Probably the circus, but it really depends on whether it's a Cirque du Soleil type deal, or a rampant-animal-cruelty one. If the latter, carnival I guess. Depending again on how rusty the rides are.
Will the carnival have a little horse like a little Sebastian?
If it does, Count me in. If it doesn’t, I’m headed to the mall to watch a movie with a beer and a disproportionately large amount of salty popcorn.
I'd retreat as option number one simply because I don't like crowds. If that's not an option, I'd chose based on the food and drinks available. So - either the carnival or the mall, but probably the mall.
It'd probably depend for me, but my first inclination would be the carnival myself, as I'm a sucker for the activities & attractions you can try or wander through.
If that's the case, I'm going to all 3. First the Roman circus to the left. Next, Mardi Gras in Rio de Janeiro. Then one of those massive middle Eastern malls like the one in Dubai or Iran. After a week or so of exploring all that, I'll head back behind me to my mansion to play with all my souvenirs.
The mall will either be higher end and teeming with shoppers, or a nearly abandoned hulk like the suburbs filled with lower middle class renters around it, who now shop on the likes of Amazon and Temu because that’s what they can afford.
All 4 choices have their charms, but I’d rather go home, or find a nice quiet park for a snooze.
The carnival. It's like a circus but with more walking around and exploration. Like a mall but with more freakiness and games. Carnivals can get BIG. There's no limit really. Best lemonade I ever had was at a carnival. The ones with the farm stuff are best. Sheep and pigs are trippy.
It's been a few months (and days), but I'm still thinking carnival. It's a good cross between a circus and a mall, with the bonus of activities to goof around with.