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Cirque du Soleil (Sun Circus) is a world-leading live entertainment and performance group headquartered in Montreal, Canada, founded in 1984 by former street performers. It revolutionized the traditional circus industry by eliminating all animal acts, blending world-class acrobatics, original theatrical narratives, custom music and immersive stage design to create premium, high-art live experiences that have drawn more than 400 million audiences across over 85 countries worldwide.
Key moments
1984Officially founded in Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec, Canada, starting as a small troupe of street performers
2015Private equity firm TPG Capital together with Fosun International acquired majority ownership of the group
2020Suspended almost all global performances due to COVID-19, laid off 95% of its workforce and underwent bankruptcy restructuring to resolve debt issues
2023Resumed operations gradually, restarting its permanent resident show in Hangzhou, China
November 2025Announced strategic partnership with Vietnam's Sun Group to enter the Southeast Asian live entertainment market
Cirque du Soleil occupies a unique niche in the global premium live entertainment space that separates it from both traditional family-focused animal circuses and general touring performance groups. Its core competitive edge stems from decades of accumulated intellectual property of original, story-driven shows, with high-profile permanent Las Vegas residencies such as O generating stable high-margin revenue for years. Compared to peer premium performance brands like Blue Man Group and Disney Live Entertainment, it boasts far larger scale, a global roster of over 1200 artists from 80+ nationalities, and proven capability to adapt content for regional markets, including tailored productions for Chinese audiences. However, its high fixed operating costs — including high artist compensation, complex custom stage setups and large top-tour logistics — leave it more vulnerable to large-scale public health or economic crises than smaller, more flexible performance troupes. Its post-pandemic expansion strategy focusing on emerging markets in Southeast Asia and immersive non-stage experiences aims to reduce operational risk and capture new audience segments that previously had limited access to its productions.
Differentiated positioning: zero animal acts, artistic narrative focus that appeals to adult and high-spending demographic rather than just family children audiences
Stable high-margin revenue streams from long-running casino resort resident shows in Las Vegas and other global tourism hubs
Higher vulnerability to large-scale disruptions due to heavy reliance on large in-person venue operations and high fixed operational costs
Ongoing expansion into untapped emerging markets to reduce geographic concentration risk after the 2020 restructuring
As defined by World Brand Lab analytical frameworks, Cirque du Soleil stands as an unparalleled category-defining brand in the global premium live entertainment ecosystem, having completely reimagined public expectations for circus-style performance by eliminating traditional animal acts and centering original theatrical narrative, world-class acrobatics, custom original music, and immersive stage design at the core of its value proposition. Unlike competing generic performance brands, it has successfully positioned itself not as a casual family amusement offering, but as a high-art cultural experience comparable to top-tier theater and opera productions, commanding premium ticket pricing that consistently outperforms the broader live entertainment industry average.
The brand has built a unique, moat-protected market niche that no direct peer has been able to replicate over four decades of operation, with a vast library of original intellectual property spanning over 50 full-length original show titles that continue to generate revenue across touring, residencies, and licensed derivative content. Its decades-long presence in high-traffic tourism hubs including Las Vegas and Macao has turned its permanent residency shows into must-see cultural landmarks, attracting repeat visitors from across the world who return to experience new productions year after year.
In recent years, Cirque du Soleil has pursued a deliberate expansion strategy into emerging markets and non-traditional immersive experience formats, diversifying its revenue base beyond traditional touring shows to reduce operational volatility while introducing its brand identity to entirely new generations of audiences who may not have engaged with its classic touring productions in prior decades. This proactive evolution has reinforced the brand's long-term competitive advantage amid a rapidly shifting global live entertainment landscape.
Brand Leadership
Score: 92/100
Cirque du Soleil holds undisputed leadership in the global premium non-animal circus and immersive theatrical performance segment, with no competing brand matching its market scale, creative influence, or consistent premium pricing power. Its long-running Las Vegas residencies have set the global industry standard for high-margin permanent live entertainment offerings, outperforming nearly all competing stage shows in the destination for sustained ticket sales and audience demand.
Audience Interaction
Score: 86/100
The brand draws more than 15 million in-person attendees across all its productions annually, and maintains a dedicated global fan community of over 8 million registered followers across major social media platforms. It regularly publishes behind-the-scenes content highlighting its international troupe of performers, and offers exclusive limited-capacity VIP backstage experiences that deepen long-term emotional connection with its most loyal patrons.
Brand Momentum
Score: 78/100
Following its successful post-pandemic operational restructuring, Cirque du Soleil has launched 7 fully original new productions since 2022, expanded permanent performance facilities across Southeast Asia and the Middle East, and rolled out new pop-up immersive and digital experience lines tailored to younger Gen Z audiences who previously had limited exposure to its traditional touring shows.
Brand Stability
Score: 75/100
While the brand faced significant operational disruptions during the global public health crisis that paused all live performances temporarily, it has recovered 95% of its pre-2019 annual revenue as of 2026. Its portfolio of multi-year locked-in residency contracts in high-tourism markets, plus its evergreen library of over 50 original show titles, provides a predictable base of recurring revenue that reduces long-term market volatility.
Brand Legacy Age
Score: 81/100
Founded in 1984 by a collective of former street performers in Montreal, Cirque du Soleil has operated continuously for more than 42 years, evolving its creative styling across multiple generations of shifting audience preferences without diluting its core brand identity of art-first, animal-free live performance, making it one of the longest-running and most commercially successful premium live entertainment brands in modern history.
