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Ringling Bros. circus swings back into Dallas for summer 2026 shows

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey The Greatest Show On Earth

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's "The Greatest Show On Earth" returns to Dickies Arena on August 20-23.

Photo courtesy of Feld Entertainment

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, which returned with a reimagined circus in 2024, will come back to Dallas once again for new dates at American Airlines Center on August 27-30, 2026.

2026 dates for "The Greatest Show On Earth" will start on April 9 in Worcester, Massachusetts, with stops scheduled in every month for the rest of the year.

The month of August is reserved for Texas, as it will go to Houston (August 6-9), San Antonio (August 13-16), Fort Worth (August 20-23), and Dallas (August 27-30). There will be a final Texas stop in Edinburg on September 3-6 (sorry, Austin and El Paso!).

"The Greatest Show On Earth," which no longer features live animals, is a two-hour live talent show featuring some of the world’s best acts.

The action-packed modern circus is filled with stunts and immersive moments featuring events like the high-flying trapeze, gravity-defying acrobatics, and more. Set to a high-energy soundtrack, the show includes elements like the Double Wheel of Destiny, a high-speed bicycle troupe, acrobats from Mongolia, and a Latin dance group.

Moments of humor, surprise, and audience interaction are sprinkled throughout the show, while fan-favorite characters like Bailey the Robo Pup bring heart, personality, and fun for younger fans.

Before the show begins, families are invited to enjoy the interactive pre-show, where the Ringling Hype Crew brings the arena to life with music, movement, and crowd engagement.

Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, April 14 via Ticketmaster.com.

Fans can purchase early with unlock code W2LV26 on Thursday, April 9 at 10 am through Monday, April 13 at 11:59 pm. Fans can also sign up to become Ringling Insiders for exclusive early access to tickets, which can be purchased now at Ringling.com.

Finally, there is a special pre-sale savings for adults by using code PR26RB for up to 25 percent off tickets. That offer ends on April 13, and restrictions apply.

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's "The Greatest Show On Earth" 2026 tour dates:

Apr 9 - 12, 2026: Worcester, MA - DCU Center
Apr 16 - 19, 2026: Bridgeport, CT - Total Mortgage Arena
Apr 23 - 26, 2026: Hartford, CT - PeoplesBank Arena
Apr 30 - May 3, 2026: Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center
May 7 - 10, 2026: Charleston, WV - Charleston Coliseum
May 15 - 17, 2026: Louisville, KY - KFC Yum! Center
May 21 - 24, 2026: Allentown, PA - PPL Center
May 29 - 31, 2026: Providence, RI - Amica Mutual Pavilion
Jun 4 - 7, 2026: Norfolk, VA - Scope Arena
Jul 2 - 5, 2026: Fresno, CA - Save Mart Center
Jul 10 - 19, 2026: Anaheim, CA - Honda Center
Jul 23 - 26, 2026: Phoenix, AZ - Mortgage Matchup Center
Aug 6 - 9, 2026: Houston, TX - NRG Stadium
Aug 13 - 16, 2026: San Antonio, TX - Alamodome
Aug 20 - 23, 2026: Fort Worth, TX - Dickies Arena
Aug 27 - 30, 2026: Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
Sep 3 - 6, 2026: Edinburg, TX - Bert Ogden Arena
Sep 10 - 13, 2026: San Diego, CA - Pechanga Arena San Diego
Sep 17 - 20, 2026: Sacramento, CA - Golden 1 Center
Sep 24 - 27, 2026: Wichita, KS - INTRUST Bank Arena
Oct 1 - 4, 2026: Des Moines, IA - Casey's Center
Oct 8 - 11, 2026: Cleveland, OH - Wolstein Center
Oct 16 - 18, 2026: Pittsburgh, PA - PPG Paints Arena
Oct 22 - 25, 2026: St. Paul, MN - Grand Casino Arena
Oct 29 - Nov 1, 2026: Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena
Nov 6 - 8, 2026: Rosemont, IL - Allstate Arena
Nov 12 - 15, 2026: Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena
Nov 20 - 22, 2026: Indianapolis, IN - Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Nov 27 - 29, 2026: Kansas City, MO - T-Mobile Center
Dec 3 - 6, 2026: Cincinnati, OH - Heritage Bank Center

circus dickies arena families kids music performing-arts

Movie Review

The Dink aces pickleball with funny, star-filled comedy

Photo courtesy of Apple TV+

Mary Steenburgen and Jake Johnson in The Dink.

While the sport of pickleball was invented way back in the 1960s, it has exploded in popularity in the 2020s. It was only a matter of time before someone figured out a way to make a movie about the craze, and a comedy like the new Apple TV+ film The Dink provides the best way to honor and make fun of the divisive sport at the same time.

Dusty Boyd (Jake Johnson), aka The Hammer, is a former tennis phenom who’s now working as an instructor at a club owned by his dad, Chuck (Ed Harris). While the two don’t always see eye-to-eye, they have a mutual hatred for pickleball, which they have begrudgingly allowed on the property by giving it the worst court.

Dusty is hoping to stop all future pickleball expansion by winning a one-on-one grudge match, but when he injures his wrist, he’s given a prescription of pickleball as a form of rehab. Older women like Candace (Mary Steenburgen) are the only people he can find to play with, and despite his disdain for the sport, he soon falls prey to its low-key charms.

Directed by Josh Greenbaum (Will & Harper) and written by Sean Clements, the film is probably the best advertisement pickleball will ever have. Dusty’s introduction to the sport serves as a lighthearted tutorial for the uninitiated while still getting in some nice digs at its expense. The other players - Candace, Gail (Cleo King), and Judy (Lynn Marie Stewart) - are equally welcoming and critical of Dusty, who initially has trouble adjusting to the game’s different rules.

The film’s approach to the story is silly but never stupid. Dusty is a blowhard, but he’s also able to admit when he’s wrong, especially when Candace introduces him to multiple things he had never considered before. A long-standing feud between Dusty and Andy Roddick provides more than just a goofy cameo for the real-life tennis star. The film also pushes right to the edge of being over-the-top before pulling back, allowing it to keep a semblance of reality to it.

Clements’ story follows a tried-and-true formula, making the film very predictable but enjoyably so. Where it earns its comedy credentials is in its finer details, like Dusty’s love for his 1999 Buick LeSabre with under 200,000 miles on it, his trunk full of old VHS tapes, or his interactions with his assistant PJ (Aaron Chen), who manages to be the comic relief in an already funny film.

Johnson, probably best known for starring in the sitcom New Girl in the 2010s, has the right amount of smarm and niceness to pull off the role, letting viewers laugh at and root for him at the same time. The film is full of comedy all-stars in small roles like Oswalt, Chris Parnell, and Ben Stiller, but Harris steals everyone’s thunder. The line readings by the four-time Oscar nominee give an extra punch to his character’s jokes, especially one that hints at the sordid history of the tennis club.

It’s a shame that The Dink is only playing on a streaming service as there’s a dearth of good comedies like this in movie theaters. With a solid joke-telling approach, a respect for its subject matter, and a cast who all play off each other well, this is a film that deserves to be seen by more than just those with an Apple TV+ subscription.

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The Dink is now streaming on Apple TV+.

movies sports pickleball film

Under the big top

Ringling Bros. circus swings back into Dallas for summer 2026 shows

Movie Review

The Dink aces pickleball with funny, star-filled comedy

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