Hungarian traveling circus stays fit for post-COVID opening

Human and four-legged performers alike are preparing to bring Hungary’s largest traveling circus back on the road after the COVID-19 pandemic halted its shows for more than a year

BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Human and four-legged performers alike are preparing to bring Hungary's largest traveling circus back on the road after the COVID-19 pandemic halted its shows for more than a year. From its offseason home in Sada, a small village just outside the capital, Budapest, the Florian Richter Circus is holding rehearsals in cautious anticipation of when performances may begin again. A state of emergency was declared in Hungary only a day before the troupe was to begin its spring season last year, and pandemic restrictions limiting events and public gatherings have meant the circus hasn't brought in any income since. “It has been almost a year and a half now with nothing. Obviously I have to think as a businessman, as an artist, and as a father at the same time,” said Florian Richter, the circus' owner. “I’m the motor of this circus, so can’t give up, I can’t get emotional.”