1977

Memorial Coliseum

The roots of the Royal Hanneford Circus go back to the late 1600s. It is reportedly the oldest circus in the world. The circus was founded by Michael Hanneford, an Irish showman who is said to have performed various daredevil feats, including on horseback, juggling, acrobatics, and more. The modern version of the Circus was created in the mid-1960s when Tommy Hanneford, known as, "The Funniest Man on Horseback,” began producing shows that spotlighted his family of performers. Later, after a series of reorganizations, in 1975, Hanneford reorganized the Royal Hanneford Circus. This group appeared in the University of Alabama’s Memorial Coliseum in 1977. It remains operational to this day.