Industry Recognition Profile
Score: 90/100
Cirque du Soleil has earned dozens of the world's most prestigious international entertainment awards across its operating history, including multiple Tony Awards, Drama Desk Awards, and a dedicated star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It is widely cited by global entertainment industry analysts as a landmark case study of how to transform a small niche street performance concept into a globally recognized mass-appeal cultural brand.
Globalization Reach
Score: 89/100
Cumulatively, Cirque du Soleil productions have been staged in more than 85 countries across all inhabited continents, drawing a total of over 400 million attendees since its founding. The brand employs over 1200 performing artists drawn from more than 80 different nationalities, and regularly adapts its show content to incorporate local cultural references for regional market premieres to maximize resonance with local audiences.
This illustrative brand value assessment is generated with AI-assisted reasoning to contextualize Cirque du Soleil's market positioning and operational performance in the global live entertainment sector. All figures and assessments presented in this entry are for reference and explanatory purposes only, and do not constitute formally audited official brand value metrics. To obtain verified, audited official brand value data for Cirque du Soleil, please reach out directly to the World Brand Lab for dedicated official evaluation services.
The Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, commonly known as Cirque du Soleil, is a Canadian entertainment company and the largest contemporary circus producer in the world.[2] Headquartered in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, Montreal, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul on 16 June 1984 by former street performers Guy Laliberté and Gilles Ste-Croix.
Originating as a performing troupe called Les Échassiers ("The Stilt Walkers"), they toured Quebec in various forms between 1979 and 1983.Their initial financial hardship was relieved in 1983 by a government grant from the Canada Council for the Arts to perform as part of the 450th anniversary celebrations of Jacques Cartier's voyage to Canada.[3] Their first official production Le Grand Tour du Cirque du Soleil was a success in 1984, and after securing a second year of funding, Laliberté hired Guy Caron from the National Circus School to recreate it as a "proper circus".Its theatrical, character-driven approach and the absence of performing animals helped define Cirque du Soleil as the contemporary circus ("nouveau cirque") that it remains today.[4]
After financial successes and failures in the late 1980s,
Nouvelle Expérience
was created—with the direction of
Franco Dragone
—which not only made Cirque du Soleil profitable by 1990, but allowed it to create new shows.
It expanded rapidly through the 1990s and 2000s, growing from one production to dozens of shows in over 300 cities on six continents.
In 2017, the company employed 4,900 people from 50 countries and took in about US$1 billion.[6][7] Several permanent Las Vegas shows alone play to more than 9,000 people a night, 5% of the city's visitors, adding to the over 100 million people who have seen Cirque du Soleil productions worldwide.[8][9]
In 2000, Laliberté bought out Daniel Gauthier's stake in the company, and with 95% ownership continued to expand the brand.[10] In 2008, Laliberté sold 20% of his share to the investment groups Istithmar World and Nakheel of Dubai, but bought back the stake after the 2008 financial crisis.[11][12] In 2015, TPG Capital, Fosun Industrial Holdings, and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec purchased 90% of Cirque du Soleil while Laliberté retained a 10% stake in the company.[13][14] In February 2020, Laliberté sold his remaining 10% stake in the company to Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec for $75 million.[7][15] The company declared bankruptcy amid the COVID-19 pandemic and was sold in November 2020 to a group of its creditors led by Catalyst Capital Group.
The company's creations have received numerous prizes and distinctions, including three Drama Desk Awards;[16][17][18] seven Primetime Emmy Awards;[19][20][21][22][23] multiple Gemini Awards;[24][25] a Daytime Emmy Award;[26] a Juno Award;[27] and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[28] In 2000, Cirque du Soleil was awarded the National Arts Centre Award, a companion award of the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards,[29] and in 2002 was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.[30]
History
1979–1983: Origins
In 1979, after having quit college and learned the art of fire breathing, Guy Laliberté organized a summer fair in Baie-Saint-Paul with the help of Daniel Gauthier and Gilles Ste-Croix.[5] As part of a publicity stunt to convince the Quebec government to help fund this production, Ste-Croix walked the 56 mi from Baie-Saint-Paul to Quebec City on stilts.This gave them funding for the stilt-walking troupe Les Échassiers de Baie-Saint-Paul, which then toured Quebec the following year in 1980.[31]
Although well received by audiences and critics alike, Les Échassiers was a financial failure. Laliberté spent the following winter in Hawaii while Ste-Croix stayed in Quebec to set up a nonprofit holding company named "The High-Heeled Club" (Club des Talons Hauts) to mitigate the losses of the previous summer. This allowed Les Échassiers de Baie-Saint-Paul to break even by fall 1981. The following summer, Laliberté and Ste-Croix founded La Fête Foraine, a street performance festival that featured circus performances and workshops to teach the circus arts to the public.[32] Laliberté managed and produced the fair for 2 more years, becoming a moderate financial success.
