Come Alive! Tickets in London at the Empress Museum
Come Alive! is the official Greatest Showman circus spectacular: the film's songs performed live around world-class circus acts, in the round, in a purpose-built big top at Earls Court. The night starts an hour before curtain with an interactive pre-show world, and the run is booking to 29 August 2027.
From £581 hour 40 minutes, with an intervalAges 5 and up
Circus at Empress Museum, 5 minutes' walk from West BromptonBooking to 29 August 2027
Next available
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020 7193 9050 · Monday to Saturday 8am to 8pm, Sunday 10am to 8pm
Help choosing your seat
Who's Come Alive! For?
- Fans of The Greatest Showman who want to hear This Is Me, Rewrite the Stars and The Greatest Show performed live.
- Families with children from 5 up: circus acts, songs they know, and an early enough finish.
- Anyone who loves proper circus: the company includes Cirque de Demain medal winners and Cirque du Soleil alumni, working close up.
- Birthday treats and group nights that want an experience rather than just a show; the pre-show hour makes it a social occasion.
- Not one for babies or toddlers: under 5s, including babes in arms, are not admitted.
About Come Alive! at the Empress Museum
Max is a young circus hand who dreams of the spotlight, and when The Showman gives her a shot at centre stage, the acts tell the story from there: aerialists, tightrope and slack-rope walkers, contortion, fire and big ensemble numbers, threaded through the songs from The Greatest Showman. The plot is a light framework rather than the point; the acts and the songbook are the show.
One thing to be clear about before you book: this is not the film on stage. It is a circus spectacular built around the Pasek and Paul songs, staged in the round so the acts happen all around you.
The venue is its own attraction. The Empress Museum is a purpose-built big top at Earls Court, and your ticket includes the interactive pre-show world that opens an hour before curtain: performers, bars and the Empress Diner, all in the circus environment. Arrive when the doors open and make the hour part of the night.
If it is the film's full story you are after, that is a different show and it now has a date. Disney's stage musical of The Greatest Showman ran at the Bristol Hippodrome from 15 March to 10 May 2026, and The Greatest Showman comes to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in spring 2027, with Oliver Tompsett as P.T. Barnum and Samantha Barks as Charity. It is not on sale yet. Come Alive! is the Greatest Showman night you can book right now.
Worth knowing before you book: the show runs 1 hour 40 minutes with one interval, the age policy is strict (5+, no under 5s at all, under 16s with an adult), and the effects list includes strobe lighting, smoke, fire effects, loud noises and brief blackouts.
Performance Schedule
Come Alive! plays a seven-show week from Wednesday to Sunday. There are no Monday or Tuesday performances.
| Day | Matinee | Evening |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | - | - |
| Tuesday | - | - |
| Wednesday | - | 7:30pm |
| Thursday | - | 7:30pm |
| Friday | 2:30pm | 7:30pm |
| Saturday | 2:30pm | 7:30pm |
| Sunday | 2:30pm | - |
Doors open one hour before curtain (6:30pm evenings, 1:30pm matinees) for the pre-show. The pattern above holds most weeks, though the odd week varies, so check the calendar for your date. Booking currently runs to 29 August 2027.
Best Seats for Come Alive!
The big top is in the round and only about 11 rows deep, so there is no bad seat in the building. The quick version:
- Rows E to H and further back: our recommendation. A few rows of distance gives you the whole picture, and in a space this small "further back" is still close.
- The very back row: still a really good view; the best-value seats in the tent. Usually we wouldn't recommend the back row, but here, you're still close to the stage.
- Rows A to D: thrillingly close to the acts, and often sold among the cheapest seats, with the trade-off that you see less of the whole show at once. A different experience, not a lesser one.
- Premium seats sit in the prime sightline blocks, with VIP packages adding the Sky Terrace, drinks and performer meet-and-greets.
Prices run from around £50 up to around £125 for top-category seats, with premium seats from around £150 to £200. With us, the price you see is the price you pay, with nothing added at checkout. For the full breakdown, see the Tickets & Best Seats tab, or call us on 020 7193 9050 for a steer on your budget.
