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Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus: The Greatest Show On Earth® Still Lives

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The Greatest Show On Earth® Unfolds Like a Living Storybook, Where Yesterday’s Memories Become Today’s Shared Magic.

January, 24th, 2026

One of the greatest things that we can experience is reliving the best parts of our childhood through our children. Letting them peer through our memories and lives, and be a part of who we were when we were their age.

When I opened the doors to the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, my spirit seemed to turn back the pages of time. I recalled going to the circus with my parents and my two brothers. Seeing the colossal elephants balance themselves on balls, hearing the roar of the tigers, cringing at the trapeze and tightrope acts, and feeling my jaw drop at the death-defying motorcycle act inside the steel dome.

I remember the three big red circles on the West Palm Beach Auditorium floor, each showcasing different performers, not knowing where to look. My eyes even went to the crowd as so many kids had the spinning colorful lights held in the air. There was also a crescendo of laughter from the onslaught of clown antics.

Now (well over thirty years later), seeing the framed looks of wonderment on my own children’s faces, brought a new indelible memory. Of course, my daughter had to get the unicorn snow cone collectors cup, my son, likewise, had to have a big bag of popcorn put in a commemorative hat, and those light up toys were more modern, but still there.

We found our seats, and soon after were counting down with everyone in attendance for the start of the circus. When the magnifying music and lights started, and the circus performers flew around to the shouts of “Welcome to the Show,” my kids, like the rest of us, were simply mesmerized. From the very beginning you understand that this isn’t a circus like any other. It is, in fact, why Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is coined as “The Greatest Show On Earth!”

There is a thin line between life and death, and you see it, especially when people push past the limits of normality and safety. Those standards of what a human can or should do, these circus performers soar way past them. You first see it with the jumping acrobatics. They take seesaws to launch each other high into the air. Some of the awesomely athletic performers would do multiple flips, only to land perfectly onto a high-rise chair.

While watching this in awe, we still moved around to the incredible, high-fevered dance music spun by their charismatic DJ. The music was wonderful and brought back waves of my childhood. He mixed “Titanium” and “Elevation” by U2 together, then delivered one of the best sets I’ve ever heard showcasing ’90s hip-hop. That stellar run included “I Like Big Butts,” which mixed seamlessly into “Poison” as a unicyclist rode across a tightrope. The classics kept coming with “Funky Cold Medina,” “Wild Thing,” “Push It,” “It’s Tricky,” “Supersonic,” “Planet Rock,” and Quad City DJs’ “C’mon Ride It.” I was in hip-hop heaven.

The music was just a bonus to create an atmosphere for the performers. The unicyclists were insane! The dexterity of their jumps and their maneuverability skills were amazing. One of the unicycles that he rode around on was a record setting 36 feet high.

The high-flying trapeze has always been a Ringling Bros. staple and it still is today. Seeing them almost hit the roof, do flip after flip, and have a catcher just barely lock onto their wrist steals your breath away. One of the performers missed and fell gracefully into the net. Thankfully, it was there or this performance would’ve been a funeral.

The circus had so much that everyone had their own personal favorites from the night. Mine were the Human Cannonball, where a performer was shot out across the entire arena at break-neck speed and what is known as the Wheel of Death. These spinning, steel wheels had people running around both the inside and outside of them while jumping and flipping. This was definitely cringe-worthy entertainment at its best.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is the quintessential show! It is not just the best circus, but one of the best entertainment shows anywhere. From music, to set designs, and performances that push the limits of what a human can do. It had hilarity, with Nick Nack and his nerdy clown friends, and the amazingly agile robot dog, Bailey. In addition, it was a lot of fun to play Boom, Clap, Go, where the entire arena joined in. Ringling Bros. is a show above all and for all. It was a part of our childhood and should be a part of everyone’s from this generation to the next.

Jessica Shapiro is a Wellington resident, reporter for South Florida Insider, and an Exceptional Student Education (ESE) teacher. A graduate of the University of Central Florida, she travels wherever the story takes her, all while balancing life as a dedicated mother of three.

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