Iconic Venice Beach Freak Show closes after losing lease

ByABC7.com staff KABC logo
Monday, May 1, 2017
Venice Beach Freak Show closes after losing lease
The final curtain has fallen on the Venice Beach Freak Show, one of the most iconic shows to grace the boardwalk.

VENICE, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The final curtain has fallen on the Venice Beach Freak Show, one of the most iconic shows to grace the boardwalk.

The show officially closed its doors after losing the lease renewal to its waterfront space.

According to the show's Facebook page, all the businesses in its building are being pushed out, except for Snapchat.

MORE: Snap Inc. destroying Venice's vibrancy, protesters say

"Our goal has always been to bring wonder to the world," said show founder Todd Ray. "And for those developers that want to come here, remember, this is a very, very unique place, and killing it is a real shame."

Snapchat app maker Snap Inc. subleases office space in the building that houses the show, and locals allege the tech giant helped evict the beloved attraction.

A representative of Snapchat says the company has no plans to occupy the Freak Show's storefront space.

The Venice Beach Freak Show went out with a six-hour final performance on Sunday. The show served as a protest, a farewell and a fundraiser.

The show has been at the same location for 11 years, putting on shows starring "The Bearded Lady," "The Smallest Man in America," and "Wolf Boy."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.