The Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey Circus Twenty Years Between Oldest Grandson and Youngest

As many of you may have experienced, when the first grandchild is born, you cannot wait to take them to the circus and other experiences. It is joyful to watch their eyes light up as they see things for the first time. And of course, you take them as soon as you can. We took our oldest grandchild when he was close to four.

Please read the blog post, “Of First Born Children and First Born Grandchildren: Benefits of Loving The First the Longest.” Especially those of you waiting for your first or second grandchild, you will more than able to relate. Those of you with older grandchildren, enjoy the aha moment in that blog post.

With our very first grandchild, we went to the circus an hour early to experience the pre-show excitement and buy him cotton candy and everything else his parents would cringe that we were feeding him.

PopPop (his grandpa name given to him by this grandson when he was less than two years old) and I indeed could remember this experience for years and years, probably longer than our first and oldest grandson did.

We did say that seeing the circus animals was miraculous, the giant elephants parading in front of us, the giant cats roaring.  The circus was an exotic explosion of colors and lights and sounds.

It was worth every penny, just see the light and joy in our grandson‘s eyes.

Twenty years later, it is just me, Mema (again, the name given by the oldest grandson) taking the youngest grandson to the circus.  See, blog post, “Names for Grandma and Names for Grandchild.” PopPop is no longer with us, but always with us in memory. He probably would have done more research on the new, and ostensibly, improved circus.  No more real animals. The animal rights groups had proven how awful the circus was for the animals. No one wants animals to suffer.

I went on Etsy and bought my youngest grandson a bright red T-shirt so I could find him in the crowds, that had the circus logo on the front, and a huge circus advertisement poster on the back with the elephants and the lions and the tigers. We arrived an hour early and the pregame show was one MC live and the robotic dog, Bailey, and a large screen tour of backstage by who turned out to be one of the cyclists. Yes, this grandchild also had cotton candy.

There were no crowds. The arena looked like it was about one third full, even less, up to about five minutes before the show. I was sure the rush would come. It never came. It is hard to see excitement in the crowd when the arena is so huge and the crowd is so small.

Somehow, I expected that the circus would be up to the task of the more media and Internet savvy young children.  Bailey, the robot dog, was fabulous, but could not carry the show.  The aerial acts were superb and were beautiful for me to see, but it was hard to get my grandson to even look up.  Excellent rope jumpers with multiple people on each other’s shoulders, unicyclists doing tricks on ramps, LED lights, flickering on and off in different colors, and finally, what seemed like only about thirty minutes in, more or less, having a circus dance party was something my grandson was not having. I could not get him to stay one more minute. We were not the only ones walking out.

Yes, this youngest grandson is the youngest of three with much older brothers in his family and is much more media sophisticated than our oldest grandson was, pre-internet, when we took him to the circus.

The biggest surprise for me was not just walking out of the circus, and the circus differences between 2006 and 2026. Please first take a look at the comparisons that I asked ChatGPT to prepare for me between the 2006 show and the 2026 show of the Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Please consider whether you would’ve been as surprised as I taking my youngest grandson to the circus in 2026 and please note the unexpected other surprise to me in the closing paragraph of this blog post.

🎪 Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey Circus — The Greatest Show on Earth (2006 Edition)

Ringmaster: Chuck Wagner
Circus Songstress: Jennifer Fuentes

This show marked the 136th edition of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey under its Greatest Show on Earth banner and introduced some changes in format, such as a single oval ring and video screen while still delivering the classic circus experience of spectacle, variety, animals, aerial feats, clowns, and comedy.

🪩 1. Opening Parade & Grand Introduction

Traditionally, the show begins with a parade of performers, featuring musicians, flag bearers, and costumed cast members entering the arena with fanfare. This sets the tone of the spectacle.

🤹 2. Opening Acts — Clowns & Comedy Bits

Clowns typically kick off the circus with energetic skits and pratfalls, weaving humor throughout the show and acting as MCs between major acts. In 2006, clowns including Bello (comic daredevil) were present and interacting with the audience and other performers.

🎯 3. Daredevil Acts & Stunts

•   Human Cannonball / Cannon Duo – Married team Brian and Tina Miser performing a double-barreled cannon shot early in the lineup, a rare and exciting stunt that set a thrilling pace.

•   Windy City Acrobats – High-energy acrobats doing athletic routines often intertwined with basketball-like games against clowns.

🐘 4. Animal Acts

Although by 2006 animal rights concerns were building, the classic circus animal presentations still featured in this era (particularly big cats and elephants). The animal segment usually appeared near the show’s midpoint:

•     Elephants & Trainers – Marching and performing choreographed moves.

•     Big Cats – Lion and tiger acts under trained guidance.

🤸‍♂️ 5. Aerial & Gymnastic Acts

This would include several high-adrenaline performances such as:

•      Flying trapeze artists (classic sky-high aerial feats)

•      Tightrope and balancing acts

•      Other acrobatic troupes demonstrating tumbling, flips, and synchronized routines.

🚲 6. Specialty Acts & Sideshows

While specifics for 2006 are sparse, typical Ringling shows also include:

•       Motorcycle cage acts (e.g., eight bikes zooming in a spherical cage)

•       Chinese acrobatic troupes with pole balancing and diabolo twirling

•        Gymnastic stunt groups (e.g., rollers, unicycles, etc.)

🎭 7. Finale

All performers usually come together for a grand finale, often featuring a reprise of the major acts, clowns joining the parade, live music, and a final curtain call celebrating the entire cast.

📌 Notes

🔹 Exact order: There is no publicly preserved, venue-by-venue running order for the 2006 tour in the way classic pre-1970 ring books were compiled. Most marketing from that year describes the show by its highlights rather than a strict sequence.

