PALMETTO, Fla. (WFLA) – Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages… get ready because the self-proclaimed “Greatest Show On Earth” is planning a comeback!
A spokesperson for Feld Entertainment, Inc., confirmed to 8 On Your Side that the group is still in the planning phase for the relaunch of its famed circus performance. This time, however, animals will not be included.
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus received what was thought to be its final standing ovation on May 21, 2017. Ringling’s parent company, Feld Entertainment, announced in early 2017 it would close the show, citing declining attendance and high operating costs.
Prior to its closing, the company battled animal rights activists over the use of elephants in its shows.
By 2016, all elephants involved in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus performed for the last time and were relocated to the Center for Elephant Conservation in Polk County.
According to Insider, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus merged in 1909.
The father and uncle of Feld Entertainment’s CEO would later go on to purchase the circus in 1967. The circus empire was later sold to Mattel in 1971, however, was still managed by the Feld family, until they regained ownership in 1982.
An official announcement on the expected return of “The Greatest Show” will be made in 2022.