The Big Top Festival - Southport 2026 - Part 2

OVER the weekend of:- 2 May to 3 May 2026, Southport, Merseyside hosted its 1st Big Top Festival. The entirely free event proved to be a massive success, drawing large crowds and providing a much needed financial boost to local businesses in the area. Saturday, 2 May was extremely busy, and while Sunday saw slightly fewer visitors due to the weather, it remained exceptionally well attended. Organisers and attendees alike are already expressing hopes that Sefton Council will repeat the successful initiative next year. The public, particularly the children, appeared completely absorbed in the exceptional quality of the performances on offer. These are more of our photos and some video taken at the event over the 2 days. To see more photos please continue to the next 6 pages within this edition, and to see Part 1 of our coverage, please click on here.

The festival featured a wide array of world class:- artists, blending circus, dance, and comedy into a spectacular weekend. Among the highlights was the vibrant choreography of:- "Beyond" by Circumstances, which saw 6 professional performers expertly navigate disciplines such as ladder walking, acrodance, and pole dancing. TeaTime Company presented:- "Ripple," where 3 artists engaged in a thrilling battle with momentum around 1 giant metal spiral. Circa delivered a raw, high energy 30 minute adaptation of their acclaimed show:- "Wolf," while The Black Eagles thrilled crowds with a high energy spectacle of African acrobatics, human pyramids, and limbo.

Gandini Juggling brought 2 outstanding shows to the Town:- "Smashed2," blending Pina Bausch-inspired choreography with:- 80 oranges and 7 watermelons for 9 performers, and:- "You Too Can Tutu," a slapstick infusion of ballet and rhythmic movement. Comedy and chaos were well represented by:- EggPeople's:- "Cirque Du Kaka," featuring 3 hapless circus misfits, and Fools RushIn's:- "Harry & Steve's Circus Show," a fast paced 30 minute family comedy packed with juggling and unicycles. The Great Eve & Baldini brought raucous circus ridiculousness with 3 wheels and flying objects, while Seeing Double's:- "Acrobats" saw a playful duo tumbling through an oversized picnic of cheese wedges and 1 enormous pizza slice.

Interactive and thematic shows further enriched the festival. "Wild Laughter - Fun on the Prom" revived history's forgotten clown, Albert James, for a lively seaside celebration. Artemis Productions introduced:- "The Flamingos," featuring Florence and Isaiah, 2 oversized roaming flamingos, alongside a ringmaster interacting with the crowds. "Pirate Taxi" by Pirates of the Carabina offered an aerial adventure around 1 vintage London cab, and the Birdcage Stage presented:- "Don't Feed the Explorers," a slapstick jungle escapade featuring exotic creatures and 1 clumsy panda.

Thought provoking works included:- "Now That I Become d/Deaf," a non-verbal visual clown show exploring hearing loss, and Joli Vyann's:- "Life's a Beach," capturing a chaotic seaside day while hinting at darker environmental concerns. Audiences also enjoyed an explosive:- "Circus Cabaret" blending aerial artistry and roller skating, alongside appearances from the:- "Clown Family" bringing bespoke buffoonery to the festival sites. Finally, attendees got involved themselves through free participatory circus workshops delivered by:- Artemis, Fools Rush In, and Egg People at:- The Extravaganza Room in Southport Market, rounding off a magnificent weekend of entertainment.

If you missed it, Southport has a huge amount of big events still to be held this year. See:- VisitSouthport.Com to discover more amazing events for all ages... Southport is the place to be in 2026 for your holidays...

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