🔹 Format shift: The 2006 show incorporated more narrative or thematic sequencing compared to older three-ring formats, adapting for modern arenas, but did not abandon the multi-act variety that fans expected.

🎪 Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey — The Greatest Show On Earth® (2026)

Overall Show Style
The 2026 production is a reimagined, music-driven circus experience designed for modern arenas. The show combines high-energy choreography, global performance arts, DJ and live music soundtracks, and dynamic staging with LED visuals.

🕺 Pre-Show & Opening

Pre-Show: Ringling Hype Crew

•    Before the official start, the Ringling Hype Crew energizes the audience with dance, music, crowd engagement, and hype.

Grand Entrance

•     The production opens with a celebratory entrance, often featuring DJs, dancers, and show guides who set a festive party atmosphere rather than a traditional ringmaster introduction.

🎭 Typical Act Sequence (Reconstructed)

Below is a likely running order based on published 2026 show highlights (acts that are repeatedly mentioned by Ringling’s press & venue descriptions). While not a strict minute-by-minute script, this reflects how the show’s pacing generally unfolds:

1. Global Dance & Acrobatics Warmup

•  Acro-Salsa Troupe (Colombia): A group blending acrobatics with high-energy salsa-inspired movement — one of the first big physical ensemble acts.

2. Contortion & Flexibility Showcase

• World-Class Contortionist (United States): An ultra-flexible performer displays breathtaking, artful control.

3. Acrobatic Bikes & Hoop Diving

•     A Chinese ensemble performing human pyramids on bicycles and dramatic aerial dives through hoops — a gravity-defying highlight.

4. Criss-Cross Aerial Acts

•     Multiple flyers performing on intersecting trapeze rigs with precise timing and near-miss visuals. (Announced in press previews/ Ringling news)

5. Extreme Cycling & Unicycle Tricks

•   High-adrenaline bicycle and unicycle stunts (like stacking wheels or BMX-style maneuvers).

6. Teeterboard / Tic Tac Trio Act

•      Acrobatic performers launched into the air from a see-saw-like apparatus, adding thrilling group tumbling.

7. Interactive Musical Units

•        Throughout the show, DJ-led soundtrack segments and live vocal performances (e.g., featuring guest artists) bridge acts via beats and choreography.

8. Comedy & Character Moments

•      Comedic performers and mascots such as Bailey the Robo Pup provide lighthearted interaction, dance sequences, and crowd engagement.

🎉 Finale / Show Close

Rather than a traditional circus finale, 2026’s production wraps with a music-fueled collective celebration — dancers, acrobats, and performers on the arena floor, joined by the Hype Crew to close out the “Greatest Party On Earth.”

🆕 Key Performers & Acts (Highlights)

Act / Performer	Description
Acro-Salsa Troupe (Colombia)	Seven performers mixing salsa dance with acrobatics and athletic flair.
Contortionist (U.S.)	World-renowned flexibility artist making a standout debut.
Acrobatic Bikes & Hoop Diving (China)	Bicycle-based pyramids and hoop dives combining circus and precision stunts.
Criss-Cross Trapeze	Multi-directional aerial act with intersecting trapeze bars.
Extreme Unicycle & BMX Stunts	Gravity-defying cycling acts set to high-energy music.
Tic Tac Trio / Teeterboard	High-flying acrobatic launches and flips.
Bailey the Robo Pup	Robotic, dance-oriented character providing humor and engagement.
Live DJ & Music Elements	A continuous soundtrack blends pop hits, EDM, and original Ringling music.

🪩 What’s Different About the 2026 Show

No Traditional Animal Acts

•   This edition continues Ringling’s move away from animal performance segments, focusing instead on human athletic and artistic talent.

Modern Audience Integration

•   Big LED screens, real-time camera visuals, and interactive moments bring the arena crowd into the action — a departure from classic tent-style circus presentation.

Music-First Pacing

•   Rather than discrete “acts” separated by silence, this version blends performances with music and transitions powered by DJ beats and live vocals.

📌 Notes

•  A precise running order (e.g., #1 Act, #2 Act, etc.) from a specific show date hasn’t been published yet. The above sequence is based on official show descriptions and press announcements.

•  Details may vary slightly by venue as the tour progresses, but the core acts and energy style remain consistent across dates

So many differences! Not only in the circus. In age of child—four versus seven and in place in family structure.  So many differences in life and times. In the entire world, twenty years is significant! Facing a new and different world in more ways than I could have imagined in the life of the youngest one. My eyes see the world anew in ways I did not expect, thanks to my youngest baby grandson.

As the blog post, “Of First Born Children and First Born Grandchildren: Benefits of Loving The First the Longest” neared its conclusion, I spoke then about the joyful benefit of all of the subsequent grandchildren we are blessed with and that

 “[w]e grandparents too have more fun at ease with the subsequent born grandchildren.  We are now experienced too. That ease is felt in the personality and behavior of the younger grandchildren.  Yes, and they almost knock us down when they run into our arms to give us hugs and kisses, faster at a time when we are slower!”

It does not matter first or last, what the grandchild wants matters the most, and we remain as indulgent as ever with each grandchild. Twenty years later is two decades of change in us as adults, in society, in the world our subsequent grandchildren are born into and exposed to. The internet!

Two decades brings massive change. Sometimes it takes going to a circus to internalize it.

We had a family trip planned to Walt Disney World and the Magic Kingdom for two weeks after the circus.  Taking the youngest grandchild to Disney!

Our beloved baby, blasé and worldly-wise grandson, walked out of the circus and said please don’t make me go to Disney World.

The Disney trip has been canceled. Awakening to life’s challenges, shifts and changes, learned from the young with

Joy,

Mema