KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After a long hiatus, The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is set to return to Kansas City this fall.
Feld Entertainment, the production company behind the circus, confirmed “The Greatest Show On Earth” is visiting Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center. There will be six performances from Nov. 10-12.
But this time, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will tour without the animals.
The three-ring circus, known for acts featuring lions, tigers and elephants, shut down in May 2017.
The show had come under pressure from animal rights activists who alleged elephant mistreatment. In 2016, after a costly court battle, the circus agreed to remove the elephants from the show and send them to an elephant sanctuary in Florida.
Once the elephants were dropped from the show, ticket sales declined dramatically. The show ended the next year after a 146-year run. But in 2022, Feld Entertainment announced the circus would return with a major change — no animals.
The show will instead 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.
“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,'” Kenneth Feld, chair and chief executive officer of Feld Entertainment said in the release.
Here’s a breakdown of all six shows in Kansas City:
- Friday, Nov. 10 — 7 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 11 — 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 12 — 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased online here or in person at the T-Mobile Center Box Office. Tickets range from $20-90.