Cast and Creative Team
Simon Bailey (Moulin Rouge! The Musical) leads as The Showman, with Anoushka Tandon-Sangar as Max. Around them is an international circus company featuring Cirque de Demain medal winners and Cirque du Soleil alumni.
The creative team: conceived and directed by Simon Hammerstein, story by Jenny Bicks (screenwriter of The Greatest Showman film), songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, produced in association with 20th Century Studios. Full details in the Cast & Creatives tab.
Book Your Come Alive! Tickets
Book your Come Alive! tickets directly with us at Hit The Theatre. Our prices are all-in, so the price on the seating map is exactly what you pay at checkout. Choose your own seats online, or call us on 020 7193 9050 and a real person will match seats to your party and your budget.
Every day of the week is priced the same here, which is unusual, so a Saturday costs no more than a Wednesday. What lifts the price is peak weeks, around school holidays and Christmas. Friday and Saturday still fill first, so the midweek evenings are the easier buys rather than the cheaper ones.
Dates & tickets
FAQs
From around £50, with the top standard seats near £125 and premium above that. Every night of the week is priced the same, so a Saturday costs no more than a Wednesday; what lifts it is peak weeks around school holidays and Christmas. Whatever the price on the seating map, that is exactly what you pay with us.
It is the official Greatest Showman circus spectacular: the songs live, world-class circus, but not the film's story on stage. Disney's separate stage musical, which does tell the film's story, comes to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in spring 2027.
The running time is 1 hour 40 minutes including an interval, but plan for the pre-show too: doors open an hour before curtain and the interactive circus world is part of the ticket. Evening shows are done just after 9pm.
When the doors open, an hour before curtain: 6:30pm for evening shows, 1:30pm for matinees. The pre-show hour is one of the best bits, so give yourself time for it rather than rushing to your seat.
No. Wear what you like, and jeans and trainers are entirely normal. Fancy dress is actively encouraged at this one, which is unusual and rather suits it. One thing though: if you come in a top hat, staff may ask you to take it off once the show starts so the people behind you can see.
From age 5, yes, and families are its natural audience. The policy is strict below that: under 5s, including babes in arms, are not admitted. Under 16s must be with an adult. It is loud, with strobe, fire effects and brief blackouts.
No. It plays Wednesday to Sunday: evenings Wednesday to Saturday at 7:30pm, matinees Friday and Saturday at 2:30pm and Sunday at 2:30pm. There is no performance on Monday or Tuesday.
At Empress Place, Earls Court, London SW6 1TT. West Brompton station (District line and Overground) is about a 3-minute walk; Earl's Court station is around 12 minutes. The big top was purpose-built for this show, so Come Alive! plays here and nowhere else. There is no UK tour.
Yes, the big top surrounds the stage, and it is only about 11 rows deep, so every seat is close. A few rows back gives the fullest view; the front rows trade the overview for being right on top of the acts. The show feels both big, but intimate.
No, and nor is anyone else from the film. Come Alive! is a circus show built on the songs, not a stage version of the movie, and the cast are circus artists and musical theatre performers rather than the film company. Simon Bailey leads as The Showman.
The Pasek and Paul songs from the film, performed live, including This Is Me, Rewrite the Stars, A Million Dreams, Tightrope, Come Alive and The Greatest Show.
Premium seating plus priority entry, free-flowing drinks in the Sky Terrace, hot food, performer interactions, photo opportunities and a private interval bar. Call us on 020 7193 9050 and we will talk you through what is available on your date.
Yes. The pre-show world includes bars and the Empress Diner, and arriving for the full hour gives you time to eat and drink in the circus surroundings before curtain.
Yes to both. Call our Box Office on 020 7193 9050 and a real person will help you pick seats, in the round, at all-in prices, including seats together for groups and birthday parties.
Best Seats for Come Alive! at the Empress Museum
In-the-round circus changes the usual seat maths: there is no standard face on stage, the acts play to every side, and no seat is more than about 11 rows from the front. What you are choosing is distance, not direction.
- Rows E to H, any side: the sweet spot. Enough distance to take in whole routines, close enough to see the effort on the performers' faces.
- The back rows: genuinely good, and the best value in the tent. You lose almost nothing at this scale.
