After a weeks-long disruption triggered by regulatory questions over its original performance space, the beloved Suarez Brothers’ Circus is set to raise its curtain for opening night Friday at 7 p.m. at its new home: Barbados’ Garrison Savannah. What began as a planned run at The Belle venue came to an abrupt halt earlier this month, when multiple government agencies raised concerns over the process that granted the circus approval to operate at its original site. The regulatory inquiry forced a sudden temporary shutdown and a urgent hunt for a new space that could accommodate the traveling performance group, a search that ultimately led to an agreement with the Barbados Turf Club, which manages the Garrison Savannah.
In an interview with Barbados TODAY Friday, as crews put the final touches on tent setup, seating arrangements and performance rigging at the new site, circus manager Ivan Suarez confirmed that all regulatory hurdles have been cleared. Representatives from four key government bodies — public health, planning and development, the fire service, and local police — completed a full inspection of the Garrison Savannah site Thursday, and signed off on the venue to allow performances to begin immediately. “Everything went well. They gave us a green light to start today,” Suarez shared in a statement Friday.
Suarez expressed deep gratitude for the outpouring of support from Barbadian audiences throughout the uncertainty, noting that many ticketholders opted to keep their pre-purchased tickets rather than requesting refunds during the shutdown. “We are very grateful for all the people from Barbados because of the support that we get during these days after the shutdown in Belle,” he said. “Some people bought tickets and just held on to them to wait until we had our reopening. We really appreciate that.” He also extended thanks to the Barbados Turf Club, which stepped up to accommodate the circus on short notice despite already being in active preparations for upcoming scheduled horse racing events at the Savannah.
The only disruption to the new performance schedule comes this Saturday, when pre-planned horse racing will take priority at the venue, forcing the cancellation of the day’s planned show. Starting Sunday, however, regular performances will resume on a fixed schedule: 7 p.m. shows on weekdays, 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. performances on Saturdays, and three shows daily at 2 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Sundays.
Currently, the Suarez Brothers’ Circus is scheduled to remain in Barbados through September 20, before continuing its Caribbean tour to the Dominican Republic. But Suarez revealed that organizers are in talks to extend their stay on the island and add extra performances for audiences. He also moved to clear up misinformation that spread through other media outlets earlier this week, which claimed he had suggested the circus would never return to Barbados after the regulatory difficulties of this visit. “I never said that we don’t plan to come back,” Suarez clarified. “We don’t know when we’re going to come back, but if we plan to come to Barbados, it will be part of the Caribbean tour.”
With all preparations complete, Suarez extended an open invitation to audiences across the island to attend the circus during its run at the new venue: “We would like to invite all the people from Barbados to come and enjoy our show during the period that we are going to stay here.”