Barnum: The Circus Musical - Grand Opera House Belfast

What to Expect

Barnum: The Circus Musical arrives at the Grand Opera House from 13 to 17 October 2026, with Matt Rawle in the title role of P.T. Barnum. The show follows Barnum’s rise from small-time huckster to the founder of the “Greatest Show on Earth,” alongside his wife Charity, told through Cy Coleman’s score and a cast of more than twenty actor-musicians, acrobats and circus performers who bring genuine big-top skills onto the Opera House stage. Expect classic numbers, live music played by the cast, and physical spectacle rather than a static book musical.

Because the cast plays its own instruments while performing circus skills, this is a more physically demanding staging than most touring musicals, and the Opera House has built its accessible performances around that: a signed show on the Thursday for deaf and hard-of-hearing patrons, and an audio-described performance on the Saturday for blind and partially sighted visitors, both with extra introductory material. The historical setting means the production does not shy away from the racism and slavery that shadowed Barnum’s real career, which is flagged in the age guidance alongside the more straightforward warnings about smoke, haze and flashing lights used in the circus sequences.

Good to Know

• Runs Tuesday 13 October to Saturday 17 October 2026
• Performances at 2:30pm and 7:30pm; check goh.co.uk for the daily schedule
• Running time approximately 2 hours 15 minutes including an interval
• Tickets from £32.50 up to £60, including booking fees
• Recommended for ages 8 and over; the show includes smoke, haze and flashing lights, plus depictions of racism and slavery in its historical setting
• Signed performance on Thursday; audio-described performance on Saturday
• Box office: 028 9024 1919, Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm

Getting There

The Grand Opera House sits on Great Victoria Street in the centre of Belfast, beside the Europa Hotel and Europa Bus Centre, with Great Victoria Street train station two minutes away on foot. Multi-storey parking is available on Grosvenor Road and at Victoria Square close by. There is more to explore in Belfast and across Co. Antrim.