Ringling Bros. Circus Announces Comeback Tour Without Elephants, Other Animals

“The Greatest Show on Earth” is coming back to town!

After becoming arguably one of the most prominent targets of cancel culture a little over five years ago, America’s iconic Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus announced its triumphant return bringing with it an entirely new, animal-free experience.

The circus shared a press release, saying,

We’re excited to announce the highly anticipated 2023 North American tour of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® The Greatest Show On Earth®. Bringing to life an arena spectacle at unbelievable scale, The Greatest Show On Earth will debut stunning feats of real human achievement, musical performances blended with aerial artistry, modern comedy, and never-before-seen acts on highwire, trapeze, bicycles, and more. The reimagined American icon will captivate families through a multi-platform, 360-degree experience that brings fans into the action, creating real connections between audiences and performers from all over the world.

For decades, the circus was known for bringing wild, jaw-dropping human and animal acts to towns across the country, including trapeze artists, strong men, and clowns, as well as more controversial figures such as elephant trainers and lion tamers. It was the real-life inspiration of Walt Disney’s Animated Classic, Dumbo, and you can see the old tens, costumes, and pieces of the real-life Casey Jr. train at the Ringling Bros. Museum outside Sarasota, Florida.

But it was not meant to last. In 2016, the costly court cases against animal rights activists caused the circus to retire its iconic elephant acts, and other animal performers. Poor ticket sales related to the souring PR image resulted in the tents supposedly coming down for the last time in 2017.

Now, the show’s owners, Felt Entertainment, are bringing it back with a “modern” circus for the modern family. Feld Entertainment also owns the traveling spectacle Disney on Ice.

“We’re reintroducing Ringling at a time when families are seeking shared entertainment experiences that provide joy, connection, and moments of togetherness,” said Kenneth Feld, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Feld Entertainment. “To redefine Ringling for today’s audiences, we started with a blank slate and evolved all aspects from production to performance to meet the needs of modern families, ultimately creating a massive playground that delivers an incredible and unique performance that can only be called The Greatest Show On Earth.”

Starring a troupe of 75 performers from 18 different countries, Ringling’s new show will feature a spectrum of stunts from The Triangular Highwire, Criss-Cross Flying Trapeze, and a compilation of crazy BMX and unicycle stunts, and so much more. Featuring original music from an award-winning composer, and “Enhanced technology – incorporated at a scale that has never-been-done before,” this rebirth promises a circus better than ever.

The North American tour kicks off in Bossier City, Louisiana, and will be in Orlando, Florida in January 2024. There are also plans to bring the show to Anaheim, California, although the dates are not set in stone yet.

Click here to learn more and purchase your tickets today.