Under the big top

Ringling Bros. circus swings back into Houston 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 Houston on August 6-9.

Photo courtesy of Feld Entertainment

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, which returned with a reimagined circus in 2024, will come back to Houston once again for new dates at NRG Stadium on August 6-9, 2026.

The tour's 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

Feuding couple fights for survival in dark comedy Over Your Dead Body

Photo courtesy of IFC Films

Jason Segel and Samara Weaving on Over Your Dead Body.

When dysfunctional couples are depicted in movies, about the worst that typically happens is an acrimonious divorce. But in the new comedy/thriller Over Your Dead Body, the husband-and-wife have already gone way past that point by the time they’re introduced to the audience, with their plans leaning toward murder.

Dan (Jason Segel) is a low-level filmmaker relegated to directing pop-up ads, while Lisa (Samara Weaving) is an actor making do in small theater productions. The film finds them heading toward a rare getaway to a remote lake cabin, but it’s clear from the start that the married couple has been at odds for months, if not years. As the film begins, Dan clumsily drops hints at an alibi for his planned murder of Lisa to his ailing dad (Paul Guilfoyle) and others.

His shoddy planning was already sussed out by Lisa, who turns the tables on him when he tries to attack her, revealing a plan of her own. The situation naturally heightens their shared enmity of each other, but their blind hatred turns out to reveal the presence of Pete (Timothy Olyphant) and Todd (Keith Jardine), two escapees from a nearby prison who were helped by guard Allegra (Juliette Lewis). What was once a shared murder plan turns into a fight for survival, forcing Dan and Lisa to work together.

Directed by Jorma Taccone (The Lonely Island) and written by former SNL writers Nick Kocher and Briand McElhaney, the film aims to mine comedy out of darkness. Dan and Lisa’s ire for each other is palpable, and their interactions early in the film are uncomfortable. As the film turns increasingly violent with the introduction of other unsavory characters, most of the humor is derived from the creative ways people are attacked and the ultraviolence that results from them going after each other.

It’s a little tough to get fully invested in the story when the filmmakers throw the audience directly into the plot with almost zero setup. There’s not even a cursory montage of Dan and Lisa being in love, so it’s hard to care a lot about their current hate for each other. Likewise, the presence of the prison guard and escapees is completely random, and the three of them aren’t utilized well in the story despite having a couple of well-known actors portraying them.

The saving grace of the film, though, is the twists and turns it takes in the final act. Everyone on screen is put through the wringer, with each of them suffering multiple injuries or worse. The mayhem becomes so chaotic that it’s almost impossible to tell what’s going to happen next, which slightly makes up for the fact that the story as a whole is lackluster. Even though the audience knows they’re being manipulated, the sequences are entertaining enough to overcome that fact.

The cast as a whole is solid. Segel (How I Met Your Mother, Shrinking) uses his comic sensibility to keep the proceedings light. Weaving (Ready or Not) has done multiple movies in this vein, so she knows how to navigate the comedy/thriller waters. Olyphant feels a little out of place, but he has a presence that elevates his part. Lewis goes a little too manic in her part, and Jardine ably embodies the dumb brute.

The comedy history of Taccone, Segel, and Weaving keeps Over Your Dead Body as a positive experience even when the story doesn’t quite measure up. The film never becomes fully predictable, giving the audience a great dose of pandemonium that lifts it up despite its other faults.

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Over Your Dead Body is now playing in theaters.

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