Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus to End This Year

By Samantha Neudorf January 17, 2017

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, one of the most iconic circus shows in the world, will fold its tent after 146 years of performances.

Feld Entertainment Inc., the parent company of Ringling Bros., released a statement on Jan. 14 that the final show will be at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, Long Island on May 21.

The decision to ultimately end circus tours was due to high costs and declining ticket sales. “We are grateful to the hundreds of millions of fans who have experienced Ringling Bros. over the years,” Kenneth Feld, Chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment. “Between now and May, we will give them one last chance to experience the joy and wonder of Ringling Bros.”

The statement also cites that there was a decline in ticket sales “greater than could have been anticipated” following the circus’s decision last May to transition elephants out of the shows.

Feld’s father acquired Ringling Bros. nearly 50 years ago and says this was a “tough business decision to make,” according to a statement on the Ringling Bros. website

The final shows in the New York area will be part of the Out of This World show at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn from Feb. 23–March 3; the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ from March 8-12; and the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale from May 12-21.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey is not the first circus to end operations in recent years. Last July, Big Apple Circus announced that it was unable to continue performances due to lack of funding.

Main image: Families can watch the final performances of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's Out of This World show in Brooklyn, Newark, and Uniondale before the circus ends its 146-year run.
Courtesy Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey

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