In 1983, the government of Quebec gave him a $1.6 million grant to host a production the following year as part of Quebec's 450th anniversary celebration of the French explorer Jacques Cartier's arrival in Turtle Island (North America).This became Cirque du Soleil's first production Le Grand Tour du Cirque du Soleil.[5][33]
1984–1989: Foundation and early productions
The company's first production Le Grand Tour performed in Quebec for 13 weeks in summer 1984. Although several issues persisted during the first tour (including a collapsed tent and conflict between artists), it was a financial success. After securing funding from the Canadian government for a second year from the help of Quebec premier René Lévesque, Laliberté hired Guy Caron, head of the National Circus School, as Cirque du Soleil's artistic director.Laliberté and Caron reworked the company's performance style to emulate that of Moscow Circus by having the acts tell a story.Further influences from the Circus of China, Cirque Arlette Gruss, and Circus Roncalli led Cirque du Soleil to approach their shows in a more theatrical fashion with live music and no technical crew on stage.To assist in this shift towards a theatrical production, Laliberté and Caron hired Belgian director Franco Dragone to direct segments of their 1985 production, Cirque du Soleil.[5][34]
The company's first non-Quebec performances in Ontario in 1985 were unsuccessful, leading to a $750,000 deficit.To enable a 1986 tour, the Desjardins Group covered $200,000 of bad checks, financier Daniel Lamarre represented the company for free, and the Quebec government allotted it an additional year of funding.
1990–1999: Consistent successes and international expansion
By the end of 1989, the company once again faced deficit due to internal conflicts amongst the company's leaders as well as from lukewarm reception to their revamped tour of Le Cirque Réinventé in the United States. In response to this, Cirque du Soleil took their plans for their previously shelved show Éclipse and developed it into Nouvelle Expérience.Franco Dragone returned as director in addition to a creative team made up of costume designer Dominique Lemieux, set designer Michel Crête, lighting designer Luc Lafortune, choreographer Debra Brown, and composer René Dupéré.Nouvelle Expérience premiered in May 1990 to critical acclaim, touring North America through the end of 1991 and later taking up a one-year residency in Las Vegas until 1993.[38] The following touring shows created by the same creative team—Saltimbanco, Alegría, and Quidam—proved to be equally successful.[5]
The success of Nouvelle Expérience's contract in Las Vegas led to a deal between Cirque du Soleil and the Mirage Casino-Hotel to create a permanent show, Mystère, residing in Treasure Island Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip.It premiered in December 1993.[39]
First international ventures
Le Cirque Réinventé marked the company's first performances outside of North America when it performed in London and Paris in 1990. The show received a mixed reception and was not followed by another production until Saltimbanco's 1995 European tour, which better solidified Cirque du Soleil's presence in the European market.[43]
Cirque du Soleil also toured Japan in the summer of 1992 at the behest of the Fuji Television Network.Combining acts from their previous shows Nouvelle Expérience and Le Cirque Réinventé, they created their first arena show Fascination which toured Japan from May to August of that year.[5][16] Fascination's positive reception allowed Cirque du Soleil to play Saltimbanco there in 1994, thereby establishing the company's market in the Asia and Pacific region for their subsequent tours in the late 1990s and 2000s.[38]
2000–2009: Rapid growth
In 2000, the company produced their IMAX film Journey of Man.[44] Shortly afterwards, at the beginning of 2001, Daniel Gauthier left the company and was bought out by Guy Laliberté, bringing his ownership stake in the company to 95%.[10] Gilles Ste-Croix also soon left to found the horse-based touring show Cheval, leading Laliberté to hire Lyn Heward and Daniel Lamarre as Presidents and C.O.O.'s of the company's Creative Content and New Ventures divisions, respectively.[42][5]
In 2002, the company created the touring show Varekai and in 2003 premiered the resident show Zumanity in Las Vegas, their first "X-rated" show performed only for adults aged 18 years and older.The company also produced their first television shows that year: the documentary reality miniseries Fire Within and the variety series Solstrom.[5]
2010–2014: Cutbacks and restructuring
The touring show Totem premiered in 2010[62] and was soon followed by three more shows in 2011: the resident show Iris in Los Angeles and the touring shows Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour and Zarkana.[63] Although the company was still growing at this time, it continued to face several issues with its newer productions.Zarkana and Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour received poor reviews[64][65] and the company had a string of closures.Banana Shpeel closed in Toronto in October 2010 after cancelling its previously-announced engagement in San Francisco.[66] In July 2011, Cirque du Soleil announced the closure of Zed due to poor ticket sales as a direct result of the March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[67]
2015–2020: Rebranding and diversification under TPG Capital, Fosun, and CDPQ
On 20 April 2015, Guy Laliberté announced that he had sold a 90% joint stake in the company to the investment groups TPG Capital, Fosun Capital Group, and La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) for approximately $1.5 billion, while retaining a 10% stake in the company himself.[80][81] The sale received regulatory approval from the Government of Canada on 30 June 2015.[82] Under the new ownership, the company began majorly restructuring its executive leadership in order to focus on increasing their profitability. Their finance director, chief operating officer, and numerous vice-presidents were all replaced within six months of the company's sale. Notably, the position of Chief Operating Officer held by Charles Décarie was given to finance lawyer Jonathan Tétrault.[83]
In November 2015 the company premiered the touring arena show Toruk – The First Flight based on James Cameron's Avatar franchise.[84]
2020–2021: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
