Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Shutting Down the Circus

“Saddest show on earth for wild animals will end”

Roseville, Calif. – Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, the colorful icon of traveling circus entertainment is packing up the tent following a rich and storied history dating back to the 1800’s.

According to their website, tickets sales which had already been in decline experience a further and deep decline once the popular elephants were taken off the travel circuit. The change appears to be too much for the struggling circus act.

Not everyone is sad, as the group PETA rejoiced on their website claiming partial credit with the following statement. “As of May, the saddest show on earth for wild animals will end. Thirty-six years of PETA protests, of documenting animals left to die, beaten animals, and much more, has reduced attendance to the point of no return.”

The CEO of Feld Entertainment, the producer of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey issued a more lengthy statement on their own website. A couple excerpts are below.

“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.”

The final performances is scheduled at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y., on May 21, 2017.