This German Circus Uses Cruelty-Free Holograms Instead of Animals

For generations of children, going to the circus has been one of the greatest experiences of their young lives.

Incredible acrobats, silly clowns, death-defying stunts, and impressive animal shows used to be the standards of what makes a good circus show.

With the emergence of animal rights groups and growing awareness for the rough lives that circus animals lead, more and more countries around the world have passed legislation to outlaw the use of animals in recent years.

All in all, a total of 26 countries have gone with the times by either introducing or implementing bans on using animals in shows so far.

One German circus, however, has found the next logical step and introduced a breathtaking holographic show that combines modern technology with an old-timey circus vibe.

Circus Roncalli, which has been touring since 1976, phased out the use of wild animals in its shows in the 1990s, well before others began to take similar steps.

Since then, the Roncalli used only used domestic horses, but recently, the circus decided to stop using animals altogether.

“We decided against having the animals for the benefit of the animals,” Markus Strobl, the media director of Circus Roncalli told RP Online in 2017. “Most of the numbers in the show would already be done by the artists and clowns today anyway. The focus of the Circus Roncalli is on poetic and acrobatic numbers.”

The holographic projections are large enough to fill the entire circus arena measuring 105 feet wide and 16 feet deep with 360° visibility for the entire audience.

Thanks to modern technology, it’s never been a better time for circuses across the world to end the use of live animals and go with the times.

Circus Roncalli is definitely a big step ahead of the game.