SAN DIEGO, CA — After an 11-year absence, the iconic Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's Greatest Show On Earth is returning to San Diego with a new look and a faster pace — but the same heart that has brought generations of families together.
The show will take over Pechanga Arena San Diego Sept. 11-13, marking the first Ringling performances in the city since 2015. The five-show engagement will feature acrobats, aerialists, stunt performers, international acts and the Ninja Kidz, YouTube stars with more than 25 million subscribers.
For Lauren Irving, who performs as Aria and serves as one of three guides and the show's lead vocalist, San Diego will be new territory. She has never performed with Ringling in the city, but she's looking forward to introducing local audiences to the reimagined show.
"I was so excited to be able to join the brand," Irving told Patch. "This is my second edition with them and I'm just having a blast. It's just been such a fun time."
Irving joined Ringling in 2023, when the 147th edition ushered in a new era for the long-running circus. The current production is the 148th edition and continues the brand's effort to combine familiar circus traditions with newer technology, music and production elements.
"If you grew up with Ringling, you would remember," Irving said. "We have traditional acts such as the trapeze act, we have our human rocket."
But those familiar acts have been given a modern spin.
The show includes the Double Wheel of Destiny, in which performers leap and jump rope while riding massive moving wheels high above the arena, as well as a high-flying trapeze act. Wesley Williams rides a unicycle that reaches a record-breaking 34.6 feet above the ground, according to Ringling.
The Ringling Rocket also returns, with second-generation performer Skyler Miser carrying on a family tradition. Miser's parents performed as flyers in earlier editions of the show.
"She's living out that legacy," Irving said.
The production also brings performers from around the world to the San Diego stage, including the Henan Acrobatic Group from China and Salsa Colombia, which combines acrobatics with salsa dancing.
"They literally bring the fire to the arena," Irving said of the Colombian group. "They just have an energy that is undeniable."
Irving said the international performers are part of what makes Ringling special.
"Ringling brings people from all over the world so that you can see them on one incredible stage — The Greatest Show On Earth," she said.
As the show's vocalist, Irving is responsible for leading the audience through its larger production numbers and helping create the atmosphere between the high-flying acts.
"I get to be surrounded by all of these incredible people from all over the world," she said. "It's truly a dream come true."
That atmosphere is intended to be less traditional circus and more giant party.
The current production incorporates a live DJ, more technology, a soundtrack spanning more than 10 genres of music, audience participation and a pre-show designed to get spectators involved before the main performance begins.
"We're using a lot more technology. We're using a lot of music," Irving said. "Even the pace of the show is different. We're moving in and out quick and not wasting any time."
Yet Irving said the changes don't mean Ringling has lost its identity.
"There are differences, but when you get down to the core of it, it's the same," she said. "It's The Greatest Show On Earth."
The San Diego performances will include an appearance by the Ninja Kidz, who will join Ringling performers for special circus-inspired challenges and audience interactions. Their appearance is exclusive to the San Diego engagement.
For Irving, however, the return to San Diego is about more than introducing new technology or new performers.
She sees the modernized circus as a way to create the kind of shared memories that have kept Ringling alive for generations.
"Being a part of Ringling is so much to describe — almost too much to describe with words," she said. "It's a feeling of gratitude and a feeling of belonging in a sense that the brand itself is over 150 years old with the history that it has."
Irving said the enduring appeal comes down to something simple: People still want to laugh, connect and experience something together.
That is what she hopes San Diego audiences take away from the show.
"This is not just for children or just for young people," Irving said. "It's for children of all ages. That means bring your inner child."
And after more than a decade away, she expects San Diego to provide a particularly enthusiastic welcome.
"It will feel like a big welcome back," she said. "This edition we're focusing on The Greatest Party On Earth. We're The Greatest Show On Earth, but this is The Greatest Party On Earth."
The show is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11; 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12; and noon and 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13. The pre-show begins 30 minutes before each performance.
Irving said there's another reason to see the show while it's in San Diego: Each edition has its own moment in Ringling's history.
"This is the 148th edition," she said. "Once this edition is done, that's it. We'll move onto 149 and so on.
"This is the one that you definitely don't want to miss," she added. "You want to be a part of history. You want to be a part of what it was like to be in the room and feel the energy and to experience these incredible performers from all over the world."
Ringling is offering $15 kids tickets for children ages 2 to 12 with the purchase of an adult ticket, subject to restrictions and fees. Opening night tickets are also being offered at 50% off, according to Ringling.
Tickets are available through AXS and the Pechanga Arena venue box office.
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