We spent Saturday evening in the amazingly creative, welcoming Siem Reap, Cambodia, at the performing arts circus they call Phare. No, it wasn’t a heavy rock gig — or anything of the sort — but I felt it qualified for a post on Record Weekly for a handful of reasons…

The first is the most obvious one: it was all set to live music. A full drum kit was up high to the right of the stage with one man at the helm. He also had a mic and various other instrumental extras, to allow him to contribute even more than just being beat master and the entire rhythm section. On the other side of the stage, there were two other musicians — a man and a lady, who, between them, covered wooden pipes, percussion items and other vocal elements. And each piece was a stirring, engaging, uptempo, melodic song that expertly gave us a flavour of Cambodian music, and it perfectly soundtracked the performance. 

It’s now been over two months since I went to a gig. Technically, it was in 2025, so that makes it feel even longer. Talk about cold turkey. So being seated by a stage to watch in awe of sensational artists and acrobats went a long way to scratching the itch. 

I said my main reason for writing about Phare was due to the music, but that wasn’t our chief motivation for booking tickets to the event. It holds a Guinness World Record for the longest running circus, and it’s one of the leading things to do in Siem Reap. It didn’t take us more than a blink of an eye to determine this thriving Cambodian hub — and the country’s second-largest city — had an artistic flair. Abundant community spirit pins Siem Reap together, but it’s so much more than a base for seeing Angkor Wat. Edgy coffee shops, contemporary art galleries, concept stores, lights everywhere, market stalls heaving with colourful paintings… the centre is a vibrant dreamworld. And the performing arts are not just taking off within it, but shaping its future. 

We gazed, laughed, and clapped loudly and rapturously as we watched Phare. The show that was on when we went was called ‘Same Same But Different’, a humorous yet accurate portrayal of Cambodian culture and how it juggles traditional customs, tourists and the modern day. The hour passed far too quickly for our liking, as we’d have stayed rooted to our bench all night if we could’ve. We found the expertly choreographed vaulting acrobatics, jaw-dropping gymnastics and lively dance sequences total joys — each one absolutely nailed to perfection by those on stage. Their talent was incredible. 

Phare was an 11/10 experience for us, so please go if you’re in Siem Reap! It’s well worth clearing your diary for. 

Record Weekly isn’t affiliated with Phare, but we recommend heading to their website if you’re interested in reading more about the organisation, school behind it, and show itself.