After 146 years, the owners of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus have decided to end the production of “The Greatest Show on Earth”. A release issued by the company yesterday citied increased costs and declining ticket sales as the main reasons to cease the production of their shows.
Last May, the organization also made the move to retire their elephants from the show at the behest of animal rights groups. That transition was cited a prominent reason that ticket sales have declined in the past year.
“All other animal circuses, roadside zoos, and wild animal exhibitors, including marine amusement parks like SeaWorld and the Miami Seaquarium, must take note: society has changed, eyes have been opened, people know now who these animals are, and we know it is wrong to capture and exploit them,” stated an update yesterday on the blog of People for the Ethic Treatment of Animals (PETA). “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 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has been an annual fixture in Columbus during its recent traveling shows. Their “Out of This World” Tour most recently stopped at the Schottenstein Center last October. The only Ohio date that remains as the circus winds down this year is a stop in Cincinnati in March.
While the closure of the circus means the end of one of the largest events for production company Feld Entertainment, the organization still has many other events that will continue.
“This was a difficult business decision to make, but by ending the circus tours, we will be able to concentrate on the other lines of business within the Feld Entertainment portfolio,” stated Juliette Feld, Feld Entertainment’s Chief Operating Officer. That includes events such as Marvel Universe LIVE!, Monster Jam, Monster Energy Supercross and Disney On Ice.
For more information, visit www.ringling.com.