[Salman]

Nonsense. It's still legal and there will still be smaller circuses.

It's the operation of the free market. Not enough people wanted to see the Ringling circus to justify the production cost. They had been losing money for years.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Less people wanted to see them after the elephant acts were shut down to please the animal rights jerks.

[Spktyr]

Yeah, the last pictures I’ve seen of a Ringling show showed a mostly empty house/seating area despite supposedly being the potential prime time for a show. I’ve also not heard of much interest from children or adults in going to a circus in recent years either. If you want to see the animals, there are now better venues to see them in and if you want to see human performers there are better venues for them as well. Many of which are climate controlled - who wants to sit in a hot tent sweating various parts of your anatomy off to watch performing animals in the height of the summer?

[Alberta's Child]

I agree with you. The circus seems like an entertainment spectacle for a different era.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Sawit once when I was a kid. Didn’t enjoy it at all.

[smileyface]

I can’t believe they will let this brand die. It could be bought and repackaged and made successful.

[xp38]

The bit about changing tastes might refer to the rise of Cirque de Soleil which only uses human performers. They landed permanently in Vegas and have touring shows as well. Big bucks operation these days.

[miss marmelstein]

It was still the best of all the American circuses. The smaller ones you speak of were ratty and tacky with tired animals and lousy clowns. The only good acts were the high wire acts. At the Cole Circus we walked out after the first half. Ringling was an American institution and it's only right to mourn its demise. For those who care, Cecil B. DeMille captures it all in his famous movie The Greatest Show on Earth./p>

[Jolla]

They should set-up a permanent show in Las Vegas.

[fwdude]

There is one small traveling circus that only performs in their own tents. I can’t remember the name, but they come through here on occasion.

[DesertRhino]

Their audience shrank as a result of non-stop leftist animal rights harping, lawsuits, protests at shows, etc. So he’s right thank a leftist for killing the circus.