2016 clown sightings

In 2016, there were reports of people disguised as evil clowns in incongruous settings, such as near forests, schools and neighborhoods. The incidents were reported in the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and subsequently in other countries and territories, starting in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on August 1, 2016, and continuing in other countries for the rest of August 2016. The Green Bay sighting was first reported on Facebook at around 2 AM local time and was later revealed to have been a marketing stunt for a horror film. The phenomenon later spread to many other cities in the United States. By mid-October 2016, clown sightings and attacks had been reported in nearly all U.S. states, nine out of 13 provinces and territories of Canada, and 18 other countries.

Prior to the spate of incidents in 2016, numerous sightings of people dressed as clowns in odd or incongruous settings had occurred throughout the world since 2013. The proliferation of videos and images of these precursor sightings spread through social media posts and viral sharing of the content.

Scope, timeline and effects of sightings

Precursor sightings

One possible precursor event were the 2013 sightings of a "creepy clown" in Northampton, England. The Northampton clown sightings, which were in the town during September and October 2013, were the work of three local filmmakers: Alex Powell, Elliot Simpson, and Luke Ubanski. The clown resembled Pennywise from Stephen King's novel It.