After 146 years ‘the Greatest Show on Earth’ will come to an end in May. The owners of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus told the Associated Press yesterday the popular circus touring company will end forever. Feld Entertainment, owners and operators of the show expressed that changing tastes, drawn out battles with animal rights groups over the treatment of the animals featured in the show, and high operating costs as just some of the contributing factors in their decision to close the curtain. The removal of Elephants in 2016 from the show after years pressure and legal fights with animal rights groups, has seen unexpected drops in recent attendance making the show unable to maintain a touring schedule.

“There isn’t any one thing,” said Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment. “This has been a very difficult decision for me and for the entire family.” The Feld family has owned Ringling Bros. since 1982, running it’s two separate touring companies, and also producing the Monster Jam, Disney on Ice, and Marvel Live shows in arenas.

Ringling Bros. from Wisconsin merged their juggling acts, clowns, acrobats, exotic animals, and sideshows with the acts of Barnum and Bailey in the 1919. It brought live entertainment on a large scale to both small and big towns across the country with acts from around the world. It was at one point one of the biggest forms of live entertainment in America.
This 1990’s documentary covering the craft, showmanship, and progression of the Ringling Bros Barnum and Bailey Circus is a thought-provoking watch, especially when you know the show for ‘children of all ages’ ends this spring.