Florida company is bringing back Ringling, Barnum & Bailey circus — without animals
The return of The Greatest Show On Earth — a reimagined Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus without animals — is set for fall 2023.
Ellenton-based Feld Entertainment shut down the show in 2017. Among factors cited were declining ticket sales, high operating costs, the public’s changing tastes in entertainment and costly fights with animal-rights groups.
The Greatest Show On Earth will begin rehearsals in June 2023. The U.S. tour will officially launch in September 2023, visiting more than 50 sites in
North America, including in the Tampa Bay area.
Tickets will go on sale in April 2023.
“It’s something great for the community in the Bradenton-Sarasota area. We will produce a lot more jobs,” Kenneth Feld, CEO of Feld Entertainment, said in an interview Wednesday with the Bradenton Herald.
Feld Entertainment, a family-owned company, produces touring shows from its base near Bradenton on Florida’s west coast, where the Ringling family’s palatial Venetian mansion is now home to museums. The touring shows include Disney on Ice, Marvel Universe Live, Jurassic World Live Tour, Monster Energy AMA Supercross and Monster Jam.
Yet, it was The Greatest Show on Earth, dating to 1871, that was Feld Entertainment’s longest running show until being shut down in 2017.
The reimagined show will be a dynamic, multiplatform entertainment franchise, providing families the opportunity to connect in fun, engaging ways, Feld Entertainment said.
The Ringling franchise will include “a broad consumer products and licensing program featuring toys, games, packaged goods, collectibles and more.”
In addition, brand extensions such as theme-park attractions and touring exhibitions are in development. A documentary is also being produced that will take the audience backstage at The Greatest Show On Earth.
“As passionate stewards of Ringling, we are committed to creating a lifestyle brand that connects with families and sparks real fun 365 days a year through live performances, digital content, consumer products, school curricula, youth circus arts programs and more,” Kenneth Feld said in the press release.
“We are innovating all aspects of the live show and modernizing the franchise to create an engaging property that is built for today’s families and will last another 150 years,” he said.
Animal-rights group PETA had claimed for years that Ringling had mistreated its elephants and other animals — a claim that circus officials vehemently denied. Ringling retired its elephants in 2016.
Feld Entertainment was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and halted all of its shows, laying off much of its staff. In May 2020, Feld began a cautious return to touring with Monster Energy Supercross and has been gradually bringing back all of its shows.
Marvel Universe Live and Jurassic World Live Tour are expected to resume touring this year.
New technologies and a 360-degree experience are designed to break down the barriers between the performers and attendees at the circus. Additionally, each show will incorporate interactive elements that engage the audience, ensuring that every performance is unique.
A global search for the best acts in the world to bring the show to life is underway.
“We’ve spent countless hours conducting research, speaking with consumers and scouting for talent all over the globe to deliver an experience unlike any other,” said Juliette Feld Grossman, COO of Feld Entertainment and producer of The Greatest Show On Earth. “The Greatest Show On Earth, with its combination of thrills, artistry, comedy and whimsy, will bring generations of families together, creating memories that will last a lifetime.”
More than 1,000 applications and digital submissions from performers have already been received.
High-wire daredevil Nik Wallenda, a seventh-generation member of The Flying Wallendas family, was perceptive in 2017 when he said he did not believe anyone had heard the last of the Greatest Show on Earth.
“Why wouldn’t he choose to sell it unless he has something in his back pocket that none of us know about?” Wallenda said of Kenneth Feld. “My gut tells me they’re going to sell the name eventually, or I think he will regroup and bring back the brand in a different fashion.”
For more information, visit www.ringling.com or https://www.feld entertainment.com/ productions/