A spokesperson for the company says Spiegelworld has grand plans to turn Nipton into an artist’s retreat. In a statement made to lovePROPERTY, they explain their vision: "It will be a living town where Spiegelworld artists and performers will retreat to dream, create, and undertake unfettered artistic experimentation which will feed into the creation of Spiegelworld’s world-class shows. It will also be a place where visitors and passers-by can have an experience unlike anything else".

In preparation for the circus’s arrival, the company's prop builders Alex and Frank Strebel have been busy clearing the land of debris including old appliances, piles of mattresses and rusty water heaters.

Real-life people who bought their own towns lock, stock and barrel