On 19 March 2020, responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cirque du Soleil announced that all 44 active shows worldwide would be suspended, and that 4,679 employees, comprising 95 percent of their staff, would be temporarily laid off, effective immediately.These actions brought the company into a state of financial collapse with a debt of over $1 billion.[102][103] Although it received financial support with a $50 million injection from its shareholders and a $200 million loan from the Quebec government, on 29 June 2020 the company announced that it had filed for bankruptcy protection and was terminating 3,500 employees who had previously been laid off.[104][105][106][107]
2021–present: Post-pandemic restructuring under Catalyst
With the exception of the resident shows Joyà and X: The Land of Fantasy, which reopened with limited capacities in the summer of 2020, Cirque du Soleil did not reopen its shows for over a year during its worldwide COVID-19 performance suspension. They began gradually reopening its shows in the summer of 2021, beginning with its Las Vegas-based resident shows.[115][116][117][118] Several productions that had been temporarily suspended due to the pandemic (including Zumanity, Totem, Volta, and Axel) did not reopen and were retroactively permanently closed by the company.[119]
In 2021, the resident show Drawn to Life premiered—the company's first new production since the onset of the pandemic.[118]
Changes in leadership and employment structure
In November 2021, Cirque du Soleil announced that Daniel Lamarre would be stepping down as president and CEO of the company and transitioning into the role of executive vice-chairman of the board, while former chief financial officer and chief operating officer Stéphane Lefebvre would take over as president and CEO, effective 1 December 2021.[126][127] In April 2025, Stéphane Lefebvre stepped down from his position as president and CEO and was temporarily replaced again by Lamarre until Mark Cornell was appointed president and CEO in November 2025.[128][129]
Numerous cutbacks occurred during this period under a consolidation policy the company titled "ONE Cirque", which included over 100 layoffs, the closure of two Blue Man Group performance venues, and the shuttering of their Las Vegas costume and fabrication workshops, all between November 2024 and February 2025.[130] In February 2025, chief revenue officer Mike Newquist departed the company less than one month after beginning in the position.
Shows
Each Cirque du Soleil production is a synthesis of circus styles from around the world, with its own central theme and storyline. Shows employ continuous live music, with performers rather than stagehands changing the props.[133]
The duration of each touring show is typically between 2 and 2 hours and 30 minutes, including an intermission.[134][135] Permanent shows are usually between 70 and 90 minutes in length without an intermission.[136][137] Typically touring shows as well as resident shows perform a standard 10 shows a week.[138] Touring shows usually have one "dark day" (with no performances) while resident shows have two.[139]
Show list
Future productions
Cirque 2027: a new Grand Chapiteau show originally planned to premiere in 2026 but postponed to 2027.[144]
Divisions, affiliates, and subsidiaries
Cirque du Soleil oversees multiple divisions, affiliates, and subsidiary companies which it has created or acquired over the course of its history. These have included in-house multimedia divisions such as Cirque du Soleil Musique, Cirque du Soleil Média, and Cirque du Soleil Images, as well as existing entertainment companies such as VStar Entertainment Group or The Works Entertainment Group.[145]
Cirque du Soleil Events + Experiences
From the 1992 until 2015, Cirque du Soleil produced a variety of public and private events and performances under its Special Events division. In April 2015, the Special Events division was restructured as a formal subsidiary company named 45 Degrees.[146] 45 Degrees later merged with the company's C-Lab (creative laboratory) division, expanding its purview to include development of "new concept" shows for the company's main division (for example, the dinner-show concept found in Joyà).[147] In April 2019, the 45 Degrees subsidiary was restructured and rebranded as "Cirque du Soleil Events + Experiences", under which the company now develops its special events and projects.[148]
Outbox
Outbox is a white-label electronic ticketing technology of which Cirque du Soleil is a primary shareholder, having partnered with the company shortly after its launch in 2005.[204][205][206]
4U2C
4U2C was an multimedia company that specialized in combining video, sound, lighting, and special effects for various projection surfaces. It was launched in 2013 as a joint venture between Cirque du Soleil and audiovisual company Solotech and later absorbed into the Cirque du Soleil Events + Experiences division in February 2020.[207][208]
Blue Man Group
Performance art company Blue Man Group became a subsidiary under the Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group parent company in July 2017.The cost for the acquisition was a reported US$65.5 million.[209][99]
VStar Entertainment Group
Children's entertainment company VStar Entertainment Group was acquired by Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group in July 2018.Its assets include Paw Patrol Live as well as one-time competitor Cirque Dreams, which itself is a subsidiary of VStar.[100]
The Works Entertainment Group
Entertainment company The Works Entertainment Group, whose productions include The Illusionists, was acquired by Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group in February 2019 for US$40 million.[101]
Other works and collaborations
Projects
Cirque du Monde: A social action project founded in 1994 designed to reach marginalized youth nationally and internationally by teaching circus arts and skills.[5][210]
One Drop: In 2007, Cirque du Soleil founded One Drop, a charitable project designed to bring clean water to developing countries.[211]
Jukari Fit to Fly: Cirque du Soleil collaborated with Reebok in 2009 to create a gym workout set based on trapeze work.[212]
Safewalls: An artistic outreach project in which urban street artists were hired to create visual artworks for the company in 2011.[213]
Desigual inspired by Cirque du Soleil: Cirque du Soleil partnered with Desigual fashion design in 2011 to develop a collection of clothing and accessories, which were made available at Desigual stores and Cirque du Soleil show boutiques.[214] The partnership was discontinued in 2015.[215]
