The Greatest show on earth is coming to an end after being around for 146 years. They will hold their final shows ever in May.
Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment, which owns the circus, said in a note on the Ringling Bros. website.
“After much evaluation and deliberation, my family and I have made the difficult business decision
that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey will hold its final performances in May of this year”
“Ringling Bros. ticket sales have been declining, but following the transition of the elephants off the road, we saw an even
more dramatic drop. This, coupled with high operating costs, made the circus an unsustainable business for the company.”
Last May, Feld Entertainment retired all performance elephants from its shows after years of protests from animal rights groups.
In his statement, Feld said closing the circus was a “tough business decision to make and even more difficult because of the amazing
fans that have become part of our extended circus family over the years, and we are extremely grateful to the millions of families who
have made Ringling Bros. part of their lives for generations. We know Ringling Bros. isn’t only our family business, but also your family tradition.”
The final Ringling Bros. shows will take place at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island, on May 7, and the Nassau Veterans Memorial
Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, on May 21.
“Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey has served as inspiration for all of the live entertainment produced at Feld Entertainment.
We learned from the circus, and applied those learning’s to our other productions.
Without Ringling Bros., we wouldn’t have the vibrant live entertainment company that we have today,” Feld said.
“Ringling Bros. will always be part of Feld Entertainment, and its spirit will live on in every production and project we do.”