'Greatest Show on Earth' to close after 146 years

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will stage the final performances of “The Greatest Show on Earth” in May, ending a 146-year run.

The announcement comes after the show saw a steep drop in ticket sales, after the circus' owners ended the use of live elephants in performances. The circus was involved in protracted legal battles with animal rights groups over the use of elephants in the show.

Animal rights groups welcomed the news of the circus' imminent end.

Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment which owns the circus told the Associated Press that there wasn't one factor that spelled the end for the circus, but he acknowledged that entertainment tastes have changed.

Ringling Bros. has two touring circuses this season and will perform 30 shows between now and May. The final shows will be in Providence, Rhode Island, on May 7 and in Uniondale, New York, at the Nassau County Coliseum on May 21.

Source: NBC News