friends.

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  14. Sounds like Great Yarmouth has a lot of things that we like: by the seaside, restaurants, shops and ice cream!
    ~Paula Richie

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  15. looks like a very nice place i should go with my little nieces

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    1. Perhaps one day you'll take a little day trip to the beautiful seaside town Great Yarmouth.

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