What is Come Alive! The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular?

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Ladies and gents, this is the moment you've waited for. it's time for the Radio Times Going Out team's thoughts on Come Alive! The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular.

This live performance first took up residence at West London's Empress Museum first opened in September 2024 and has recently been extended, now running through until September 2026.

But the real question is what exactly is Come Alive? Is it a stage show? A circus? An immersive experience? Well, that's what we're here to answer.

We took a trip to the Empress Museum in West London to experience Come Alive for ourselves. Here are our honest thoughts.

If you fancy another immersive experience, check out our Mundo Pixar Experience review.

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What is Come Alive! The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular?
Is Come Alive worth it?
Where is Come Alive! The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular?
How much are Come Alive tickets?
How to get Come Alive tickets

What is Come Alive! The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular?

The Greatest Showman singing surrounded by dancers — Come Alive! Joanna Magill

The most important thing to note is that Come Alive is not a stage adaptation of The Greatest Showman musical.

Instead, this is a full immersive experience with a circus-themed show inspired by and featuring music from The Greatest Showman.

Guests are encouraged to arrive early to the Empress Museum, where there's a wealth of things to explore before the show itself starts, including a museum dedicated to the history of the circus, live actors interacting with spectators, one-man circus performances and food and drink.

When it comes to the show yourself, you'll be seated in The Five Tops looking directly at the circus ring. What follows is an impressive variety show, featuring classic circus acts like aerial hoop, tightrope walking and fire juggling, as well as lots of singing, dancing and audience interaction.

The circus troupe includes some fantastic singers, who serenade the audience with songs from The Greatest Showman while the circus acts take place.

While this isn't a theatre show, there is a central plotline linking the songs together. The story follows Max, the partner of a circus performer who follows her own path to becoming a Showman, as well as a rivalry between two circus troupes.

Is Come Alive worth it?

After being invited to Come Alive, the Going Out team weren't entirely sure what to expect. As it turns out, the experience took our breath away.

The experience started out with a guided tour of an on-site exhibition showcasing the history of the circus, from iconic circus families to the significance of the Greatest Showman outfit. We then went through a corridor of framed circus pictures to the Zoetrope Bar, where we immediately encountered a juggler and some cast members.

It's impossible to overstate the size of this venue. As we wandered through the tents, lanterned streets, fortune teller booths, costume departments and food and drink areas, it truly felt like it was endless. These spaces are packed full of pre-show circus performances and interactive actors, and every set detail has clearly been meticulously selected by curators.

Purple map showing the layout of the Empress Museum — Map of the Empress Museum. Joanna Magill

The pre-show entertainment was a truly immersive experience, and we'd definitely recommend arriving as early as possible to take full advantage of it.

We were seated in the Yellow Zone, one row from the front which gave us an excellent view; however, in this intimate venue, there doesn't appear to be a bad seat in the house. Those sat in the front rows and at the end of aisles can expect lots of interaction with performers, who wander through the audience throughout the show.

Throughout the show we were treated to performances like aerial hoop, tightrope walking, fire juggling, aerial silk dancing, trapeze and one particularly memorable performance that involved an aerial dancer performing while suspended by her hair (yes, really!). All the while, we were treated to singing, dancing and audience interaction from the talented cast.

Aerial dancers in front of a sign reading "The Five Tops" — Come Alive! Luke Dyson

Though a wonderful spectacle, the show isn't without its flaws. The central plot of Max, Cory and the circus troupes is difficult to follow and would benefit from more dialogue to flesh out the story; however, this doesn't take away from the impressive physical feats and fantastic music.

The performers could only be described as joyful, keeping infectious smiles on their faces while performing unbelievable physical challenges. Our singers and actors were full of enthusiasm, raising the mood of the room and getting everyone even more excited about the show.

One thing to bear in mind, especially if you're on the taller side, is that there is limited leg room in the seats. We didn't find this to be a deal breaker, as the show's run time was on the shorter side – and there's the chance to stand up while you sing along at the end.

So, is Come Alive! The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular worth it? We would say absolutely yes, even if you're not familiar with The Greatest Showman. No matter your experience with the musical, any audience member will be blown away by the impressive physical feats, enthusiastic and talented performers and fully immersive world.

Where is Come Alive! The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular?

Come Alive takes place in the Empress Museum, a state-of-the-art performing arts centre in West London.

The venue is a short walk from Earl's Court station (District and Piccadilly lines) and West Brompton station (District line and Overground).

How much are Come Alive tickets?

Full tent view of Come Alive! with circus ring full of dancers — Come Alive! Luke Dyson

Tickets for this unique show will vary greatly depending on your chosen date and seat.

So far, the cheapest tickets we've found are on Ticketmaster, where prices start at £51.75. Prices can then go up to £206 for VIP tickets, which include unlimited champagne, exclusive photo opportunities, a private bar and delicious food.