side‧show /ˈsaɪdʃəʊ $ -ʃoʊ/ noun [countable]

1. a separate small part of a fair or circus, where you pay to play games or watch a performance

2. an event that is much less important or serious than another one:
The initial conflict was a mere sideshow compared with the World War that followed.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