The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is making a comeback in 2023 without the use of animals.
The controversial circus was shut down in 2017 after 146 years in business. The circus’s end was primarily due to animal rights activists demanding that the company stop using animals in its acts. Ticket sales began to decline, which led to them announcing that elephants would be dropped from the show in 2016. However, when ticket purchases fell further, all operations ceased, with the last circus performing on May 21st, 2017.
During last week’s VenuesNow Conference in Seattle, Feld Entertainment, the company that owns the circus, unveiled its plans to bring the family-friendly event back in 2023 without any animals on stage.
Juliette Feld Grossman, Feld’s chief operating officer, got emotional as she spoke about the return of the circus.
“You can see it’s emotional and exciting for us as a family. We really feel that Ringling Bros. has incredible relevance to today’s audience.”
PETA, who was the leading organization to slam the circus for their alleged abuse of animals, praised the company for bringing back Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus without the use of lions, tigers, and bears. They stated that the move “sends a powerful message to the entire industry.”
“Cruelty doesn’t belong in the circus or in any other form of entertainment,” the organization stated.
