What Zippos Circus does

Zippos Circus is a privately held UK tenting circus founded in 1986 by Martin 'Zippo' Burton and trading as World of Clowns Ltd (Company No. 13628834). It operates a big-top touring show from southern England to northern Scotland, performing traditional live circus acts including aerial performance, clowning, the Globe of Death motorcycle act, contortion, unicycle, and crossbow acts, with an all-human lineup since 2019. The company runs a calendar of approximately 6 months of touring per year and is currently executing its 40th Anniversary Tour in 2026. Zippos generates revenue primarily through unit-priced ticket sales (Grandstand, Royal Grandstand, Ringside, and wheelchair companion tiers) sold on-site and via the See Tickets e-commerce platform, with secondary revenue from concessions and souvenirs, and ancillary income from merchandise and the wholly-owned subsidiary Circus Equipment Hire. Its customer base is long-tail consumer — UK families with children and the general public — supplemented by a Community Admission Scheme distributing 100 free tickets per week through partnerships with schools, food banks, and refugee support groups.

The business model is direct-to-consumer with multi-channel marketing (paid social, email, press, community partnerships). Beyond the core tenting show, the company operates Cirque Berserk (a theatre-stage-based circus show launched in 2012), the Academy of Circus Arts (performer training founded 1992), and The Festival Circus (additional touring offering). Distribution is through on-site box offices at each tour location and the See Tickets online platform, with promotional discount codes distributed via Facebook. The company employs 11–50 people and is led by founder Martin Burton, Director Beau Denning, Creative Director David Hibling, and Site Manager Paul Winston, with Norman Barrett MBE as Ringmaster.

Name

Zippos Circus

Legal name

World of Clowns Ltd

Website

https://zippos.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zippos Circus is a privately held UK tenting circus founded in 1986 that tours from southern England to northern Scotland, performing live all-human circus acts for families and the general public and selling tickets on-site and through the See Tickets online platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Circus Entertainment

NAICS

Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Circus, Magic & Variety Shows (THAJAFAH)

Keywords

• Live circus performances
• Family entertainment shows
• Circus arts training
• Circus equipment hire
• Tent touring circus

Headquarters

HQ city

Newbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from advance and on-the-door ticket sales for circus performances. Online bookings through See Tickets incur a booking fee per ticket. On-site ticket office sales do not have booking fees. Family tickets are available for Royal Grandstand seats.
2. Concessions and Souvenirs: Revenue from light refreshments and circus souvenirs available before shows and during intervals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Zippos Circus operates a traditional tenting circus that tours the United Kingdom under a heated big top tent, delivering approximately two-hour live performance shows featuring world-class international performers including aerial acts, comedy, the Globe of Death motorcycle act, contortion, unicycle and crossbow acts. Tickets are sold through on-site ticket offices at each tour location and online via the See Tickets platform, with concessions and souvenirs also sold on site. Related offerings include Cirque Berserk (theatre-based circus show), the Academy of Circus Arts (training), and Circus Equipment Hire.

Product overview

Zippos Circus is a traditional tenting circus founded in 1986, now celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2026. The company operates under World of Clowns Ltd alongside three related brands: Cirque Berserk (a theatrical stage-based circus show launched in 2012), the Academy of Circus Arts (circus training founded in 1992), and Circus Equipment Hire. The core Zippos Circus experience is a big top tent show featuring diverse performers including aerial acts, comedians, the Globe of Death motorbike act, contortionists, unicyclists, and crossbow acts, with Paul Dos Santos as host and David Hibling as Creative Director.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zippos Circus Touring Show
• Cirque Berserk
• Academy of Circus Arts
• Circus Equipment Hire

Quantifiable outcome

• Only ten tenting circuses in Europe with Big Top Label certification
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Arts Council EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProud member providing arts funding and support for British circus tradition
• Association of Circus Proprietors of Great BritaincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZippos Circus founder Martin Burton served as Chairman of ACP; body representing circus proprietors in Great Britain
• Fantastic For FamiliesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organisation promoting family-friendly arts activities
• RotaryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partnership organisation supporting local initiatives
• Cirque BerserkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeparate theatre-based circus show created by Zippos Circus; many performers appear in both shows; represents diversification of circus entertainment beyond the traditional big top format
• European Circus AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports Big Top Label certification and international circus standards; partnering with European Circus Association and Federation du Cirque Mondiale for Intangible Cultural Heritage recognition
• Federation du Cirque MondialecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal circus federation supporting UK circus Intangible Cultural Heritage status campaign alongside European Circus Association and Association of Circus Proprietors
• UK Government's Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)coreOthersDCMS is engaged with ACP to achieve Intangible Cultural Heritage status for circus; nominations open in summer 2025; Heritage Minister Fiona Twycross supports the initiative
• Community Admission Scheme PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnerships with Children and Families teams, Home-Start, schools, housing associations, food banks, refugee support groups to distribute 100 free tickets weekly to families who could not otherwise attend

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Circus Mondao: UK-based traditional circus with touring tenting performances targeting family audiences. Comparable in scale, geography, and traditional circus format.
• Gandey's Circus: Long-established UK tenting circus operating family shows with touring big tops. Direct competitor with overlapping customer base and similar touring venue strategy.
• Giffords Circus: UK-based traditional tenting circus touring the south of England with comparable big-top family entertainment. Closest direct competitor in format, customer segment (UK families), and touring big-top model.
• Peter Pan's Big Big Circus: UK family-oriented big-top touring circus, overlapping with Zippos in target audience, format, and seasonal touring economics.

Others

• See Tickets: Ticketing platform partner that handles Zippos' online ticket sales for the touring schedule. Distribution and operations partner integral to the D2C ticket sales model.
• Association of Circus Proprietors (ACP): UK industry body representing circus proprietors, of which Zippos founder Martin Burton is Chairman. Industry ecosystem partner rather than competitor, with significant influence on UK circus standards.

Broad incumbents

• Cirque du Soleil: Global circus entertainment incumbent operating resident shows and touring productions at scale. Overlaps in family entertainment and circus acts but at vastly larger scale and with theatrical resident-show economics.
• Blackpool Tower Circus: Historic UK venue-based circus operating within a larger tourism complex. Overlaps in family entertainment and traditional circus acts but operates from a fixed venue rather than touring tent.

Regional players

• Circus Oz: Australian contemporary all-human circus with touring productions. Comparable in the all-human performance model Zippos adopted, but serving a different geography.

Emerging players

• NoFit State Circus: Contemporary UK circus company producing big-top and venue shows with a focus on contemporary acts. Partial overlap with Zippos' Cirque Berserk product line and family audience, but with a more contemporary positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/zipposcircus
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/zipposcircustv
• Facebookfacebook.com/zippocircus
• Instagraminstagram.com/zipposcircus
• TikToktiktok.com/@zipposcircusofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zippos-circus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zippos Circus