Editing Sideshow (section)

== Revival ==
With legal restrictions on human oddity exhibitions, most modern sideshows feature performances of trainable stunts and [[Body modification|body modifications]], which can but do not necessarily require [[Birth defect|congenital]] abnormalities.

In 2013, [[Garry Turner (sideshow performer)|Gary Turner]], born with [[Ehlers–Danlos syndrome|Ehlers-Dalnos syndrome]], performed as Gary Stretch with [[The Circus of Horrors]], alongside other performers such as Jesus Aceves, a man born with [[hypertrichosis]] billed as “Wolfboy”, who walked on swords as part of his act.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2013-09-08 |title=Freak show revival as attraction heads to West End |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-23812971 |access-date=2025-05-30 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>

John Haze, owner of the show, said of their sword swallower with body modifications Hannibal Helmurto:

"He wore a normal suit and had no tattoos. Ten years later he turned up at the Hackney Empire and he had completely changed his body."

In modern times, sideshow performers are often individual professionals or groups. A greater number of "Single O" attractions still tour carnivals.

In the 1940s, Ward Hall began the World of Wonders Amazement Show, which is still running today. It is the oldest carnival sideshow organization in America and is currently owned and run by Thomas Breen.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://showmensmuseum.org/ward-hall-and-the-world-of-wonders-sideshow/|title=Ward Hall King of The Sideshow and his World of Wonders|website=Carnival History&#124; Old Circus Photos&#124; Sideshow History&#124; Showmen's Museum}}</ref> 
In 1970, John Strong Jr (son of John Strong of The John Strong 3 Ring Tented Circus)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sideshowworld.com/28-BJ-Strong/thstgod-JStrong-G.html|title=Sideshow World, Sideshow Photos, Sideshow History, Memories and Stories about Jeanie Tomaini and Al Tomaini at Sideshow World|website=www.sideshowworld.com}}</ref> began a 47-year continuous run of traveling sideshow, The Strong Sideshow.  Several acts and artifacts toured over the years such as the 5-legged dog, Chupacabra, a 2-headed cow, and a mummy. John Jr. performed all the live acts himself for several years including sword swallowing, fire eating, bed of nails blade box and electric chair.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.sideshowworld.com/71-View/46-Carnival/John-Strong.html|title=Forty-Three years of continuous performances|last=Hall|first=B.|date=February 2013|work=Carnival Magazine|access-date=15 March 2018}}</ref>  After living the lifestyle for a lifetime, The Strong Sideshow is now in residency at "The Sideshow Museum", in [[Uranus, Missouri]].

In the early 1990s, Jim Rose developed a modern sideshow called "the [[Jim Rose Circus]]", reinventing the sideshow with two types of acts that would attract modern audiences and stay within legal bounds. The show featured acts reviving traditional sideshow stunts and carrying some of them to extremes, and "fringe" artists (often exhibiting extreme [[body modification]]) performing bizarre or masochistic acts like eating insects, lifting weights by means of hooks inserted in their body piercings, or stapling currency to their forehead. The show drew audiences at venues unknown to old-time sideshows, like rock clubs and the 1992 [[Lollapalooza]] festival. The Jim Rose Circus held its last known performance in 2013 at The London Burlesque Festival. The impact of the Jim Rose Circus on pop culture inspired a new wave of performers. There are now more sideshow performers than at any other time in the genre's history. At the same time in Canada, Scott McClelland, grandson of itinerant showman N.P. Lewchuk, formed [[Carnival Diablo]], a show that performs frequently to this day. The success of these shows sparked a growing number of performers to revive the traditional sideshow arts, taught by sideshow veterans, and many now perform in spot engagements from rock clubs and comedy clubs to corporate events.

"[[Sideshows by the Seashore]]", sponsored by [[Coney Island USA]] in Brooklyn, NY has performed since 1983, and tours under the name "[[Coney Island Circus Sideshow]]". Circus historian and collector Ken Harck ran the Brothers Grim Sideshow, which toured with the [[OzzFest]] music festival in the summer of 2006 and 2007. Sideshow celebrity and multiple world record breaker Chayne Hultgren 'The Space Cowboy' owns Australia's largest traveling oddity museum 'The Mutant Barnyard' and along with his partner Zoe Ellis 'AKA: Zoe L'amore' they run 'Sideshow Wonderland'.