A circus which announced a Kent show without even having a venue has set up at a new location

Paulo’s Circus will welcome guests to several shows over the next few days, but just a few weeks ago it was looking like they would have to cancel with thousands of tickets sold.

Owner Kenny Darnell Jr had advertised a “mystery” show in the county without finding a location after the crew was forced to move from their regular site at Leybourne Lakes near Snodland.

The show started in 1816 and has been travelling across the UK, and Kent, for more than 200 years.

After months of searching for a location in the county, they were overjoyed to be offered a place at Sheppey Bootfair Field at Wallend Farm, Lower Road (ME12 3RR), and the circus opens today (Thursday) and runs until November 2.

Kenny, 36, took over the reins from his parents several years ago with his brothers Leigh, the ringmaster, and younger brother Patrick.

He explained: “It was a huge effort to find and secure the venue, and a whole lot of driving up and down the country for the last few months to have various meetings, but I am so over the moon.”

The circus boss, whose family started Paulo’s Circus, is also running a special sensory-friendly show on October 28.

Tickets cost between £8 to £16 for single seats or you can buy a £125 VIP box for eight people.

Kenny and the team also planned to raise money for charity and asked their followers to vote on three options to generate funds – a raunchy calendar shoot, offer the bigtop for free as a wedding venue or donating a shows worth of tickets for free to schoolchildren, teachers, and parents.

After hundreds of votes, the winning choice was to donate tickets to a Sheppey school. Kenny added: “I decided I had the time to make it happen this year, and to give me the most time, and the winning school the time, to arrange it all, so I went with the last venue of our tour, Sheppey.

“Life is all about giving back, at least for me, and anything I am given in life I will give back.”