PETA Buys Madison Square Garden Entertainment Stock in Bid to Get Animals Out of Christmas Spectacular

For Immediate Release:
April 15, 2026

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

New York –

PETA has just purchased stock in Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. (MSGE)—the parent company of Radio City Music Hall—and plans to use its shareholder status to convince directors and shareholders to stop using live animals in the nativity scene in the Christmas Spectacular, which runs for months every winter. The scene subjects camels, donkeys, and sheep to disorienting lights and loud music—and when they’re not on stage, the animals are confined backstage—some reportedly in the basement—for months until they’re shipped back to a facility that rents animals out for circus shows, which are notorious for beating animals and forcing them to perform tricks out of fear of punishment.

*A camel tied up backstage at Radio City Music Hall. Credit: PETA*

“A stage production in an unnatural environment, complete with lights and noise, is extremely stressful and confusing to camels and other animals who should never be treated like living props,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “Now that PETA is a stockholder, we will bring the issue straight to the boardroom and call on MSG Entertainment to leave animals out of the Christmas Spectacular.”

PETA is also calling on the show’s sponsors—including Chase, Lexus, and Verizon—to stop supporting the show until it ends the use of live animals. PETA points out that some of New York’s most successful productions—including Broadway’s The Lion King—rely solely on brilliant puppetry and creative tech to bring animal characters to life.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.