Hadi Shrine Circus makes a major change ahead of its 90th anniversary.
For decades, our circus committee has worked hard to keep the annual production fresh. We take pride in being one of the few remaining three ring circuses in the world. Our team hand selects individual performers on a global scale each year rather than signing a packaged production. We incorporated up and coming acts from America's Got Talent with those traditional acts that make the circus what it is, like the trapeze artists, jugglers, and animal acts such as our beloved elephants.
As we kick-off the countdown to the 100th year celebration, our committee has made the decision to begin the next decade and beyond without the inclusion of the Hadi Shrine Circus elephants. This decision did not come lightly. We are passionate about animals and featuring them in the circus to the wondrous awe of our audience. With great respect to our illustrious pachyderms, we believe the time is right to retire the elephants from the Hadi Shrine Circus.
We want to sincerely thank the Millers who have cared for our extended elephant family over the years. The elephants will continue to live in Oklahoma at the Endangered Ark Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to caring for and preserving the second largest population of Asian elephants in North America. They will always be, to us, the only true Hadi Shrine Circus elephants.
As our beloved elephant act ends, we begin a new look at our three ring circus. We take great pride in the show’s incredible longevity and our ability to continuously cultivate an exciting production year after year. With the arrival of the 90th celebration of the Hadi Shrine Circus this November, we look forward to starting a new decade with new acts wrapped up in the traditions that so many love.
Follow along on social media this year as we revisit our favorite moments from the circus since that very first show at the Memorial Coliseum in 1933.