For each fixed integer $\ell\ge 3$ we establish the leading order of the exponential rate function for the probability that the number of cycles of length $\ell$ in the Erd\H{o}s--R\'enyi graph $G(N,p)$ exceeds its expectation by a constant factor, assuming $N^{-1/2}\ll p\ll 1$ (up to log corrections) when $\ell\ge 4$, and $N^{-1/3}\ll p\ll 1$ in the case of triangles. We additionally obtain the...