Ringling Bros. Circus Back Without Animal Acts, Announces Tour: Watch

ELLENTON, FL — Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus returns to stages across the country for the first time since 2017 – and it won’t feature any animals. (Watch the official trailer below.)

The Greatest Show on Earth announced in 2016 that it would retire its Asian elephant and then shut down its nearly 150-year run the next year.

Now, Feld Entertainment, the circus’ Ellenton-based parent company, is reviving the show sans animals, announcing a North American tour that will kick off this fall.

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Ringling Bros. has reimagined the circus focus on “stunning feats of real human achievement, musical performances blended with aerial artistry, modern comedy, and never-before-seen acts on highwire, trapeze, bicycles, and more,” according to a news release from the company.

Audiences will experience these acts showcased on multiple platforms and offering a 360-degree experience.

The tour launches Sept. 29 – Oct. 1 in Bossier City, Louisiana, followed by stops in Ohio, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Missouri, Michigan, Maryland, Indiana, Oklahoma, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina through mid-February.

While all the tour’s locations have been announced, not all the dates have been provided, yet. Tickets are already on sale for venues with specific dates.

Floridians who don’t want to miss the show can catch it when it comes to Tampa’s Amalie Arena Jan. 5-7, Orlando’s Amway Center Jan. 12-15, Jacksonville’s Veterans Memorial Arena Jan. 19-21 or Sunrise Florida’s FLA Live Arena Jan. 27-28.

“We’re reintroducing Ringling at a time when families are seeking shared entertainment experiences that provide joy, connection, and moments of togetherness,” Kenneth Feld, chair and CEO of Feld Entertainment, said. “To redefine Ringling for today’s audiences, we started with a blank slate and evolved all aspects from production to performance to meet the needs of modern families, ultimately creating a massive playground that delivers an incredible and unique performance that can only be called The Greatest Show on Earth.”

The show features 75 performers from more than 18 countries, including Ethiopia, Mongolia, Ukraine, Argentina, Cuba, Italy, Spain, Canada and the U.S.

Acts produced exclusively for Ringling Bros. include four performers on a triangular high wire 25 feet off the ground, crisscross flying trapeze artists, a rotating double wheel powered by acrobats performing jumps, and BMX, trial bikes and unicycle riders performing stunts on trampolines.

“The new entertainment experience will present a phenomenal scale of wow and wonder that only Ringling can deliver and is designed for families to leave inspired, energized and filled with memories to last a lifetime,” Juliette Feld Grossman, chief operating officer of Feld and the show’s producer, said.

Watch a trailer for the revived Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus: