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The Birth of a Circus
Cirque du Soleil is born with the assistance of the Quebec government, part of the celebrations of the 450th anniversary of Jacques Cartier’s arrival in Canada. The first production, Le Grand Tour debuts in the small Quebec town of Gaspé, and is then performed in 10 other cities throughout the province. The first blue-and-yellow big top seat 800. -
Going outside the box
After performing in Montreal, Sherbrooke and Quebec City, with Le Grand Tour, Cirque du Soleil leaves its home province for the first time to take its show to neighbouring Ontario. It performs in Ottawa, Toronto and Niagara Falls and the show is simply named Cirque du Soleil. -
The Act Grows
Cirque du Soleil takes La Magie Continue across Canada, including Vancouver, where it puts on several performances at the Children’s Festival and Expo 86 and in seven other Canadian cities. The big top now has room for 1,500 spectators. -
Going to the USA
Having triumphed in five cities in Quebec, the Circus is performed at the LA Art Festival and then moves on to San Diego and Santa Monica. Exhilarated by the Californian public's response, Cirque du Soleil is an overnight success. This is not only an important milestone in its history but also its first visit to America. -
The Act Explodes
'We Reinvent the Circus' continues its North American tour, after a brief appearance at the Calgary Winter Olympics. Wherever it goes, the result is the same: the performances sell out, and the critics rave. -
A Permanent Marker
Following the successful Las Vegas run of Nouvelle Expérience, Cirque du Soleil moves into a theatre built to its specifications at the new Treasure Island Hotel. A 10-year contract is signed with Mirage Resorts to stage Mystère, a gigantic production befitting this show business capital. -
10th Anniversary
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20th Anniversary
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Launching the Big Ones
This was an historical year for Cirque du Soleil as the company launched three new permanent shows that year: ZAIA at The Venetian Hotel in Macau (China), ZED at the Tokyo Disney Resort in Tokyo (Japan) and CRISS ANGEL Believe at The Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas (United States).Istithmar World, the investment arm of Dubai World, and Nakheel have together acquired a 20 percent stake in Cirque du Soleil. -
30th anniversary
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Avatar
Cirque du Soleil will develop an arena-touring show inspired by the world of James Cameron’s history-making motion picture AVATAR. This show debuts late 2015 for what will become a global touring schedule.
