Where is ‘The Circle’ Filmed? The Netflix Apartment Building is NOT Where You Think

Where is The Circle filmed? The Netflix reality show begins most episodes with an establishing shot of the iconic Chicago skyline.

Since the contestants in the U.S. version of the Netflix series are American, many assume it takes place in an apartment building in a U.S. city.

It gets a little bit more confusing when the viewer then sees more establishing shots of skyscrapers in Milwaukee right before cutting to The Circle Building.

The Circle is a popular Netflix reality TV show. It has crowned five winners so far, each of whom have won the grand prize of $100,000 or $150,000.

Where was The Circle Season 1 Filmed?

The Circle debuted on New Year’s Day, January 1, 2020. And, production locked 14 competitors into apartments. But where did the series film?

The Circle had contestants playing blind using avatars and their social media skills.

The Netflix show puts each contestant into their own private luxury apartment where they don’t see each other. They only communicate over a social network platform called “The Circle”.

They basically all had the chance to catfish each other to come out on top and win $100,000. Joey Sasso won Season one.

Contestants rated each other and top players were “influencers,” and those rated least are at risk of being “blocked”. The show was based on a UK Channel 4 series.

Netflix partnered with All3Media to make a US version of the show. The American version of The Circle filmed in the same spot that season 2 of the UK version was taped.

The contestants spent weeks locked down in the apartment building. In edit, they added exterior shots to make it look like the building was in America. The Netflix show uses a lot of overhead shots of Milwaukee. Especially the Associated Bank River Center area.

And, The Circle production uses many drone shots Chicago. Including the boardwalk called Navy Pier.

But they didn’t film in either of those locations. Instead, The Circle was filmed in England. Some interesting facts on that location later.

So, Where is ‘The Circle’ Filmed? And, Where did Netflix Tape Seasons 2 & 3?

The English apartment building served as the locale for The Circle. Netflix filmed all but season 1 of the British version there too. In addition to the individual apartments, there is also a gym and a rooftop area with a hot tub.

And of course, there’s a “testimonial room” with a vibe like the Diary Room on Big Brother (another show that locks people down for weeks).

The most visible feature of The Circle‘s location is the giant geometric shape on its exterior. In a building nearby, producers and crew worked in the control room.

Season 3 had NSYNC star “Lance Bass”, which in reality was his assistant Lisa Delcampo.

The control room sits on an old college campus nearby. So, where is the building that has the big circle on it?

Where is The Circle Filmed for Season 4?

Season 1 episodes dropped on Netflix in three chunks. Episodes 1-4 dropped on New Year’s Day. Then, episodes 5-8 on January 8, 2020. And the last episodes, 9-12, a week after on January 15, 2020.

More than a year later, despite the lockdown, they were able to reveal a second season. They followed the same pattern releasing four episodes at a time on April 14, April 21, and April 28, 2022. They revealed the winner in a one-off episode on May 5, 2021.

Season 3 came just a few months later, dropping on September 8, September 15, and September 22, 2021. The winner’s reveal was again in a one-off episode on September 20, 2021.

Season 4 will work the same way, dropping on May 4, 2022. Then it’ll be May 11 and May 18 for the second and third set of episodes. Then, the finale drops on May 25, 2022.

So, where is The Circle filmed for all four seasons? It’s in Salford, Manchester, a region Northwest of London. It’s in an apartment building called Adelphi Wharf 1 on the River Irwell.

How Much Does This Location Cost?

In Salford, the Adelphi Wharf Phase 1 building  contains 206 residential units. Most of the apartment building flats are filled with normal residence and not cast members of The Circle.

According to Manchester Evening News, a one bedroom condo in this building sells for 145,000 pounds (or $175,000 US dollars). Some of the units are available to rent.

However, to replicate the decor with furniture, artwork, rugs and plants (the same way production’s decorators did), would cost an extra $5,000.

Of course, the contestants don’t have to pay for their time at The Circle location.

The Winners for Every Season

The show has crowned five winners so far, each of whom have won the grand prize of $100,000 or $150,000.

• Season 1: The first winner of The Circle was Joey Sasso, who won in 2020. Joey hailed from Rochester, New York and was only 25 years old when he won the grand prize.
• Season 2: saw Deleesa St. Agathe win while impersonating her husband Trevor. Her main goal was to win the game to help provide for her family, and she became the first catfish to win the game.
• Season 3: James Andre Jefferson Jr. was the only winner ever not to have entered the game on day 1. He swept everyone away in his relatively brief time playing the game and took home the grand prize of $100,000. James continues to use his comedic talent across social media.
• Season 4: Frank Grimsley beame the first LGBT winner of the show. He is a 28-year-old from Texas. Frank won the biggest prize in the game’s history, with a grand prize of $150,000.
• Season 5: Most recently, Sam Carmona picked up the win for Season 5 on Jan. 18, 2023. She formed strong connections that not just took her to the end but won her the game.

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