Movi.Kanti.Revo: In association with Google, Cirque du Soleil released a Google Chrome extension in 2012.[216]
Felix & Paul Studios VR: Between 2014 and 2017, the Cirque du Soleil Média collaborated with Felix & Paul Studios to create a number of virtual reality videos based on Zarkana, Kurios, Kà, O, and Luzia.[217][218] Inside the Box of Kurios later won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2016.[26]
Cirque du Soleil Theme Park: On 12 November 2014, Cirque du Soleil, Grupo Vidanta, and Goddard Group announced plans for a theme park in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. The plans called for at least two lands, the Village of the Sun and the Village of the Moon, as well as an outdoor evening show accommodating as many as 3,000 to 5,000 spectators, and may include a water park and nature park elements.[219] The opening was initially delayed from 2018 to a mid-2019 opening.[220] Further delays have subsequently pushed the projected opening date to 2023.[221] The last press release about this project was submitted in 2021.[222]
One Night for One Drop: From 2013 to 2019, Cirque du Soleil organized an annual one-night event in support of the clean water charity One Drop.[223][224]
NFL Experience Times Square: A short-lived project with interactive displays about the National Football League.[225][226]
Criss Angel Mindfreak Live: Following the closure of Criss Angel Believe, Cirque du Soleil acted as a producing partner on Angel's subsequent production, Mindfreak Live, from 2016 to 2018.[227]
Cruise ship performances
Collaboration with Celebrity Cruises
In March 2004, Celebrity Cruises announced its first collaboration with Cirque du Soleil.[228] By the end of that year, the collaboration had launched "The Bar at the Edge of the Earth" on both the Constellation and Summit cruise ships, a bar and lounge inspired by Cirque du Soleil featuring live characters and projections.However, due to lukewarm reception, Celebrity Cruises announced in October 2005 that it would be removing the live characters and projections from the lounges and retooling its Cirque du Soleil offering so as to create a more standard circus performance.[229] In December 2005, the collaboration premiered the 30-minute acrobatic show A Taste of Cirque du Soleil on both ships.[230] It continued through 2006 and was eventually discontinued.[231]
Collaboration with Celebrity Cruises
In March 2004, Celebrity Cruises announced its first collaboration with Cirque du Soleil.[228] By the end of that year, the collaboration had launched "The Bar at the Edge of the Earth" on both the Constellation and Summit cruise ships, a bar and lounge inspired by Cirque du Soleil featuring live characters and projections.However, due to lukewarm reception, Celebrity Cruises announced in October 2005 that it would be removing the live characters and projections from the lounges and retooling its Cirque du Soleil offering so as to create a more standard circus performance.[229] In December 2005, the collaboration premiered the 30-minute acrobatic show A Taste of Cirque du Soleil on both ships.[230] It continued through 2006 and was eventually discontinued.[231]
Cirque du Soleil at Sea
On 9 November 2015, Cirque du Soleil announced that it would be re-entering the cruise ship business in collaboration with MSC Cruises.The partnership plans included a $21 million investment by MSC to create special theatre spaces in four of their Meraviglia class ships while Cirque du Soleil would create eight new shows, two on each ship in alternating performances.[232][233] The partnership was later branded as Cirque du Soleil at Sea.[234]
In June 2017, it launched its first two productions on the MSC Meraviglia—Viaggio and Sonor.[234] This was followed by Syma and Varélia on the MSC Bellissima in March 2019[235]
Lounges and nightclubs
Following the opening of The Beatles Love in Las Vegas in June 2006, Cirque du Soleil opened the Revolution lounge at The Mirage resort in 2007, its first venture into the Las Vegas nightlife business.The lounge was based on the work of The Beatles, in conjunction with the concept of The Beatles Love.[238][239] In 2009, the company opened the Gold Lounge at the Aria Resort and Casino based on the life of Elvis Presley and their show Viva Elvis.[240] In May 2013 the Light Group opened the Light nightclub in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in concurrence with the premiere of Michael Jackson One.[241] It would later be host to the musical For the Record, the company's first project out of its theatrical division.[242]
Luna Petunia
In 2014 Cirque du Soleil Média and Saban Brands produced Luna Petunia, an animated series for preschool-aged children.It began airing on Netflix in September 2016.[246] On 1 May 2018, Saban Brands sold Luna Petunia to Hasbro.[247]
The Wiz
In a collaboration with Universal Television and Sony Pictures Television, the Cirque du Soleil Theatrical division co-produced the television broadcast of The Wiz Live! (based on the musical of the same name) which aired in December 2015 on NBC.Tony Award-winning director Kenny Leon directed the show along with Broadway writer/actor Harvey Fierstein, who contributed new material to the original Broadway script.Queen Latifah, Mary J. Blige, Stephanie Mills, Ne-Yo, David Alan Grier, Common, Elijah Kelley, Amber Riley, and Uzo Aduba and Shanice Williams starred in the broadcast.It was speculated that a live version of the show would play on Broadway during the 2016–2017 season, however this plan fell through.[248]
Tours
Touring Cirque du Soleil shows are customarily mounted under a grand chapiteau (i.e. big top) hauled from site to site along with a large entrance tent, artistic tent, kitchen, school, and other items necessary to support the cast and crew.[249]
It typically takes eight days to set up and three to break down the site. About 100 local workers are hired as temporary staff, overseen by one of the company's tent masters.[5]
Before 2006, Cirque du Soleil performed exclusively in tents and permanent theatres, with the exception of the brief arena tours of Le Grand Tour du Cirque du Soleil in 1984 and Fascination in 1992.[5] 2006's Delirium was the company's first significant touring show for the arena market.[250] Its success led Cirque du Soleil to re-stage its Grand Chapiteau shows for arena tours, beginning with Saltimbanco in 2007 and subsequently with most of their major Grand Chapiteau productions.[251]
