This picture is a model recreation of the Circus Maximus in Rome.  

Martinelli, Maurizio.  Ancient Rome: Then and Now.  Florence, Italia: Casa Editrice Bonechi, 1997. 

Entertainment

     All cities in Rome had various forms of entertainment. Theatres were dispersed throughout the city and were centers for plays (comedy and tragedy), religious performances and pantomimes. Theatres were designed for the sound to carry to the maximum length. Most all cities also had an amphitheatre were gladiators would battle with wild animals and each other. Amphitheatres were oval or circular in shape and usually substantially larger in capacity. 

     Larger cities had circuses for chariot racing. The hippodrome in Rome was designed for racing. In general however entertainment varied depending on the will of the audience. Romans were easily bored by repetitive activities. Naval battles were sometimes performed in flooded arenas such as the coliseum. 

Here we can see an artist's interpretation of what the amphitheater would have been like in Pompeii.  

Santini, Loretta.  Pompeii and the Villa of the Mysteries.  Narni, Italia: Casa Editrice Plurigraf, 2000.