Ringling Bros. circus is back on the road and headed for Indianapolis
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Break out the popcorn. The Greatest Show on Earth will make its return to Indianapolis in December. But it’ll be different from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus many remember from their childhoods.
The seven shows scheduled from Dec. 1-3. at Gainbridge Fieldhouse will be sans animals. No lions. No tigers. No elephants. There’ll be a robot puppy though.
The stop is part of the 2023 North American tour Ringling Circus, now called “The Greatest Show on Earth” that opened last month in Louisiana.
The circus has been revived
It’s actually the revival of the famed circus that started in 1871.
The circus began phasing out the show's iconic elephants from its performances in 2015 amid growing public concern about how the animals were treated. Owner Feld Entertainment shut down the three-ring circus in 2017.
In May 2022, it announced its return with a tour of more than 50 cities and no animals.
Featuring more extreme performances
The reimagined circus performers this go-round are all humans; showcasing aerial and acrobatic feats, world dance, music and comedy.
The cast includes 75 performers from more than 18 countries.
Feld Entertainment, which also runs “Disney on Ice,” “Sesame Street Live” and the Monster Jam giant truck show, has spent the past two years developing ways to provide an interactive and immersive experience without the animals to appease multiple generations, organizers said.
With this iteration, traditional human acts have stepped up their feats for the two-hour show.
For example, the Triangular Highwire, led by The Lopez Family, sixth-generation circus artists hailing from Mexico and Chile, adds a never-before-attempted take on the classic high-wire. Three 25-foot-tall wires are connected with performers jumping over their partner’s shoulders, riding bikes on the thin wire with performers on top in a handstand, and more incredible human acts.
Meanwhile, the Double Wheel of Destiny has four acrobatic daredevils performing back-and-forth leaps and somersaults atop two simultaneously spinning apparatuses suspended 30 feet above the ground and moving at high speeds.
Wheeled acts include BMX riders soaring through the air in a colorful 360-degree modular skatepark and performing stunts on a trampoline box.
Also expect comedic performances, live musical performances, special effects and the introduction of Bailey, a robotic puppy, as part of the cast.
Get tickets for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus
For showtimes and more information, visit ringling.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus returns to Indianapolis