The company's tours contribute to venue cities' economies: renting lots for shows, parking spaces, selling and buying promotions, renting hotel rooms, purchasing food, and hiring local help. For example, during its 2009 stay in Santa Monica, California, Koozå brought an estimated US$16700000 2009 to the city government and local businesses.[252]
Discography
Filmography
The company's multimedia division Cirque du Soleil Images creates original products for film, television, video, and DVD and distributes its productions worldwide.[42] Its creations have garnered numerous awards, including a multiple Gemini Awards[24] and seven Primetime Emmy Awards for Fire Within,[19] Corteo,[20] Dralion,[21] Nouvelle Expérience,[22] and Le Cirque Réinventé.[23]
Controversies and legal issues
Firing of HIV-positive artist
In November 2003, gymnast Matthew Cusick (represented by the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund) filed a discrimination complaint against Cirque du Soleil in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging a violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act.[274][275] Cusick (a trainee performer who was scheduled to begin working at Mystère) alleged that in April 2002, Cirque du Soleil fired him because he tested HIV-positive, even though company doctors had already cleared him as healthy enough to perform.Cirque du Soleil alleged that due to the nature of Cusick's disease coupled with his job's high risk of injury, there was a significant risk of his infecting other performers, crew or audience members.[276] Cirque du Soleil said that they had several HIV-positive employees, but in the case of Cusick, the risk of his spreading his infection while performing was too high to take the risk.A boycott ensued and Just Out ran a story on it with the headline "Flipping off the Cirque".[277] Cirque du Soleil settled with Cusick in April 2004.Under the settlement, the company began a company-wide anti-discrimination training program; changed its employment practices pertaining to HIV-positive applicants; paid Cusick $60,000 in lost wages, $200,000 in front pay, and $300,000 in compensatory damages; and paid $40,000 in attorney fees to Lambda Legal.[274][277][275]
An additional complaint was filed on Cusick's behalf by the San Francisco Human Rights Commission.Their complaint stemmed from the City of San Francisco's ban on city contracting with employers that discriminate based on HIV status; the circus leases property owned by the city-owned Port of San Francisco.[278]
Trademark and copyright disputes
Cirque du Soleil opposed Neil Goldberg and his company Cirque Productions over its use of the word "Cirque" in the late 1990s.Goldberg's company was awarded a trademark on its name "Cirque Dreams" in 2005.[279][280]
In August 1999, Fremonster Theatrical filed an application for the trademark Cirque de Flambé. This application was opposed by the owners of the Cirque du Soleil trademark in August 2002, on the grounds that it would cause confusion and "[dilute] the distinctive quality" of Cirque du Soleil's trademarks. A judge dismissed the opposition and the Cirque de Flambé trademark application was approved in 2005.[281][282]
In April 2016, Cirque du Soleil filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, and Sony Music Entertainment in federal court in New York, alleging that Timberlake's song "Don't Hold the Wall" (co-written with Timbaland) from his third studio album
H.B. 2 law in North Carolina
In 2016 the company cancelled of all touring shows to North Carolina, including Ovo in both Greensboro and Charlotte, and Toruk in Raleigh, following signature of the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act (commonly known as "HB2") by North Carolina governor Pat McCrory.[285] Cirque du Soleil was criticized for this decision and accused of taking a double standard, for cancelling the shows in North Carolina while many times they have performed their shows in countries like the United Arab Emirates which violates a number of fundamental human rights.[286]
Fatalities
On 16 October 2009, 24-year-old performer Oleksandr "Sacha" Zhurov, of Ukraine, died at a hospital in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from head injuries he had sustained during a training session.[287] He had been with the company only a few months at the time of the accident.[288] An initial report of the incident said Zhurov had fallen off a trampoline[289] but, in 2010, it was reported he had fallen while doing training exercises on a Russian swing.An investigation by Quebec's occupational-safety board decided that while Zhurov made the error that ultimately resulted in his death, the company should be fined $1,915 for failing to adequately determine the risks associated with equipment.[287]
On 29 June 2013, 31-year-old performer Sarah "Sasoun" Guyard-Guillot, of France, died in an ambulance en route to hospital as the result of blunt force trauma she had sustained from a fall during a performance of Kà in Las Vegas, Nevada.[290][291][292] She had been with the company since 2006.[293] It was originally thought that Guyard-Guillot's safety harness had failed her and that was what resulted in her fall but, in actuality, a cable responsible for keeping her in the air had been cut after accidentally being knocked loose by movement during the performance.[294][295] Reports as to how far Guyard-Guillot fell differ from source to source, with some saying she fell 50 feet and others 94 feet.[290][294] The show resumed 17 days after the death without the final aerial battle scene.[296] The company was fined as a result.[297]
On 29 November 2016, 42-year-old set technician Olivier Rochette, from Canada, died in San Francisco, California, from head injuries he had sustained after accidentally being hit in the head by an aerial lift while preparing for a production of Luzia.[298][299] Rochette was the son of Cirque du Soleil co-founder Gilles Ste-Croix.[298]
On 17 March 2018, 38-year-old aerial straps performer Yann Arnaud, of France, died at a hospital in Tampa, Florida, after falling during a performance of Volta.[300][301] He had been with the company for 15 years.[302]
Notable people
Criss Angel, magician and frequent collaborator
Anthony Gatto, juggler
Guy Laliberté, founder and former CEO
Stephane Lefebvre, Former CEO
Mathieu Laplante, producer, director, choreographer, and former circus performer
Thom Wall, juggler and publisher of academic circus books
Mason Ryan, former WWE wrestler and current Cirque du Soleil performer
La Magie Continue, their 1986 production, proved more artistically successful with the direction of Franco Dragone.