- Rows A to D: maximum impact, minimum overview, and often among the cheapest seats on the map. Aerial acts pass close overhead and floor acts work within metres of you. With the very nature of the setup, you will miss some of the far-side action, what do you miss? You gain by being so close.
- Premium and VIP: premium seats take the prime blocks at around £150 to £200; the VIP package adds the Sky Terrace, drinks, food and performer meet-and-greets.
One access note: Row A is the step-free row, and rows further back involve steps. If stairs are a consideration, book the front row and take the close-up experience.
With us the price you see is the price you pay, all fees included. Call us on 020 7193 9050 and a real person will find the right distance for your party.
Dates & tickets
Booking now
Getting to the Empress Museum
The Empress Museum is at Empress Place, Earls Court, London SW6 1TT, a purpose-built big top on the old Earls Court exhibition land.
- Nearest tube: West Brompton (District line, London Overground and Southern rail), about a 3-minute walk. Earl's Court (Piccadilly and District) is around 12 minutes.
- Buses: the 74, 190 and 430 stop at Empress State Building / West Brompton, a couple of minutes away; the 28 runs along nearby Lillie Road.
- Driving: not recommended; this is central-ish London with event traffic. Public transport is the easy route.
Arrive when the doors open, one hour before curtain (6:30pm evenings, 1:30pm matinees). This show is the exception to the usual advice about arrival times: the pre-show hour is part of your ticket, and the bag check queue is gentler early.
The Big Top at a Glance
Around 700 seats in the round, just 11 rows deep, with the stage in the middle and the pre-show world around it. Row A is the step-free row; every row behind it is two steps higher than the last, up to twenty at the back, and there is no handrail on those stairs. Wheelchair positions are in row A, for both transferring and non-transferring visitors.
Relaxed performances run. There are no captioned or BSL performances scheduled at present.
Access rates need booking ahead rather than on the night. They run through a registration scheme rather than the Box Office, and an application can take a week or two, so start it before you settle on a date. Access bookings are handled by the venue's own access team via the official site.
One thing worth knowing whether or not you book access seats. The performers work the audience throughout. Ask front of house for a sticker if you would rather sit it out, and the performers will leave you be.
For more about the venue, see our Empress Museum guide.
Address
Empress Place, London SW6 1TT
Nearest Tube
West Brompton (5 min walk)
Cast and Creative Team
Simon Bailey (The Showman) leads the company. His West End credits include Moulin Rouge! The Musical, and the critics have singled out how he anchors the night; the Daily Express wrote that he "leads the incredible energy of this spectacle".
Anoushka Tandon-Sangar (Max) plays the young dreamer at the centre of the story.
Around them works an international circus company drawn from the top of the discipline, including Cirque de Demain medal winners and Cirque du Soleil alumni; reviewers have repeatedly singled out aerialist Bella Diosa.
For the show's third year, new performers have joined, including singer-songwriter Famous Oberogo as Samson and circus acts including the Bilak Brothers. Check nearer your date if a particular performer matters to you.
The creative team:
- Conceived and directed by: Simon Hammerstein, grandson of Oscar Hammerstein II
- Story: Jenny Bicks, screenwriter of The Greatest Showman film
- Choreographers: Jerry Reeve and Lukas McFarlane
- Songs: Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (The Greatest Showman, Dear Evan Hansen), who are also consultant creative producers
- Pre-show world design: Ruby Law
- Produced in association with: 20th Century Studios
Come Alive! Reviews and Reception
The critics span four stars to two, and everyone agrees on the circus itself.
- The Times (4/5): "strips back the storyline but keeps all the best anthems"
- The Stage (4/5): "one of the most intense circus experiences ever"
- The Sun (Caroline McGuire): "big budget song and dance spectacles are truly brilliant"
- Time Out (3/5): praised the acrobatics up close: "you can see each muscle contort and flex"
- The Guardian (2/5), the dissent: "lacks a knockout performance"
The consistent story: world-class circus acts and the songbook everyone came for, with the connecting plot the bit critics enjoyed least. Audiences rate it warmly, and the family crowd is its happiest crowd. For every verdict in one place, read our full round-up, What the Critics Say.
Gallery
Come Alive! The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular
Empress Museum