‘The Greatest Show On Earth’ is Coming to an End in 2017

It’s a sad day for many a child, and adult, as The Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus will close down after 146 years.

In a New York Daily News article, Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment, the parent company of ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’, stated that “a variety of factors doomed the circus”. The announcement was made via Twitter on Saturday.

Feld says that declining attendance, high operating costs and prolonged battles with animal rights groups had all played a role in the decision. The organization has been targeted for years by radical groups such as PETA, who allege the organization mistreats animals.