This extended to the creation of their 1987 show Le Cirque Réinventé.[5]
In the summer of 1987, Cirque du Soleil was invited to present Le Cirque Réinventé at the Los Angeles Arts Festival. Despite only having enough money to make a one-way trip, the company agreed to open for the festival in September of that year. Le Cirque Réinventé's first American performances were an instant critical and financial hit, allowing them make a profit of over $1.5 million by the end of 1987.[35][36] Over the next two years the show continued to tour Canada and the United States, making its first appearance at New York's Battery Park in March 1988.[37] In 1989 plans for a second touring show named Éclipse started developing. Due to artistic differences with these plans, Guy Caron, along with a number of artists, left the company causing the plans to be shelved. Gilles Ste-Croix, who had been away from the company since 1985, subsequently replaced Caron as artistic director.[5]
Its success as the company's first permanent production would later allow for the creation of two more permanent shows in 1998:
Following the premiere of La Nouba, the creative team made up of Dragone, Lemieux, Crête, Lafortune, and Brown (as well as Benoît Jutras who took over as in-house composer after Dupéré in 1994) departed Cirque du Soleil.Starting with the creation of Dralion in 1999, the company began producing shows with entirely new creative teams.[5]
First international ventures
Le Cirque Réinventé marked the company's first performances outside of North America when it performed in London and Paris in 1990. The show received a mixed reception and was not followed by another production until Saltimbanco's 1995 European tour, which better solidified Cirque du Soleil's presence in the European market.[43]
Cirque du Soleil also toured Japan in the summer of 1992 at the behest of the Fuji Television Network.Combining acts from their previous shows Nouvelle Expérience and Le Cirque Réinventé, they created their first arena show Fascination which toured Japan from May to August of that year.[5][16] Fascination's positive reception allowed Cirque du Soleil to play Saltimbanco there in 1994, thereby establishing the company's market in the Asia and Pacific region for their subsequent tours in the late 1990s and 2000s.[38]
In 2004, Cirque du Soleil premiered the resident show
Kà
at
MGM Grand
in Las Vegas, directed by Robert Lepage.
In September of that year, the company launched their record label, Cirque du Soleil Musique, after their agreement with BMG Canada expired.[45]
In 2005, Lamarre took over as President of Cirque du Soleil from Laliberté while Heward took on the role of executive producer for special projects.[46][47] In that same year the company premiered the touring show Corteo.[48] The same year, the Cirque du Soleil switched ticketing companies to go with Outbox's technology, a white label system, of which it also became a shareholder.[49]
Cirque du Soleil premiered two shows in 2006: Delirium, their first significant touring arena show, in January of that year and The Beatles Love, their first collaboration with The Beatles, in June.[50][51] Similarly, in 2007 they opened two more productions with the resident show Wintuk in New York City and the touring tent show Koozå.[52] In July 2007 the company made their first effort to convert tent shows to arena settings by launching Saltimbanco's arena tour in London, Ontario (this custom would be followed by other tent shows in later years).[50]
The company opened three resident shows within the span of 3 months in 2008—Zaia in Macau, China, Criss Angel Believe in Las Vegas, and Zed in Tokyo, Japan—which furthered their practice of producing multiple shows at the same time.[53] That year Cirque du Soleil also announced that they sold a 20% stake in the company to Dubai investors Istithmar World and Nakheel in order to finance their goals, including plans for a resident show in Dubai directed by Guy Caron and Michael Curry (according to Laliberté, these plans were later "put on ice" due to the Great Recession).[54][55][56]
In 2009, they launched 3 more shows: the touring tent show Ovo, the touring theatre show Banana Shpeel, and the resident show Viva Elvis in Las Vegas.[57][58] At this time Cirque du Soleil began being criticized for the quality of their productions.Banana Shpeel became labelled as one of the company's first "failures" when it was panned by both critics and audiences;[59] Criss Angel Believe and Viva Elvis also received negative reviews.[60][61]
In November 2011 MGM Grand asked the company to close and replace Viva Elvis by the end of 2012 due to poor ticket sales.
In December 2012, the company announced a new division—Cirque du Soleil Média—in conjunction with Bell Media, followed by the release of their second film
At this time Cirque du Soleil also announced 50 layoffs.
