Many of us grew up going to the circus for fun. Generation to generation Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Barley has entertained thousands of families with “The Greatest Show on Earth”. When you think about circus there is something automatic that takes your mind to Ringling and their magnificent shows, hundreds of acts with clowns, acrobats, fire breathers, trapecists, jugglers, animal trainers, popcorn and cotton candy vendors and so much more are memories that will be gone for future generations.

Is a biter sweet moment for all who have ever attended a show, for one side animals will be put into a sanctuary which is great, but on the other side circus time will be gone forever. Last show in Central Florida, circus Xtreme, dated in January , for the first time ever a female Ring Master was introduced to the audience. This girl ,Kristen Michelle Wilson,  a local Floridian, was breaking barriers of almost a 150 years tradition of patriarchy in that role. Wilson was cast as the first-ever female ringmaster in the brand’s 146-year history! It was an outstanding performance that made everyone (especially women and locals) proud.

Next day a release was send with the sad news that this will be the last tour. It was such a sad moment for many families and performers that will have to find a new path. I guess when you get emotional about a show ending is because it touched your heart. Still thinking that a newborn will never get to see this experience makes me wonder what will it be of childhood memories without the circus and not just any circus, Ringling Bros and Barnum & Barley, The Greatest Show on Earth will rest forever. Somehow a bit of our childhood and family memories will go away with it too.

Last performance will be on May 21 with the show named Out Of This World at the NYCB LIVE, Home of The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in NY.

A message from Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment, the producer of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey^®

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.

Nearly 50 years ago, my father founded our company with the acquisition of Ringling Bros. The circus and its people have continually been a source of inspiration and joy to my family and me, which is why this was such a tough business decision to make. The decision was even more difficult because of the amazing fans that have become part of our extended circus family over the years, and we are extremely grateful to the millions of families who have made Ringling Bros. part of their lives for generations. We know Ringling Bros. isn’t only our family business, but also your family tradition.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey^® Presents Circus XTREME will conclude its tour at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, R.I., on May 7, 2017, and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey^® Presents Out Of This World will conclude its tour at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y., on May 21, 2017. We hope you will come to celebrate this American icon for one last time before our tours conclude.

Our company provides quality, live family entertainment, and we invite you to bring your family to one of our other events, including Marvel Universe LIVE!, Monster Jam, Monster Energy Supercross, AMSOIL Arenacross, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!, as well as future productions.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey has served as inspiration for all of the live entertainment produced at Feld Entertainment. We learned from the circus, and applied those learnings to our other productions. Without Ringling Bros., we wouldn’t have the vibrant live entertainment company that we have today. Ringling Bros. will always be part of Feld Entertainment, and its spirit will live on in every production and project we do.

Sincerely,

Kenneth