How it works
These circus trivia questions and answers come in four rounds: the word and the Roman circus, Philip Astley and the first circuses, America and the traveling circus, and acts, words and the new circus.
Read the full guide
Four rounds, from Rome to the new circus
The word and the Roman circus asks what the Circus Maximus was first built from. Philip Astley and the first circuses covers the riding shows of 1768 and the man who coined the word. America and the traveling circus brings the canvas tent and the circus train. Acts, words and the new circus ends with the movement that began in the 1970s.
People and firsts, not company names
No circus company is an answer or a choice here; the questions ask about people, places, dates and the words of the ring. Tap a choice to check it; the reason and the article it was read in appear with the answer.
Questions and answers
What are some easy circus trivia questions?
Who introduces the acts in a traditional circus? What are the large tents commonly called? What was the first circus in Rome? The answers are the ringmaster, big tops and the Circus Maximus.
Who invented the circus?
Philip Astley is credited with the modern circus. A former cavalryman, he began trick riding shows in London in 1768, and in 1770 he hired acrobats, tightrope walkers, jugglers and a clown to fill the pauses.
How big is a circus ring?
Forty-two feet across. Astley performed in a ring of that diameter, and it has been the standard size used by circuses ever since.
How were the answers checked?
Each was read on October 3, 2026 in the English Wikipedia article Circus, which every question links. Company names, revenue and audience figures are left out, and so are the article's sections on animal welfare.