The layoffs consisted mostly of 30 employee positions at their International Headquarters in Montreal, including three vice-presidents.[73]
With the high output of shows between 2007 and 2011 in combination with its multiple closures, the company began slowing down its operations. In 2012 and 2013 it only opened two shows: the touring tent show Amaluna and the resident show Michael Jackson: One in Las Vegas.[73][74] On 16 January 2013, Cirque du Soleil announced that it would be laying off 400 of its 5000 employees worldwide, most of which at their International Headquarters.The company noted that it had not been profitable in 2012 despite having garnered over $1 billion in revenue that year.[75] Later that year, on 30 June 2013, the company faced headlines when acrobat Sarah "Sasoun" Guyard-Guillot died after falling during a performance of Kà in Las Vegas, its first on-stage death in its history.
In January 2014, Cirque du Soleil announced the creation of Cirque du Soleil Theatrical, a division aimed developing more traditional theatre productions in order to diversify their production output.[76][77] In April 2014, Kurios: Cabinet of Curiosities, a touring tent show, premiered in Montreal to critical acclaim and was followed in November 2014 by Joyà, both the company's first resident show in Mexico and their first dinner theatre production.[78][79]
It was followed shortly after by the touring tent show
Séptimo Día - No Descansaré, an arena show based on the music of Soda Stereo, premiered in March for a short year-long tour targeted largely at South and Central American audiences.[88] In April 2017, it premiered the touring tent show Volta and in October, Crystal, the company's first ice show.[89][90]
Cirque du Soleil launched the children's show Big Top Academy through TVO in October 2018.[91] In November 2018, it premiered the touring tent show Bazzar in India, the company's first production to tour in that region.In 2019, the company opened six shows: the touring tent show Alegría: In a New Light; the touring arena shows Axel and Messi10; the touring theatre show 'Twas the Night Before; and two resident shows—X: The Land of Fantasy in Hangzhou, China and R.U.N in Las Vegas.[1][92][93][94][95][96][97]
Under the ownership of TPG Capital, Fosun Capital Group, and La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Cirque du Soleil restructured into a new parent company named Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group and secured several multi-million dollar acquisitions: the Blue Man Group, VStar Entertainment Group, and The Works Entertainment Group.[98][6][99][100][101] In February 2020, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec acquired Guy Laliberté's remaining 10% stake in Cirque du Soleil, bringing its total ownership in the company from 10% to 20%.[7]
stated the intention of the company was to rehire "a substantial majority" of terminated employees once coronavirus-related shutdowns were lifted and operations could resume, business conditions allowing.
In connection with the filing, Cirque du Soleil entered a stalking horse bid from its shareholders with the intention of drawing outside bidders to buy the company.[110] In July 2020, the company's shareholders offered a proposal that would allow its creditors to obtain a 45% stake in the company while the current shareholders would maintain a 55% shared stake.[111] On 17 July 2020, a takeover proposal by the company's creditors valued at US$1.2 billion was approved as a benchmark bid in the company by the Quebec Superior Court.[112] On 17 August 2020, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec reported that it had to write off the US$75 million investment which it had made only four months prior, in February.[113] On 24 November 2020, it was announced that the company emerged from bankruptcy and was sold to a group of its creditors led by Canadian investment company Catalyst Capital Group.[114]
In 2022, Mad Apple opened in the former Zumanity theatre at New York-New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, followed by the touring show Echo in 2023.
In November 2021, Cirque du Soleil announced that Daniel Lamarre would be stepping down as president and CEO of the company and transitioning into the role of executive vice-chairman of the board, while former chief financial officer and chief operating officer Stéphane Lefebvre would take over as president and CEO, effective 1 December 2021.[126][127] In April 2025, Stéphane Lefebvre stepped down from his position as president and CEO and was temporarily replaced again by Lamarre until Mark Cornell was appointed president and CEO in November 2025.[128][129]
Numerous cutbacks occurred during this period under a consolidation policy the company titled "ONE Cirque", which included over 100 layoffs, the closure of two Blue Man Group performance venues, and the shuttering of their Las Vegas costume and fabrication workshops, all between November 2024 and February 2025.[130] In February 2025, chief revenue officer Mike Newquist departed the company less than one month after beginning in the position.[131][132]
On 9 November 2015, Cirque du Soleil announced that it would be re-entering the cruise ship business in collaboration with MSC Cruises.The partnership plans included a $21 million investment by MSC to create special theatre spaces in four of their Meraviglia class ships while Cirque du Soleil would create eight new shows, two on each ship in alternating performances.[232][233] The partnership was later branded as Cirque du Soleil at Sea.[234]
In June 2017, it launched its first two productions on the MSC Meraviglia—Viaggio and Sonor.[234] This was followed by Syma and Varélia on the MSC Bellissima in March 2019[235] and Cosmos and Exentricks on the MSC Grandiosa in November 2019.[236] Two more shows were planned to launch on MSC Virtuosa in 2020 until the COVID-19 pandemic forced all Cirque du Soleil at Sea productions to close.[237]
In October 2015, Cirque du Soleil renounced its intention to be involved in Las Vegas nightclubs and has since dissociated itself from all its lounges and clubs.[243] Both the Revolution and Gold Lounges closed in 2015 while the Light nightclub is no longer affiliated with the company.[244][245]
The 20/20 Experience
(2013) infringed the copyright of Cirque du Soleil's song "Steel Dream" from its 1997 album
