The Ringling Brothers final show will be taking place this Sunday, May 21, 2017, as the iconic circus comes to an end.
The final show of the Ringling Brothers circus will take place at the Nassau Coliseum in New York City. This last show will bring an end to the traveling circus’ 146-year history of holding performances to entertain the public.
One of the reasons for the Ringling Brothers final show has to do with a decline in ticket sales. Feld Entertainment, which owns the circus, says that it saw ticket sales drop quickly after it stopped using live elephants in its shows last May.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has been fighting with animal rights activists over the use of elephants and other animals in its shows. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has been particularity vocal about its operations and is celebrating its final show, which has sold out, reports NBC News.
“To me, Ringling going out of business is like my home town shutting down,” Peter Bufano, a former Ringing Brothers clown, told WBUR while speaking about the circus’ final show. “It’s like somebody bulldozing your old high school. That’s what it feels like because that’s where I came of age.”
Fans that didn’t get a ticket to Ringling Brothers final show can still watch it online. The circus will be holding a live stream of its last performance on its website and Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) page. The live stream will start at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
